Maureen Pratt By Maureen Pratt • Catholic News Service • Posted April 9, 2021 As our churches reopen, we pray everyone will return, including children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. It is fortuitous timing: April is also National Autism Awareness Month (or, for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, Autism Appreciation Month). This presents us with a good opportunity to discover more about autism and resources that parishes and individuals can use for faith formation, spiritual growth and more. Autism spectrum disorder is, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a developmental disorder that affects approximately 1 in 54 children, as well as adults diagnosed, in some cases, long after childhood. Persons with autism have social, behavioral or communication challenges, which can sometimes be quite severe.