Before I start sharing stories, let me explain a bit about autism:
A new study has been published on Autism stating that rather than 1 in every 150 US kids being autistic, it's really more like 1 in 91-- and about 1 in 58 boys, according to new figures released in October, 2009.
There's a website called Autism Speaks that is one of many that is trying to educate the public on the signs and symptoms of autism, which is where I'm getting some of this information. Other parts are from my own personal experience with raising two children with the disorder.
Autism is a neurological disorder that impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. To put it plainly, those with autism have trouble communicating in a meaningful and/or appropriate way (among other things). They must be taught things that most people know instinctively, or pick up easily.
It is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls...and yet I have 2 daughters with different degrees of autism.
My eldest is a parrot and absolutely won't stop talking, even when it's extremely inappropriate. She has Asperger's Syndrome (AS), which is more commonly called "High-functioning autism". She's absolutely brilliant in some areas, and like most autistics, really lacking in others. She was reading by the time she was 2 years old, but is obsessive-compulsive on top of her other diagnoses (she has 5 now).
On the other hand, my youngest, who is now 14, still does not speak or communicate in a way that most people can understand. She would be called a more typical autistic. It's heartbreaking to look at videos of when she was very young and see the way that she used to look at us when we talked to her, smile at us and play with us like any normal child would. It scares us to know that she may never be able to talk or interact with others properly. She may never be able to be on her own. What will happen to her when we're gone? How do we cope...?
Last edited by genkicoll on Wed Nov 12, 2014 2:22 pm; edited 1 time in total