Autism and the school nurse

Abstract

Until recently, treatment for children with autism involved housing them in hospitals for the developmentally disabled. Today, more states are returning children with autism to their home communities, and more parents are choosing or are being required to keep their children with autism in their homes. Laws were developed to ensure that children with autism receive some form of education, often through the local school system. School nurses, who may not have experience working with children with autism, may feel uncertain about how to provide support for the child with autism. Approximately 300,000 persons in the United States have autism or display autistic behaviors. About one-third are under age 21. People with autism come from all socioeconomic classes. Males are four times more likely to be affected by autism than females. People with autism can be expected to live a normal lifespan.