Christi Newendorp: Autism Advocate

Key takeaways

• Trust your instincts as a parent — children can often be reliably diagnosed between 12 and 24 months. If you're concerned about developmental milestones, talk to your pediatrician and seek a referral to a developmental pediatrician or psychologist right away.
• ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy is considered the gold standard for autism intervention, and the earlier and more intensive it starts, the better prepared a child is to succeed in school and beyond.
• Autism is a wide spectrum. Since the DSM-5 (2013) grouped conditions like Asperger's under one label, families of those with profound or severe autism (autism two and three) are advocating to have their very different needs recognized in research and policy.
• For those who can advocate for themselves, the neurodiversity movement is meaningful — but children who are nonverbal or need 24/7 care depend on parents, caregivers, teachers, and therapists to be their voice.
• The support systems haven't kept pace with rising prevalence (from about 1 in 150 to roughly 1 in 36 children over two decades). Families face long Medicaid waitlists, limited adult programs, and few housing options.
• Recent wins matter: Oklahoma's legislature appropriated funds to reduce the long DDS waitlist, and the State Department of Education revised transition services so alternatively assessed students can get additional years of support.
• The heart of great special education is belief: assume competence and scaffold until a student shows you what they can do. Even nonverbal students can read and learn when we refuse to underestimate them.