Dr Jerry Hu, a sleep dentist based in Las Vegas (KLAS), is a proud father who is familiar with parenting difficulties and even more so when it comes to raising children on the autism spectrum.
In an interview, he shared that he was a minority and had three sons. His youngest was born prematurely and faced issues related to autism spectrum disorder, which even posed extra challenges due to the lack of treatment & education options at the time.
Dr Hu advocates for autism awareness
Because of this experience, Dr Hu is a devout advocate for autism awareness and acceptance in minority communities.
He firmly believes that autistic individuals are valuable and is dedicated to positively influencing the healthcare system to support autistic children and adults.
Reflecting on the past few years, the rise of autism has been particularly alarming. For example, the CDC hinted that about one in 36 kids in America has autism. Moreover, the percentage of Asian, Black, & Hispanic children diagnosed is higher than expected.
While researchers are not certain what causes the high rates of autism diagnosis, they speculate it could be a combination of faster screening and improved awareness.
Health Solutions
In another interview, Dinisha Mingo, a certified mental health associate and director of Mingo Health Solutions, emphasized that the most thing important is the spread of awareness regarding autism and what it means to have a child on the autism spectrum.
She explains that sometimes autistic children exhibit behaviours that may be misconstrued as misconduct or unruliness. Most Autistic children suffer from misinterpretation of their actions.
To help reduce some of these challenges, Dr Mingo suggests early intervention for autistic children. She says early interventions can help reduce behavioural challenges significantly.
She also points out that having enough autism service providers is essential for families to feel comfortable and safe in trust, especially within minority communities.
How Dr Hu supported his son
As for Dr Hu, he is grateful for the improvements in his son’s condition due to management with proper healthcare, nutrition, and a regular sleep routine. “My child can now participate in gymnastics, attend school, and have friends over,” he shared joyfully.
” I believe it’s the early intervention that has helped a lot with my son’s improvement”
Dr Hu is currently teaming up with local organisations to bring awareness of autism. He noted that although they face more challenges, he’s optimistic that the community can be positively influenced to adjust in support of autistic children.
Mingo Health Service
Parents in need of assistance can take advantage of Mingo Health Solution’s free autism support groups and parent training groups that are offered online. On top of education for parents, Mingo Clinic also provides home and clinic services. Helpful resources such as the Autism Assistance Program are also available. The organization is committed to being culturally sensitive and competent, offering support for the unique issues that families experience.
