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	04/24/98

More About Autism

Autism varies in degree, intensity and symptomatology across the life-span. In response to last week's articles about autism, several parents and professionals wrote to me about their knowledge and experience with teaching and living with autistic children and adults. Some of their comments are cited below.

I have a 10-year-old daughter with autism and have been researching the subject for 9 of those 10 years. One of my goals is to stop the myth that makes a connection between schizophrenia and autism. Schizophrenia usually develops after a number of years of normal development. Affected persons lose touch with reality, have delusions and hallucinations and think illogically. Autism is the opposite. Often there is no period of normal development (sometimes recognized only in retrospect), and these children don't have delusions or hallucinations. They do not lose touch with reality, although their reality can be different from ours. And they are without doubt the most logical people on the face of the earth, sometimes maddenly so! -- Autism and Schizophrenia are Different

I too refused to accept all the negatives doctors put on the table about my autistic cousin. They told his mother that he was retarded and brain damaged, but that didn't explain why he could say "hi" and "bye" at five months old, read words he had never heard before and toilet train before he was two. At age one he decided not to talk anymore, made motions with his fingers and would not look you in the eye. He smiled as if he were in heaven seeing things only angels could see. At age five, after four years of silence, he went to school and began to sing, in perfect timing, "All night, all day, the angels are watchin' over me my Lord.," and we all cried and cried for joy. He's out of school now. He travels on buses everywhere because maps and schedules are his fetish. He went to driving school and got his license. His personality is a cross between Forrest Gump and Rainman. People think he's slow, but he doesn't miss a trick. He's very independent but still lives at home. He doesn't seem to be able to make enough money to support himself.

Someone has to be willing to give reality time to these individuals. They hear and feel much like you and I and are not as far removed from reality as some think. -- Expect Appropriate Behavior

As a special education teacher for 35 years, I applaud Aubrey's family. When I worked with autistic kids, the philosophy was much different. These kids were truly a delight, but it takes a great deal of time, energy, patience and perseverance to parent a child like Aubrey. She's lucky to have parents who are willing to make that commitment. -- Rewards Are Worth the Effort

To help our autistic daughter socialize, I enlisted the aid of the mother of a little girl her age. We spoke about her problems and how the little girl might help my daughter with normal play. We then spoke to the little girl and explained my daughter's problem, and that the only way for her to improve was for others to put aside her oddities and try to get her into a relationship. Then we arranged play dates and sleepovers for the two of them. I planned activities such as crafts, sand art and movies they hadn't seen. Our older child helped the two of them get along. We all made pizza together, too.

The little girl didn't want to go home after that and they are still friends four years later. At birthday parties we invite more children and also explain to them how they can all pitch in and help our daughter get along with everybody. They always rise to the occasion and make extra efforts to include her in everything. Our daughter still needs some help handling new social situations, but the need is lessening with time and practice. -- Other Children Can Help

Auditory Integration Training is one approach taken with autistic children at the Georgianna Institute in Roxbury, CT. For more information call 860-355-1545 or write to the founder, Mr. Peter Stelhi at 64 Goldmine Road, Roxbury, CT 06783.
Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.
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