The first piece I ever wrote for The Evening Sun, months before I actually worked for the paper, was an article on autism which appeared on the now-defunct family page. The timing of that piece was perfect, I’d thought, because it fell at the beginning of Autism Awareness month.

It’s hard for me to believe that a year has actually gone by since then. But World Autism Awareness Day, recognized by the United Nations as April 2, is upon us once more.

The day will be marked around the world with fundraisers and events sponsored by the thousands of organizations dedicated to increase awareness and fund research of autism spectrum disorders, which affect an estimated 67 million people worldwide.

Until about a year and a half ago, I knew next to nothing about autism. Like everyone else, I’d seen Rain Man and that Bruce Willis movie about the little boy who cracks a secret government code. I thought I knew what autism was. I had no idea how wrong I was until I reconnected with two of my friends from college, Kristen and Sean. Their little boy had been diagnosed with something called Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified, an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

With Kristen’s guidance and encouragement, I began to learn more about autism. And what I found was startling. Did you know autism is more prevalent in our society than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined?

In the United States alone, the numbers are staggering. According to figures published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2007, one in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism. It is even more prevalent in boys, who are four times as likely as girls to be diagnosed as autistic.