A is for April and Awareness

When April rolls around, parents and kids are excited. Flowers are blooming. Vacations are planned. And families get to spend a bit more time in the sun and warmth. However, for parents, April is a month for awareness. There are many children issues that are becoming more prevalent and concerning in our progressive community, such as autism, alcohol abuse, and parental alienation. Being aware and taking opportunities to be aware can help you build a happier and stronger family. Here are a few of the key issues for the month of April:

Autism Awareness

Then terms autism and autistic spectrum disorders has become very common over the past twenty years. The National Institute of Mental Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now report that between 2 to 6 per 1,000 children have some form of autism or autistic spectrum disorder. These numbers are staggering when one considers that the cause of autism and autistic spectrum disorders, including PPD, are unknown.

While doctors and researchers are investigating causes and treatments, parents need to be armed with information. Because of the growing concerns and need for support, April has been designated Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. During this month, news stories, resources, and fundraisers take place to help increase recognition of this family and community impacting disorder.

Alcohol Awareness

When one sees the Spring Break and College Break news stories, the public and parents alike are concerned about the influence alcohol use and abuse plays in young peoples' lives. Fetal alcohol syndrome, college binges, and homicides due to driving while under the influence are just some of the issues families and the community face.

Per the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, drunk driving fatalities accounted for 32% of all traffic deaths. While there is a decline in incidents involving young people under the age of 21, there are still about 4 alcohol related deaths each day for this age group.

Groups, such as Distillers Fighting Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, have worked hard to increase awareness of the perils of underage drinking and of the impact of alcohol abuse on families, since alcohol misuse effects all socio-economic groups. During the month of April, there are television programs, rallies, speeches, fundraisers and health reports regarding the perils of alcohol use and abuse on unborn babies, small children, teenagers and adults.

Earth Day

For years, people have talked about the needs for our home, Planet Earth. Almost 4 decades ago, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, conceived of a special day for Americans to recognize the importance of wildlife and national lands. Senator Nelson's vision will recognized as an international event.

On April 22nd, millions of people around the world will work to conserve energy, respect wildlife, hold rallies, and work toward cleaning the environment. There are crafts for children as well as outdoor concerts. This day is truly seen by many as a major celebration.

Parental Alienation Day

Families are changing and with change come new issues. For some families, the issues don't relate to children, but the actions of parents. Bitter feelings, finances and even abuse can prompt parents to attempt to be hostile or even interfere with parent child relationships.

As a result of these issues, a number of organizations, such as the Parental Alientation Awareness Organization, annually promote Parenal Alienation Awareness Day on April 25^th. The causes is being recognized internationally, because the issue impacts the healthy physical and emotional development of children. Some related events include speeches and even candle lightings.

April is an important time to recognize other key issues. Showcasing a number of causes and events, Child Abuse Awareness, Mental Retardation Awareness, Sexual Assault Awareness, National Volunteer Week and Youth Sports Safety Awareness Month are among some of the big events for the fourth month of the year.

As the weather becomes more inviting, it is also time to reflect on causes that impact you, as a parent, and the community in which you raise your child. Whether you volunteer or are impacted by particular situations, parents need to be educated about the issues that ultimately impact their children, By doing this, they become better parents.

For more information about any of these causes, please check out the following websites:

http://www.paawarenessday.com/

http://www.fundraisers.com/causes/

http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/seasonal/aprilalcohol/

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_awareness