April is World Autism Awareness Month, with thousands of events taking place across the globe to raise awareness about the condition. The observance month was spearheaded by the Autism Society, the leading autism organisation, in order to “promote autism awareness, inclusion and self-determination for all, and assure that each person with ASD is provided the opportunity to achieve the highest possible quality of life.” Here we reveal some interesting and sometimes surprising facts about autism.

• The term 'autism' was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler but was wrongly applied to adults with schizophrenia. Leo Kanner redefined the term in 1943 to create the modern understanding of the condition
• Autism is almost five times more common in boys than girls (1 in 42 and 1 in 189 respectively) but is reported across all ethnic, racial and socioeconomic groups
• The condition is more common that childhood cancer, AIDS and diabetes combined
• Research has shown that the amygdala, an area of the brain, was on average 13% larger in autistic children than those without the condition
• 1 in 10 extremely premature children have tested positive for autism. Those born more than three months early have double the expected rate of the condition
• Many people with autism have heightened sensitivity to sensory stimulation, which is linked with a reluctance to being touched
• There are approximately 70 million autistic people in the world
• In 2017, the long-running popular children's TV show 'Sesame Street' introduced 'Julia', a muppet character with autism.

Though there is no known cure for autism, there are many ways in which symptoms of the condition can be alleviated. One of these is via dynamic compression, which is achieved by wearing specialised clothing. Jobskin supply a comprehensive array of compression garments including the SDO Suit. Find out more details on our website.