April, for those who don’t know, is Autism Awareness Month.

It’s something the Daily Herald has supported for several years now, as many of our staff became much more familiar with those with autism spectrum disorder, their families and the obstacles they face while reporting on the rates of autism in Utah in April 2016.

An April 2016 surveillance report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that in 2012, ASD prevalence among 8-year-old Utah males was the second highest in the U.S. and third highest prevalence overall.

While Utah has some of the highest rates of autism in the country, for which we do not yet understand why, our state is also further along than many others in providing resources to families and individuals who are on the spectrum.

This however does not absolve our communities, legislators, educators and researchers from continuing to press forward in increasing resources to this part of our population.

We have seen great support from UVU, autism-centric grade-level schools, and even police departments that have participated in training to better understand how to interact with an autistic individual who might not be able to process cues or the demands of a first responder.

This year, Daily Herald education and health reporter Braley Dodson has continued to report on other aspects of life that affect those with autism: married relationships.

While developmental disabilities can come with their own set of challenges — and the spectrum of those with autism can be wide and differing in ability and function among neurotypical society — there can be a bright future ahead for many.

As reported, relationships at any level can be hard. For those with autism, it can be harder, as the disorder affects communication and behavior, compounding the difficulties of recognizing and interpreting flirtatious behavior.

But being in a relationship with a partner that has autism is not impossible, in fact the key is similar to many neurotypical relationships as well: communication.

Our community is fortunate to have Passages, a program at the Melisa Nellesen Center for Autism at UVU, that helps adults ages 18 to 40 with a host of resources including an outlet to develop platonic and romantic relationships.

Echoing this is the center’s director of community outreach, “I think that everyone should have the opportunity if they want to develop relationships and gain that confidence.”

We all deserve the opportunity to develop social and personal relationships, including our friends and children on the spectrum.

But, the services available to the adult population with autism can be severely underwhelming — often called “The Services Cliff.” We commend the Center for Autism at UVU, as well as other local programs who tirelessly dedicate their efforts to supporting those with ASD so they may realize their full potential — and urge them and legislators in the state to recognize that this disorder does not disappear once a child turns 18 and is labeled an adult on paper. Those who are not minors still need resources and services so that they may successfully contribute to our communities, whether that’s career guidance, learning how to live independently or developing skills for social relationships.

There is not enough, or any, research on those with ASD to provide insight and guidance to all the areas and complexities of life with autism — especially in adults, those of color, or are LGBTQ. As a state, we should strive for more education on this in every way, not only because our population is diagnosed much more greatly than the rest of the U.S., but also because we are capable of being a leading example in supporting those with autism.