FUND FOR H.O.P.E., INC.
PARKLAND, FLORIDA

ACCORDING TO RECENT STUDIES, AS MANY AS 1 OUT OF 60 CHILDREN BORN IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM. WANT MORE STATISTICS? BASED ON THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FINDINGS, AS MANY AS 1.5 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE SOME FORM OF AUTISM AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE GROWING AT A RATE OF 10-17% A YEAR. THE PREVALENCE OF AUTISM COULD CLIMB TO 4 MILLION DURING THIS DECADE. NEARLY EVERY 30 MINUTES A CHILD IS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM. AUTISM HAS A HIGHER OCCURRENCE THAN LEUKEMIA, MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY, CYSTIC FIBROSIS, AND JUVENILE DIABETES. THE ABILITY FOR CHILDREN TO TRIUMPH AND OVERCOME AUTISM THROUGH HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY AND OTHER ANCILLARY THERAPIES IS VERY MUCH THE KEY POINT WE ARE STRIVING TO BROADCAST TO PARENTS AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THE DISORDER. THROUGH OUR SUPPORTERS, PROMOTERS AND ADVOCATES WE CAN BRING AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT AUTISM IS A DISORDER THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE VIEWED AS UGLY, UNTREATABLE AND IN MANY CASES BE REVERSED. EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT IS ESSENTIAL. IN THE PAST, THE MERE MENTION OF A MENTAL DISORDER WAS CONSIDERED TABOO, UNACCEPTABLE AND OFTEN THOSE AFFECTED WERE OSTRACIZED AND SEPARATED FROM SOCIETY. TODAY, WE NEED TO DESENSITIZE THE WORD AUTISM AND REMOVE THE STIGMA OF DISGRACE, EMBARRASSMENT, HUMILIATION AND SHAME.