Catherine Burford, an MTSU drama student and who is autistic, performed her one woman show "The Fool" at Murfreesboro Parks and Rec.'s Bradley Academy Historical and Cultural Center's Artist Night recently. Her play chronicled her struggles with autism as Bradley Museum used the event to promote understanding and acceptance of the mental condition during National Autism Awareness Month.

After her performance she took questions from the audience. The event was awakening for some in the audience and touching on a new level for others in attendance.

Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.

A non-profit organization known as Autisim Speaks reports, "Autism's most-obvious signs tend to appear between 2 and 3 years of age. In some cases, it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates autism's prevalence as 1 in 68 children in the United States. This includes 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls.