Did You Know?

General Facts About Florida…

• According to MCIL Journal, ADAPT ranked Florida as the 12th worst state in providing options for people with disabilities. (http://www.mcil.org/mcil/log/2002/100802a.htm)
   
• “From July through September 2007, about 6,000 people on the wait list received services through the Family and Supported Living Waiver and more than 7,800 received some state services, which leaves about 7,400 people who did not receive state services.”(http://apd.myflorida.com/news/docs/2007-2008-quarterly-report-1.doc)
   
• “The Fla. Dept. of Children & Family Services reports that at least 23,280 adults and children with mental retardation & other developmental disabilities are receiving services in the community instead of in an institution, but advocates estimate that at least 15,000 people are on waiting lists for services, and advocates suggest that at least an additional 10,000 persons have been discouraged from even seeking help.”(http://www.fvmr.org/proposal.html)
   
• “Florida continues to rank as one of the poorest funding states for social services.” (http://www.fvmr.org/proposal.html)

Autism Facts…

According to, “Autism: Let’s talk about it, Clinical Research Trial” (https://www.autismclinicaltrial.com/)

• “Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the United States.”
   
• “More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes, and Cancer combined.” • “67 children are diagnosed with autism per day – a new case is diagnosed almost every twenty minutes.” • “Boys are more likely than girls to have autism.”
   
• “1 in 166 children is diagnosed with some form of autism.”
   
• There is no known cure for Autism, and there are many conflicting theories about what causes this disorder.

According to, “The National Autistic Society” (http://www.nas.org.uk/)

• “Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. People with autism have difficulties with everyday social interaction.”
   
• “Most children with an ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) will have difficulty interacting with others. This is because in order to be successful at interaction the child needs to respond to others when they are approached by them or to be able to respond to initiate interactions. Although many children with an ASD are able to do this when they want something, they tend not to use interaction to show people things or to be sociable.”
   
• “The causes of autism are still being investigated. Many experts believe that the pattern of behavior from which affect brain development – it is not due to emotional deprivation or the way a person has been brought up.”