If you know me, chances are you know that my son, Blair, has autism. He’s almost 12 and when I look back at how far he has come since he was first diagnosed, I’m truly amazed at the progress the little guy has made. It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure. I’m happy that there is a day set aside to focus on awareness because it’s an opportunity for people who don’t know much about autism to learn what it is and how it affects those who have it. Chances are that if you don’t already know someone with autism, you will soon. The statistics are staggering. 1 out of every 151 children has autism and 1 in 98 boys is on the autism spectrum.
Another thing which makes me happy is to see how much progress the medical community has made in terms of early diagnosis and intervention. So many of the symptoms of autism, which can be debilitating if not addressed early on, can be lessened or eradicated with intensive treatment such as occupational, physical and speech therapy as well as medication if appropriate. Blair does take medication which I initially opposed but seeing how it helps his quality of life, I eventually accepted and hope that one day, he won’t need it.
The Autism Spectrum
Autism is a spectrum disorder. On one end you have people who are profoundly autistic. They may be unable to communicate without assistance but that doesn’t mean they aren’t intelligent. Amanda Baggs is a good example of someone with severe autism. She has a very keen awareness of her autism and has made a series of videos on YouTube to help people understand her condition. They are fascinating. She has a pretty funny sense of humor as well.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are people who are fairly high functioning and you might not know that they have autism unless you interact with them for awhile. They are often classified as eccentrics, called quirky or antisocial, and may be fairly successful if they’ve had access to help and chosen a career that fits in with their limitations. Many of these people choose careers in information technology. Bill Gates is thought to have Asperger’s Syndrome which is on the upper end of the spectrum.
Blair fell somewhere in the middle when he was first diagnosed. He was labeled as having Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified or PDD-NOS. The fact that he is now labeled Asperger’s is an improvement in our opinion. Many of the gross motor delays that he had are now gone and he’s on track. Where he lags behind is in math and social skills. We work on those every day.
What You Need to Know
Autism is everywhere. Unfortunately. There is no known cause or cure. However, in many cases, it is hereditary. I knew that I might have an autistic child but that wasn’t enough to convince me not to have them. Blair’s younger sister is a perfectly normal, typical child. I admit I was a little worried that I might end up with another autistic child but she is almost five years old and shows no signs of autism.
Living with an autistic individual is challenging. On his worst days, we typically don’t leave the house. On his best days, no one even suspects that he has any issues. My hope is that with continued therapy and support from us and his teachers, he will one day be able to live independently and have a career that he enjoys.
What’s important to understand is that they see the world very differently than you and I do. They don’t process information at the same rate or in the same way. The two sides of their brain don’t work in concert. It’s more like a jam session in there instead of a symphony. Blair is forgetful, loses things, has a hard time making friends and can often say very inappropriate things. It can be embarrassing but the minute I tell people that he’s autistic, they seem to understand. It’s a lot different than when he was younger. Many people had no idea what autism was. I’m glad to see that is changing. That’s why you should take the opportunity to visit one of the sites below and learn what it’s like to have autism or to interact with someone who has autism.
My hope is that one day we will understand what causes autism and will be able to cure it. In the meantime, we know that early detection and intervention are critical. For more information, please visit some of the sites listed below:
