Autism, what is it?

From the pages of Newsweek to the latest episodes of hit shows such as C.S.I Crime Scene Investigation and The Shield, the topic and controversy is everywhere. The question evokes many different answers no matter who you ask. Some may think of the classic movie character, Raymond Babbitt, Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man or some may think of a child with minimal social skills who “lives in a world all their own.” The majority of people think of autism in its most severe symptoms, however it is much more complicated than it seems, in actuality is it is considered a spectrum disorder. It is defined as a developmental brain disorder, not a mental illness that typically appears during the first three years of life. It affects brain areas controlling language, social interaction and abstract thought. Children and adults with autism typically have deficiencies in verbal and non-verbal communication as well as social interactions. It is diagnosed in 1 in every 166 children. Every day 66 children within the United States will be diagnosed autistic. This is a ten-fold increase in the last twenty years. It effects more children than childhood cancers, muscular dystrophy, juvenile diabetes and cystic fibrosis combined. This year alone, the National Institute of Health will spend $99 million dollars on research to help those with autism and to work to find a cure and a cause for this disease. The Center for Disease Control has launched a 2.5 million-dollar campaign, “Learn the signs. Act early” in an effort to teach health-care providers the warning signs for Autism. The need is real within our country to fight these growing numbers that some would define as an epidemic.

The cause of autism is not known. Since it was first diagnosed in the 1950’s modern medicine has increased the longevity of someone suffering from HIV, created artificial limbs to help those who were born without limbs or who lost them in an accident and even antibiotics to fight off some of the most deadly diseases. However, medicine has yet to find a cause or a cure for autism. Doctors and scientists are left baffled. There have been studies that have tested the link to autism and the mercury found in vaccines. There have been studies that have tested the link between autism and genetics. Yet, the true cause of autism is not known. Doctors are focused on diagnosing the disease early and efficiently with hopes of promoting early behavioral and emotional therapy, it is the only opportunity at this point, outside of drug therapy that children with autism have for a hope of gaining social skills.

United Way, Challenged Child and Friends Inc., Grayson’ Gift and the Forsyth County Public School system are all working together to help parents and their children who are diagnosed with this complex condition. A child with autism requires a special amount of time and patience that is often not available in large classroom settings. These children may speak in their own language, they may obsess about water or snakes, they may act out violently when they get confused or they may seek shelter in the corner of the room far away from those that are “different”. Their severe social deficits make their interaction with others many times difficult. Autistic children may battle anxiety and depression. Some children on one end of the spectrum may respond well to drug therapy while others will act in a complete opposite manner to the same drugs. Parents will many times spend thousands of dollars to provide their children with the help they need. Georgia ranks high in the number of children diagnosed with autism, higher than most of the neighboring states. With the increase of children with Autism, the need is real within our community for help!!

According to Cathy Drerup, Executive Director of Challenged Child and Friends, Inc. a therapeutic educational center for children 6 weeks to 6 years of age with special needs and their typical peers funded by United Way of Forsyth County, the number of children with autism admitted into her center has increased dramatically. “Five years ago our center had 2 or 3 children with autism in the whole center. Now 15% (10-15) of our children with special needs have a diagnosis in the autism spectrum disorder.” Our school systems have seen an increase in the number of students grow as well. According to Pat Crocker with Forsyth County School’s Department of Exceptional Children, the numbers are growing. As the population of the county grows therefore the number of special needs children that are students within the school system. However, Ms. Crocker also stated “not only have we seen growth from new residents to Forsyth, but we continue to see growth within our population due to more resources being available and greater awareness by those in the health and medical fields.” The medical field has grown to become more aware of autism and how to diagnose it. Forsyth County is not the only county that is seeing growth. In an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution in February of 2004, it was stated, “statewide, there has been an increase: from 287 students in 1992 — the first year state officials included autism as a separate eligibility category for special education — to 4,383 this school year.” It is a truly a growing epidemic.

As the number of children affected by autism grows, so does the need for teachers, therapists, and doctors for the children. The school system has already budgeted for more classroom space and teachers for next school year. The teachers that work with students with Autism must stay informed and actively research current practices for educating those with autism. The University of Georgia now offers a special masters degree program for educators with a primary focus on teaching students with autism. Each child with autism must be treated individually. They must have special attention to forming social skills to help them form friendships with others. Community is an important part of a happy childhood. The disorder demands that each student have a program based on his or her needs. Some children may need a more intense program that is very different from the regular curriculum where another student may need help with social interaction and peer relations. On average at Challenged Child and Friends, Inc. there is one adult to every three children. “This helps the children with autism have the help they need to participate in a classroom where their socialization experiences, developmental and pre-academic skills are a priority,” says Drerup. Each child is treated as an individual and as Crocker stated “there’s no such thing as one-size fits all when planning the student’s program”.

The needs of those effected by Autism have a much broader scope than just in the classroom. Children with Autism face many different challenges than their typical peers. They may not be able to properly process pain or they may not understand that if they are going to go outside in the winter they should wear a coat. As one mother whose son has been diagnosed autistic explained her son often times has a small amount of patience when accompanying her into stores. When he is “ready to go, he is ready to go and you can’t convince him otherwise.” He will speak to his mom in a tone that might sound disrespectful or that of a “spoiled” child who is used to getting his way. How many times have your been in a store and overheard a child speaking in a rude manner to their parent and you thought to yourself, I wouldn’t allow my kid to speak to me that way?” Did you ever stop and think about that parent you are judging? Alike their child, the parent is doing the best they can to be a parent and understand the needs of their child. An autistic child that is high functioning will look like a “normal” child but has difficulties beyond that of any typical peer. An autistic child is aware they are different and are constantly faced with the question of why can’t they be like their peers. They try everyday to fit in with others their same age. As one child with autism told his mother, “ I wish I could have a different brain. Isn’t there a surgery to give me a new brain?” These are the types of questions moms, dads, teachers and siblings of children with autism answer daily. Their quest to be “like everyone else” is huge, but through the help of the school system and the growing number of support groups for parents as well as activities for the children with autism, hopefully one day that quest will become an adventure with many great memories to share.

Parents, doctors, therapists, and teachers must work together to keep the lines of communication open. The communication promotes awareness within the community. Ten or fifteen years ago you may have been hard pressed to find someone who had much knowledge on autism. However, times have changed, today most people’s family has either been touched by autism or they have a friend who’s life has been changed by its effects. It is a growing issue within our community and country. Until a cause and a cure are found within our medical community, it is up to the community to fund programs and educational centers that are helping those in need. If you or someone you know would like to join a support group or help those with autism, the group A.S.C.E.N.D can help. A.S.C.E.N.D stands for autism spectrum community efforts and new -direction. For more information contact Rose Lunsford at 770-781-3784. Through the efforts of this group, Grayson’s Gift, Challenged Child and Friends, Inc., the Forsyth County School System, caring citizens and United Way of Forsyth County we are proving that community matters, children matter, and results matter. Working together making a difference one child, one program, one parent and one donation at a time.