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Jeremy Sicile-Kira is 19 years old and has severe autism.
He does not speak. He uses a keyboard called a Lightwriter
to express his thoughts, one word at a time.
"Being severely autistic means being stuck in a body
that doesn't work well with no way to communicate," he
wrote.
"Autism is a developmental disorder," explained
Wendy Fournier, president of the National Autism Association.
"It affects communication, the normal development of
the brain in children, social interaction and cognitive function."
Many people with autism are characterized by social behavioral
problems and tendencies toward obsessive or repetitive behavior.
The disorder is defined on an "autism spectrum"
with a range of severities, said Dr. Chris Johnson, a professor
of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Sciences center
in San Antonio.
"On the severe end would be a child that sits in a corner,
spins a toy, will not look at all at anybody and has no speech,"
she said.
"On the other end, someone with what's known as 'Asperger's
syndrome' may have very good speech but not very conversational
speech. They seem to be very bright but don't have a whole
lot of interest in socializing with other people."
Understanding people with autism
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An autistic boy uses a touch screen to operate a computer. |
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Jack is nine years
old and has high-functioning autism. Sometimes he stands too
close to people when they are talking. He gets overwhelmed by
large crowds and may flap his arms when he gets excited. He
practices "making friends" because it does not come
naturally to him. He is an excellent student who will likely
live a very normal life.
Students who know peers with autism should remember that though
their behaviors might seem rude or standoffish - not paying
attention, insisting on talking about only one subject, not
playing with others - it's an involuntary reaction.
Johnson recommends exercising patience and empathy, being mindful
of touching those with heightened sensitivities and explaining
any actions beforehand - "we're going to the cafeteria
now" - to keep the situation familiar and comfortable.
Diagnosing Autism
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Theresa Diaz and her autistic son Merced, who started
showing symptoms before he was one year old. |
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Autism is tested through
observation and analysis, a process of seeing how patients react
in different circumstances.
One basic test for autism is known as an examination of "joint
attention."
"Think of yourself in a restaurant and the person across
from you looks up to see a person they know. Wouldn't you look
up too? A child with autism might not look up. They don't really
care if you're engaged with them or if you break your gaze,"
Johnson explained.
An estimated one in 150 eight-year-olds in the U.S. have an
autism spectrum disorder, according to surveys conducted by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in
the U.S., reports the Autism Association of America.
Possible causes
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A Centers for Disease Control study indicates that autism
is a genetic disease and is highly inheritable. |
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The autism community disagrees
about the possible causes for the increase in diagnoses.
Some doctors, parents and researchers believe that vaccines
given to children, particularly those containing the mercury-based
preservative thimerosal, trigger autistic behavior.
"What causes these kids to develop autism? Most develop
normally and then something happens after one or two years and
they kind of regress," Fournier said. "The only smoking
gun we have in the development of the disease is the vaccines."
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC, however, insist
that vaccinations containing mercury do not increase the risk
of autism in children.
Recent reports from the CDC emphasize that autism is a genetic
disease and highly inheritable, and that there is no relationship
between thimerosal and autism.
Is there a cure?
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President Bush signs the Combating Autism Act of 2006,
which increased federal support for autism research and
treatment. |
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The possibility of a "cure"
for autism also remains controversial. Julia Berle, whose son
Baxter was treated with the help of the Autism Research Institute
in San Diego, believes Baxter has "fully recovered,"
as he no longer qualifies for autism services nor exhibits any
symptoms.
But Marguerite Colston of the Autism Society of America said
that an actual cure has yet to be found.
"You may be functioning completely well but still have
autism," she said. "We say autism is treatable, and
kids with autism have great potential, but they're going to
need services for their whole life." |
American schools and financial aid should be only for legal citizens of the United States. There should be no exceptions to this.
