If you are like most people, you probably have very little understanding about many childhood disabilities and serious conditions. Let’s be honest. When we lack knowledge about any serious medical condition, many of us grow fearful. We often begin drawing our own conclusions based on anything BUT facts. The results are detrimental to our children because they breed negative stereotypes and myths that devalue our children.

At A.S.K. we strive to educate the public and dispel many of the myths regarding various conditions.

Keep in mind, while children with special needs may share some commonality that helps us to understand how to assist them, the reality is each child is as unique and beautiful as the diverse flowers in nature.

We hope you enjoy some interesting facts about the world of America’s precious kids!

See our blogs for more!!!

• Nearly one of every 100 babies is born with congenital heart defects (CHD). CHD is America’s #1 birth defect-Children’s Heart Foundation.

• An estimated one in 88 U.S. kids is born with autism spectrum disorder-Autism Society.

• An estimated one in every 691 babies is born with Down syndrome-National Down Syndrome Society.

• An estimated 800,000 children and adults in the U.S. have cerebral palsy and 10,000 babies develop CP in the U.S.-United Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

• Epilepsy affects more than 300,000 children under the age of 15 in the U.S., and more than 90,000 people that have seizures cannot be adequately treated-Epilepsy Foundation.

• It is estimated over 13,500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in the U.S.-PACS Statistics and Data Committee (CureSearch, St. Baldrick’s, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, Aimme’s Army, Friends for Life).

• An estimated 11.4 million Americans are blind or visually impaired (approximately 468,000 pre-schoolers, one in every 20, have vision problems-World Health Organization.

• Other common structural birth defects include spina bifida, cleft palate, clubfoot and congenital dislocated hip.

• Allergy is the 5th leading chronic disease in the U.S. among all ages, and the 3rd most chronic disease among kids under 18 years of age-Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

• Fifteen percent of children between the ages of 6-19 have hearing loss in at least one ear. Hearing loss occurs in 5 out of every 1,000 newborns-Center for Hearing and Communication.