Nursing students from Jersey College’s Ewing Campus participated in fundraising efforts to raise funds for Autism Awareness. With the support of Jersey College, the students collected over $1,500 through creative fund raising efforts such as bake sales, uniform dress down days, and basket donations for the Central New Jersey Branch of Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks has grown into the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and cures for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

Ewing Campus Dean of Nursing, Kathleen Pinto shares; “Autism is a disorder that is significant to our students as we have an increasing number of families affected by autism spectrum disorder in New Jersey. Some of these families are our own students.” The Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 2016) released a new report with statistics for Autism throughout the United States. Presently, 1 out of 68 children nationwide has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In New Jersey the statistics are 1 out of 41. Pinto states; “There has been a 12 percent increase over just two years in our state. Our students at Jersey College continue to build awareness by working in the community at our pediatric clinical sites and participating in fundraisers to support services for our children who need help. We will continue to support research and community outreach programs with our annual fundraisers until we find a cure.”

To find out more about how you can also support Autism Awareness, or to attend the upcoming walk in Princeton, NJ on October 2, 2016, visit Autism Speaks Central New Jersey.