Ten years ago, one in 10,000 children born was diagnosed with autism. Today that number is one in every 91 children. There is no known cause and there is no cure. Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. It is more common in children than cancer, diabetes, Down’s syndrome, and AIDS combined.

Autism affects all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to impact boys than girls. Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child or their child’s failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones. Autism impairs a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe. Similar to youth of all abilities, challenges with autistic children usually become more severe as they enter their teens and early adulthood. There is currently no facility in the Naperville area with the capacity to meet the holistic needs of a severely impacted autistic child.