Autism Acceptance Month: South Carolina families find support as diagnosis rates rise

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - One in 31 children in the country has been diagnosed with autism, according to national nonprofit Autism Speaks. That rate is still rising.

South Carolina offers help and resources for families, including from the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, which offers early intervention and case management. The South Carolina Autism Society also provides resources, educational mentoring and support for families.

Lorri Unumb said her son was diagnosed with nonverbal autism in 2003. She has been able to figure out the right path for her son in the years since.

Unumb said that thanks to medical advancements and increased financial support, families newly diagnosed are in a much better position to move forward.

“There is just so much more awareness of autism now than when my son was diagnosed. I didn’t know what it was when he was diagnosed. That’s not the case anymore, most people have some concept of what autism is, they may not understand the full spectrum and how it affects different people differently, but they have heard of it, they have a general idea of what it is,” Unumb said. “That’s a good thing, that additional awareness makes it a lot easier for families like mine to function out there in the community.”

Over $5 billion of federal funding has been directed toward programs focused on autism research, data, medical training and development since 2006, according to Autism Speaks.

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