• Throughout the world, the month of April is recognized as Autism Acceptance Month. Each year, Elizabeth Public Schools is the host of events and activities throughout its 37 schools that promote awareness, understanding, and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder as well as the importance of providing an innovative and personalized learning environment for ALL children who attends our schools, including those with special needs.

    Among the highlights of events and activities taking place in 2025 is the Light It Up Blue campaign for which a blue light is installed at the entryway of schools and administrative offices throughout Elizabeth Public Schools to support those whose lives are affected by autism. Additionally, schools from throughout the district will be hosts to autism walks, parades, poster contests, bubbles and balloons days, unified games, and more. Students, team members, and families will be showing their support of those affected by autism by wearing blue or particular clothing items such as bracelets, tie-dye shirts, or hats that represent qualities such as unity, teamwork, achieving dreams, and expressing individuality; creating bulletin board, wall, and giant puzzle displays; and participating in classroom lessons, musical and artistic performances, workshops, and readings.

    Important Facts About Autism (from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Autism Speaks, and Autism NJ)

      • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is 1 in 36 8-year-old children nationally (1 in 35 in NJ)) is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), based on tracking within 11 communities in the United States
      • More children who were born in 2016 (1.8%) received an ASD diagnosis or special education classification by 4 years of age compared with children born in 2012 (1.1%), suggesting progress in early ASD identification over time. In 2020, children born in 2016 (4-year-olds) were 1.6 times as likely as children born in 2012 (8-year-olds) to be identified as having ASD by 48 months of age
      • Among 8-year-old children, boys were nearly 4 times as likely as girls to be identified with ASD. However, 2020 marked the first time the Autism And Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network found the percentage of girls identified with ASD to be over 1%.
      • Also in 2020, Black (29.3 per 1,000 children), Hispanic(31.6 per 1,000 children), and Asian or Pacific Islander (33.4 per 1,000 children) children had a higher percentage of ASD than White (24.3 per 1,000) children for the first time among 8-year-olds, which could reflect improvements in identification among these groups, but highlights a need to understand racial and ethnic differences in ASD prevalence
      • Among 8-year-old children identified with ASD who had intelligence quotient (IQ) scores available, more than one-third (37.9%) also had intellectual disability.
      • The COVID-19 pandemic impacted early ASD identification: around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the rate of evaluation and ASD identification decreased dramatically among 4-year-old children compared with 8-year-old children when they were 4 years of age. Evaluations and ASD identification did not return to pre-pandemic levels through the end of 2020.
      • Early intervention can improve learning, communication, and social skills, as well as underlying brain development and affords the best opportunity to support healthy development and deliver benefits across the lifespan

    What are the Signs of Autism? (from Autism Speaks)

    One of the most important things you can do as a parent or caregiver is to learn the early signs of autism and become familiar with the developmental milestones that your child should be reaching.

    The list below gives some examples of common types of behaviors you might see in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Not all autistic children will have all these behaviors, but most will have several of the behaviors listed below. That’s why professional evaluation is crucial. Additionally, some children without ASD might display some of these behaviors. But for those with ASD, these behaviors can be disruptive or challenging to daily life.

    By 6 months

      • Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions
      • Limited or no eye contact

    By 9 months

      • Little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions

    By 12 months

      • Little or no babbling
      • Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving
      • Little or no response to name

    By 16 months

      • Very few or no words

    By 24 months

      • Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating)

    At any age

      • Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills
      • Avoidance of eye contact
      • Persistent preference for solitude
      • Difficulty understanding other people’s feelings
      • Delayed language development
      • Persistent repetition of words or phrases (echolalia)
      • Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings
      • Restricted interests
      • Repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc.)
      • Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors

    If you have concerns, get your child screened and contact your healthcare provider

    EPS is Here to Help

    Do you have a child that needs help? If YES, we are here to help you.

    If you have a child between the ages of three and five whom you believe may be experiencing difficulty in one or more of the following areas: sitting, standing, walking, talking, learning, getting along with others, seeing or hearing...

    Please contact the Elizabeth Public Schools Department of Special Services at:  908.436.5200 or childfind@epsnj.org

    All information is confidential

     

    Additional Resources