Autism lacks a cure, but gains can be made
As the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States, autism is intimidating. It is intimidating because there is no one known cause and no cure. When a child receives a diagnosis of autism, many things go through his or her parents’ minds, such as: How did this happen? Why did this happen? But no one can tell them. Or: OK, we know what it is now. Is there a pill or other medicine that will get rid of this? There is not.
There is no magic potion or treatment to cure a child’s autism. It is a neurologically based disorder and the brain is still one of the most mysterious of body parts. Scientists are learning more about how autism affects the brain and maybe someday there will be a cure, but there isn’t one today and there won’t be one tomorrow. In today’s world of immediate information and answers for almost anything, no one really seems to have any answers to autism. That is intimidating.
Autism is unfair. It can be hard for people to understand how someone like Temple Grandin, a renowned animal scientist with a Ph.D., and their little neighbor boy, who is nonverbal and runs around the yard flapping his hands, can both have autism. Autism is also called Autism Spectrum Disorder because it affects people differently — some severely, some only mildly.
It can seem very unfair to parents that someone else’s child with autism can go on to college while their own child with autism will never be able to speak to them. Two children with autism can receive the same therapies, the same amount of in- tervention, the same momentous efforts from doctors and therapists and their families, and yet one may blossom and the other may not make a lot of progress. That is unfair.
Autism is isolating. There are many physical problems that occur with autism — sleep disturbances, intestinal issues, sensory differences and eating issues, to name a few. However, autism is a disorder that first and foremost affects behavior. Odd or repetitive behaviors or interests, impairments in communication and impairment with social interactions are the three main characteristics that define an autism diagnosis.
A child who displays strange behaviors, doesn’t communicate well and doesn’t seem to have any interest in interacting with other people can make everyday experiences like going to the store or a family barbecue very difficult for parents.
Other people, sometimes even other family members, don’t understand such a child and can’t give parents the “Oh, I’ve been there, pal” wink and nod that they might with a whiny toddler or sassy teenager. They just don’t understand what living with a child who has autism is like, and that can make a parent feel so alone. Autism is isolating.
And its numbers are rising. The most recent statistic from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is that one in every 88 children will be diagnosed with autism by age 8.
Autism will always affect each person differently, some more severely than others. It will always be unfair in that regard. But it doesn’t have to be so intimidating.
No, there isn’t a cure, but there are treatments that can result in great gains for kids with autism, especially if the disorder is diagnosed early and intensive therapy begins. We need more young people studying the disorder in college and graduating ready to work with these kids. We need more pediatricians and doctors who are knowledgeable about autism and how to treat people who have it. We need health insurance companies to start acknowledging that autism is a medical condition and start covering the medical therapies that help treat it.
Autism doesn’t have to be so isolating for families, either. You might not have a child with autism, but you can embrace a family that does by educating yourself about the disorder and getting rid of any misconceptions you might have. Ask the family of a child with autism what to do and how to interact with their child. People with autism see, hear and perceive the world we live in very differently than people without autism. We may not ever understand those perceptions, but we must accept that they are different, respect those who have them and be open to the value they may add to our lives. Kate McDonald of Germantown is the parent of a child with autism, a private behavior consultant and a former president of the Autism Society of the MidSouth. As part of the observance of National Autism Awareness Month in April, the organization will sponsor the fourth annual Opening Eyes to Autism 5-K race in Downtown Memphis on April 12. For more information, visit autismsocietymidsouth.org.