Many of you would probably know what autism is through watching the movie Rain Man, whose character was so brilliantly played by Dustin Hoffman. The movie highlighted many of the frustrations faced by families with dealing with an autistic child or adult. It sheds light on the daily realities that a high-functioning person must face with autism. However, there are still many myths surrounding autism.
Autism is a brain disorder that affects an estimated 210,000 people in the United States. Many advocacy groups are sounding the alarm that autism cases have risen exponentially since 1993, the first year that data for autism was submitted separately to the Department of Education. According to the statistics, this would mean that autism cases in the U.S. population have risen an alarming 800% in ten years. Reasons include the loosening of diagnostic criteria for autism as well as the fact that the figures were understated years ago as hardly anyone knew what autism was then.
Autism is an umbrella term that refers to a broad range of developmental delays and disorders. Parents of autistic children will be saddened to find out that autism is a lifelong condition.
Many years ago, autism symptoms are often attributed to “cold parenting” or “unloving parents”. Medical doctors no longer believe that there is any psychological cause for autism. Despite numerous studies, there is no known cause for autism. The DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition) lays out a complex criteria for diagnosing autism in children and adults, but in general the symptoms of autism include:
- Delays (or the loss of) physical, social and language skills.
- Abnormal reactions to sensation
- Speech and language delays or abnormalities while associated thinking skills may be present
- Abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events.
You may also feel bewildered by the array of treatments that are available to autistic children and even sadly disappointed by the lack of understanding displayed by mainstream schools and medical facilities.
I have been left to my own devices to search for appropriate treatments and therapies for my child. Despite what the psychologist told me, I have reasons to hope that my daughter can live independently as she gets older.
