People with Autism often enjoy jigsaw puzzles. Since Up In Pieces was founded in 2003, we have had many parent's ordering our custom puzzles for their children with Autism or Aspergers. Our customers have also used our jigsaw puzzles for Autism and Aspergers awareness events. Even the traditional logo for Autism awareness includes the jigsaw puzzle piece. We are proud to be giving back to the community by supporting awareness and with donations to awareness foundations with purchase of a specially created puzzle design.
We encourage you to learn more about Autism. According to the Autism Society, 1 percent of children in the US have an autism spectrum disorder and it is the fastest growing developmental disability. You can visit www.autism-society.org to learn more about the symptoms, facts, and causes of Autism. In her recent Ted Talk on April 28, 20014, Dr. Wendy Chung, director of clinical research at the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, responds to a common parent question, "what causes autism?" She says:
* There is a spectrum of causes of autism.
* Vaccinations do not cause autism.
* Genes do not account for all the risk for autism.
* The age of the father at the time of conception can increase risk of autism.
* Exposure to certain agents during early fetal development can cause autism.
* It is estimated that there are 200-400 genes that can cause autism.
Every year the United States recognizes April as autism awareness month. Up In Pieces encourages you to spread awareness all year long. According to experts, early diagnosis of autism is the best way to mitigate the symptoms of living with the disorder. Awareness of the disorder can help parent's of young children recognize possible clues and promote early diagnosis.