by Jenny Blevins Rowe
Chances are you already know a family with an autistic child. Autism is a lifelong disorder that affects an individual’s ability to communicate, reason and interact with others. It is the third most common developmental disability following mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Only 10 years ago, autism rates were one in 2,000. According to the Autism Society of America, autism now affects one in 166 children and is more common than multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis or childhood cancer.
Although autism is a spectrum disorder, and every individual is affected differently, a person with autism may display some of the following symptoms:
Social symptoms Autistic babies and toddlers may not interact well and will avoid eye contact, often seeming indifferent to other people. From: www.cdc.gov
the appearances of being deaf, difficulty speaking or inability to speak, engaging in repetitious behavior, becoming upset for no apparent reason, over sensitivity or under sensitivity to pain and engaging in self-stimulating behaviors such as rocking or hand flapping. Typically, autism appears in the first three years of life, and it is four times more prevalent in boys.
The cause of autism is not known, but many parents of autistic children speculate that the underlying causes of autism may be due to vaccine injury, genetic predisposition or allergy-related illness early in life. Children on the spectrum not only suffer from autism, but many suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, immune system dysfunction, sensory integration dysfunction, hypotonia, motor planning difficulties, verbal and motor apraxia and many other difficulties.
Autism not only affects the person who is diagnosed, it affects the entire family. A diagnosis of autism is devastating to parents, not only because so little is known about the cause of the disorder, but also because it is a lifelong disorder with no known cure.
Lisa Jenkins, co-founder of the Muscogee County Autism Support Group (MCASG), was devastated when she found out her son George had autism.
“I cried, I panicked, I was angry,” Jenkins said. After the initial shock of the diagnosis, Jenkins sought help for her son immediately. “As with the diagnosis of any type of disability, the earlier [you seek help] the better. Early diagnosis gives care providers an early educational opportunity. Once understood, manifested behavior and symptoms can be addressed,” Jenkins said. “I started with Babies Can’t Wait.”
Babies Can’t Wait is an early intervention program with the Georgia Division of Public Health and is often the first place parents call when they suspect a developmental delay with their child. Babies Can’t Wait provides in-home therapy and support for children with autism, as well as other disabilities.
Another option in the Columbus area for parents to consider is Bridges Learning Center, a newly opened school for kids on the autism spectrum. From its cheerful and brightly-colored walls to the calming lava lamps in the “sensory room,” Bridges Learning Center is a feast for the senses.
Bardie Brady, director and founder of Bridges Learning Center says the main goal of the center is to help autistic children desensitize. “A lot of children with autism have problems with sensory integration,” Brady said. “Every inch of this building will be used for therapy.”
Bridges Learning Center offers sensory learning experiences, ABA therapy and will soon be offering speech therapy. They accept autistic children and typically developing children from ages 2 to 17 years of age.
Easter Seals of West Georgia also offers a pre-school, daycare and after-school program for children with autism and other disabilities.
Although the Columbus area has a few options to offer parents and children that are just beginning their journey through the diagnosis of autism, there are many things that the area lacks when compared to other cities.
“Columbus needs respite care, medical psychiatry, psychology, in-home ABA behavioral services and neurologists,” said Jenkins. She and other parents with autistic children have had to drive to Atlanta and other cities to seek specialized medical help for their children.
The MCASG is currently working on creating autism awareness in the community and is trying to attract autism specialists to the Columbus area.
Jenkins says the therapies that have helped her son the most have been one-onone therapies such as occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy. Her son has also seen improvement through services at Easter Seals and through his teacher, Melissa Hill, at the STEPS program at Johnson Elementary.
As the parent of an autistic child, Jenkins gives advice to other parents who are just beginning their journey with autism. “Don’t do what I did and panic,” Jenkins said. “Autism represents a wide spectrum of symptoms. There are resources available. Muscogee County Autism Support Group seeks to develop many other resources so that those services are readily available.”
Debbie Anderson, a member of the MCASG and the mother of a child on the autism spectrum, reacted in a different way when she learned her child had autism.
“I was so relieved,” Anderson said. “We had been looking for a diagnosis for three years. I had already been through a lot of the grieving and sadness. Because my son was verbal, it was more difficult to get an accurate diagnosis.”
Anderson’s child, Max, has a form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome. The symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome are similar to those of classic autism, but there is usually no language delay.
Since all children on the autism spectrum are different, they all respond differently to specific treatments. The therapy that works for one child may not help another child at all. One of the most popular therapies, and one of the only treatments with scientific data proving its viability, is Behavior Modification Therapy, also known as Applied Behavior Analysis or Discrete Trial Training.
Behavior Modification Therapy involves one-on-one teaching trials that involve simple tasks such as making eye contact with the therapist and following simple directions. When the child completes each task successfully, a reward is given. When a task is not completed, the child is “prompted” until he or she learns how to do the task. While speech, occupational and physical therapies were helpful for Lisa Jenkins son, George, Behavior Modification Therapy and medication have worked for Anderson’s son, Max. “
Behavioral modification and medication have been the most helpful treatments we have found,” Anderson said. “I was not in favor of the medications that were recommended, but they were miracle drugs for Max. His spontaneous language went from maybe five percent of his speech to about sixty percent. He never spoke of his needs or emotions or recognized my emotions. I won’t ever forget him saying, ‘Mother, there is water in my eyes!’ in response to his crying after he had been on the medications. I had to explain to him what crying was. It was a beautiful moment.”
Anderson also agrees that early diagnosis is best when it comes to autism.
“Early diagnosis is the most important thing a parent can do for their child with autism. The earlier you can intervene, the more likely you will start to make a difference in some of the difficult behaviors associated with autism,” Anderson said. “If a child is not verbal, finding a mode of communication is a critical step in their ability to be more social. Also, a lot of what needs to be accomplished is the training of the parents. How we relate to our children with autism has so much to do with their behavior. We have to evaluate how our behaviors either encourage independence or encourage the destructive behaviors associated with autism.”
Although each family’s journey has been very different, both mothers agree that learning all about autism is one of the most important things a parent can do for their child.
“Educate yourself and your community,” Jenkins said. “The more you know, the better you can care for your child. Autism does not just strike the child, it strikes the whole family. Your life will never be the same again. [Autism] will decide where you live and how you will live. You can be happy and grow as a family, and the more people that know and are educated [about autism] the more normal you will feel.”
“Educate yourself and your family as much as possible,” Anderson said. “Find other parents and families who have children with autism who can be supportive. Go to the Muscogee County Autism Support Group meetings. Get involved in your child’s education and advocate for their needs. Think more about the possibilities for your child than the limitations. Don’t assume anything — we must unlock the door that allows them to reach their potential.”
Jenny Rowe is the mother of an autistic son, Patrick, 2. Patrick receives speech therapy and occupational therapy through the Babies Can’t Wait program, vitamin therapy, probiotics, GFCF diet, music therapy and floortime therapy. He sees an autism specialist in Atlanta and will soon be attending school in the HAPIE program in Auburn. He is on the waiting list for the Auburn Autism Center at Auburn University.
