Title
Recognizing April 2025 as Autism Acceptance Month in the City of Philadelphia and commending the work of advocates who are people living with autism and who are breaking down barriers to create a truly inclusive society.
Body
WHEREAS, April is National Autism Acceptance month, a
time to educate our communities about autism acceptance, also known as autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a result of natural variations in the human brain, rather than a disease cured. The movement advocates for several goals, including greater acceptance of autistic traits and
behaviors: services that focus on improving quality of life and well-being, rather than suppressing and masking of autistic traits, or imitations of behaviors of neurotypical peers; and
WHEREAS the 2014 Pennsylvania Autism Census Update provided by ASERT (Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training) and funded by the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) found that over 55,000 children and adults in PA with autism are receiving services. Data has shown that between 2009 and 2014, there was an 181% overall increase in the number of individuals with autism receiving services, and a 334% increase in adults 21+, making adults the fastest growing group; and
WHEREAS the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network data indicated that, in 2020, about 1 in 36 (2.8%) 8-year-old children were identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) across the United States; yet another indicator that this Developmental Disability is, if not increasingly frequent, more likely to be diagnosed; and
WHEREAS, A recent retrospective study of a largely representational cohort of children in the Philadelphia region, whose primary healthcare is within the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia ("CHOP") Care Network, found a prevalence of ASD at 3.2% across the cohort or roughly 1 in 31 within the cohort. The average age of a child diagnosed with ASD was 3.93 years, and th...
Click here for full text