A&FRC increases Autism Awareness Published April 11, 2012 By Senior Airman Jack Sanders 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The Airman and Family Readiness Center hosted a bi-monthly class to support Autism Awareness April 11 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The class comes at a critical time during the Month of the Military Child and offers Air Force families a better picture of the struggle military families face when it comes to dealing with Autism. The three-hour-long course is run by the A&FRC with support from the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders from the University of Nevada Las Vegas' Department of Special Education. The program provides participants information about characteristics, diagnostic criteria and intervention strategies. Two representatives from UNLV will come out and speak about Autism. The main focus is to talk about different strategies and techniques that parents could use for children with Autism. They will also talk about some of the new developments, said Stephanie Garnes, 99th Force Support Squadron , Exceptional Family Member Family Support Coordinator. Since the definition for Autism is changing, these representatives are going to provide some of the updates for those changes. " These updates will all be geared towards understanding Autism and early detection. Children who receive an early diagnosis benefit by quickly receiving the care required. The representatives from UNLV will provide a question and answer segment for participants to ask questions that may not have been answered throughout the class. While classes are geared towards parents, Garnes said it is open for anyone to attend. "There is no cost," Garnes said. I encourage as many people who can to come out, she said. If you're not a parent of a child with Autism, you could share that information with another family, which may allow for an early diagnosis of a child with Autism. For more information on Autism Awareness course, contact the A&FRC at (702)652-3327.
