AUTISM...ONE WORD THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE

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Having spent much of my professional life working with individuals with autism or autism spectrum disorder, I can tell you from experience that this disorder affects far more people than just those with the diagnosis.I can also tell you that there are many myths about autism.

Myth #1 Many people think all autistic individuals have no capacity for affection. I have been blessed by the best hugs I will ever know from children and young adults with autism or on the autism spectrum. Some of these individuals demonstrate a desire to please and a true joy to just be with the people they love. I could only wish the love of life many autistic children have could be felt by those far more fortunate.

Myth #2 People with Autism cannot communicate. While not everyone with autism will communicate verbally, many can talk quite well and many others get their points across with a variety of mediums including communicating by signing, picture exchange or with an augmentative device. Many autistic individuals have strong opinions and know what they like and given the opportunity to engage through communication is critical.

Myth #3 Autistic individuals have lower intellectual skills. Some autistic individuals actually have keener skills in specific areas. (Think about Dustin Hoffman in Rainman). Some persons with autism have a natural curiosity to learn incredible details about  certain topics.  I worked with one youngster who knew so much about dinosaurs that he would've easily shamed a museum curator!

You can learn about the symptoms of autism at Autism Speaks .   We know that autism has no cure although early intervention can radically change its course. We know that there has been nearly a 600%(yes 600) increase in the identification of autistic cases in the past 20 years, whether because research has become more sophisticated in identifying this mystifying disorder or because it truly is on the rise, autism remains a puzzle, a challenge and a disorder without a cause or a cure. Autism affects all races, both genders and knows no social, economic or cultural borders. It is a universal disorder, where there are people, autism can be present.

Many people with autism, children included, like the predictability of events. They often thrive in routine and in environments where they can know what to expect. But, life is not routine and predictable and a change in circumstances can cause chaos for those with autism and their families, educators and caregivers. Many with autism dislike noisy environments or unpredictable sounds, like the sudden whistle of a tea kettle, the buzzer at a basketball game, school lunchrooms and even babies crying. It's often difficult to know what will spur a behavior out of control and families with autistic children know they may not be able to enjoy an evening at a restaurant, a trip to an amusement park, or even a visit to a local shopping center because these places can often be more stimulation of sights and sounds than many with autism can handle. Autism is as unpredictable as the events that seem to bring out the worst behavior in those with the disorder, but one thing I know for sure is that families of children with autism are seldom given the credit they deserve trying to make the world a better place for the children with this disorder.

I know families who have sacrificed time, sleep, their own needs and  all of their resources to make the world a better place for those with this disorder. I know families who spend their days not at the gym, or out to lunch with their friends, but who have arranged their personal lives and professional work schedules to accommodate all the therapies their child needs and I know families who wonder if life will ever be normal not for them, for they have already realized the new normal since their child was diagnosed, but for their children who are frequently misunderstood, avoided or singled out.

Autism comes in all shapes and sizes and it is easy to look at a mom trying to contain a child having a tantrum as simply unable to know how to discipline and to see a father holding the hand of an older child to keep them from bolting off as being too protective, but far less easy to see a family dealing with a disorder many of us might be hard pressed to adapt to if these were our circumstances.Image via Wikipedia

April is autism awareness month. You can help a family dealing with autism by learning more about the disorder and being less judgemental and more compassionate the next time you see behavior you might not understand, because another myth says autism is just a label and all these children need is better discipline. Learn the facts, and join me in offering kudos to the incredible children and families who deal with this disorder daily. I am humbled by everything you must go through to survive another day with a puzzling disorder that leaves a permanent imprint.

Autism does speak. It's up to the rest of us to start listening.