April was National Autism Awareness Month. Four autism articles have already been published, brought to you by VFAAB (Vietnamese Family Autism Awareness Board) and HopeCentral Pediatrics and Behavioral Health (HopeCentral) and funded by a Best Starts for Kids King County grant. HopeCentral believes that health extends far beyond the walls of our clinic, and by investing in community work through VFAAB’s Autism Awareness campaign, we desire to cultivate a supportive community.

Bringing up a child with autism is a hard road for parents. Even though Autism occurs in 1 in 54 children in the U.S., many Vietnamese do not know much about Autism and stigmatize children who have developmental delay. Language barriers and feelings of shame in the Vietnamese families contribute to a later age at diagnosis, and delay entry into important early intervention therapies. One way the Vietnamese community can help is to recognize developmental delays in children and be supportive of families with children with Autism.

Many emotions surface for parents who notice that their child is behaving differently from other children. Some parents become anxious that the difference is due to something they have done. Some worry that other children will not want to play with their child, or that other parents will exclude their family from social activities. These feelings sometimes cause parents to wait to bring up concerns with their primary care provider.

When VFAAB (Vietnamese Family Autism Advisory Board) volunteers attend health fairs, members of the public ask lots of questions. Parents ask about their children, “My child is two and saying only a few words, my mother says he will grow out of it, should I be worried?” Others express concerns about family members, “I wonder if my niece might have Autism, but I am afraid to bring it up.”

April is National Autism Awareness Month and let’s make a difference in our community. This is the first article of a 4-part series in honor of National Autism Awareness Month brought to you by VFAAB (Vietnamese Family Autism Awareness Board) and HopeCentral Pediatrics and Behavioral Health (HopeCentral). This first article provides education about Autism and the importance of seeking an early Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis.