Talking about Autism Today

I am going way off my usual topics today but I wanted to take some time to discuss a condition that is important to me on a personal level. Those that know me well know that my son is Autistic. What surprises me is how many people don't know what Autism is, how prevalent it is becoming and some of the things people can do to alleviate the condition.
Lets start with a simple overview. The primary label is Autism Spectrum Disorder or "ASD" for short. the Spectrum word is key hear because each child's Autism is truly unique. I should point out that I am saying children and not person for a couple reasons. First the growing number of children who have ASD is staggering. it is 1 in every 110 with boys being hit the hardest  at 1 in 90. It also seems to have a very high incidence in the United Kingdom, either that or they are very passionate about finding a cure because a tremendous amount of research and discussion comes out of the UK. Second, I have not met any Autisitic adults though I know many were misdiagnosed earlier in life. Let's get back on topic. You will commonly hear ASD kids described as high functioning and low functioning. There is a second level of high functioning often called Aspergers. While they all fall into this label of ASD, the differences can be subtle or they can be dramatic.

So what is autism? From all the meetings and all the research my wife and I have done it seems that Autsim is a disconnect in the brain with perceptive and receptive skills both verbal and non verbal. Often times children with ASD with have a significant speech delay because the normal paths for language development are not effectively taking in the outside information. In addition, many ASD kids have sensory issues too. They may be indifferent to heat and cold. they may have  little or no sense of taste. Bright lights may bother them but loud noises might not. So with the basic concept of language as a primary obstacle, you can see where growing up or being the parent of an autistic child can be difficult.

As a parent, one of the most frustrating things for me is that I know my son is in there. I see flashes of his personality all the time. He is very happy and has very typical attributes of most other boys his age. But that is the difference they are flashes. What causes ASD is unclear. There are some that believe that it goes right down to the DNA, some think it might be certain receptors within the brain. Some think it is connected to diet, others think it is connected to environment and on and on. Probably the most harrowing part is that all of these seem to have some seed of truth of them. As I mentioned, the prevalence of ASD in the Uk is higher. By comparison the Amish community only has a fraction of the number of occurrences of ASD in their community. I recently read a report about a suburb of Chicago that is almost completely devoid of it. So my personal opinion is that environment plays a role. When I was in college I had an apartment that I shared with 4 other guys over a period of 3 years. Since then I have learned that 2 of the other 4 also have children on the spectrum. How can that be a coincidence? Because this condition affects about 1% of the population it is really hard to gauge these conditions. Many people will move closer to areas that have a reputation for working well with ASD children so my guess is those populations show a SPIKE in occurrence.

You have probably seen an autistic child in the grocery store and didn't realize it. But what you probably did think to yourself was "wow, that man/woman needs to do a better job of discipline with their kid." I hope that reading this will help you understand that a VERY common trait of ASD children is "perseveration." simply put they cannot process the concept of "wait a minute." or "no, not today." the item they are screaming for is probably not even something they "want" it is something they "need." In their world having that item is the one thing that gives them peace. I should also mention that children with ASD often have OCD or "obsessive Compulsive Disorder" and all the items are rooted in their inability to take in information and process it.

So what can you do? First, if you have a family member dealing with an autistic child you need to realize that they are operating under a tremendous amount of pressure. Any offer of assistance you can give them will go a very long way. Like any other condition, These children are real people with real emotions. Even though they might have trouble understanding you doesn't mean they don't feel happy, sad, angry and all the other subtle variances of emotion we all feel. they just have tremendous trouble conveying that information. Autism is a condition that can be treated but it is not curable at this time. Every child is different so what works for one may not work for another. It is important to try different learning techniques and different "SAFE" treatments to alleviate the condition. Over time with lots of time and dedication you can help the child integrate. Again understand, they wont be cured, but they can be taught to act and feel more typical.

That is probably the most important part. These children are not dumb. The great majority of them are not mentally retarded. Many children with ASD will have a special "gift," for example, my son seems to have a photographic memory, this will serve him well later in life. He can trick many teachers that see him for the first time and make them believe he can read. In actuality someone read him the book and he committed the entire thing to memory.

On world Autsim Awareness day, I would ask you to First, share this with people who want to know more. Second, help a friend or family member with an autistic child. volunteer your time when you can and help raise funds for research.

On behalf of my son, Thank you

Mike Shelah