Autism - My Two Little Men

autism, if a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured of far away. Henry David Thoreau

A Day In The Life
A page I created which provides insight
of other parents of Autistic children.

This page which I have created is not so much a full-blown technical dissertation, but rather an introduction, or primer if you will, on Autism. I am not, by any means, an expert on Autism. Therefore, please do not use this page as a tool for diagnosis. Your child must be seen by a trained professional for a diagnosis or treatment of any disorder. With that said... let's get started!

Autism or Autistic Disorder, "...is a brain disorder that typically affects a person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the environment." (Source: NIMH: Autism). Autism is a spectrum condition, which means that there are various levels of this condition.

For some individuals, autism may cause them to appear to be in their own world, or closed off from everyone and everything around them. Some autistic individuals cannot function independently with everyday activities, such as brushing their teeth, combing their hair, etc. Some cannot speak, or may even regress in their ability to speak. Some may cause injuries to themselves or others, and must consistently be monitored. Autistic individuals may also require institutionalization as adults, when there is no one left to care for them.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are autistic individuals who are very high functioning with speech and intelligence intact. They are able to communicate and function within society and may have their autistic condition go unnoticed by their peers. They may also be capable of employment, finishing college and leading relatively independent lives.

There is also 'everything in between' the low and high functioning levels of autism, hence the term "spectrum condition".

Researchers are in the process of finding the cause of autism. At this point and time, no one knows for certain. However, autism is NOT caused by lack of affection nor neglect from parents, also known as "Refrigerator Moms". Anyone who believes otherwise should have their head checked; perhaps a lobotomy of some sort in order to eliminate their ignorance.

There is no cure for Autism, although, it is treatable with early intervention, proper therapies, great support, and lots of love! Okay, I'm getting mushy. :)

When one hears the word "Autism", first instinct is to think of the movie "Rainman". That is, if one has ever heard of Autism at all. Yes, there are autistic individuals who mirror the character portrayed in "Rainman", but as stated above, characteristics of autism vary greatly. Perhaps, I tried to use that comparison as an excuse to deny what was truth when finding out of Jake's autism. In fact, I'm certain that is what I did. My husband and I, now laugh about our reactions, such as, "He doesn't count cards or toothpicks!" Of course, now I have come to understand the realm of Autism through my own researching of information, and boy, do I feel stupid for reacting in such a way!

Yes, my son is autistic. No, my son does not flap his arms, rock back and forth, nor lack eye contact. Jake is, however, very sensitive to certain noises, such as music boxes and toys which play music. He is also sensitive to certain textures. I noticed this sensitivity when he was around a year old. He would become somewhat distressed if he fell down on the grass. He would hold his arms and hands up so as not to touch the grass. If Jake were to be in shorts, and the grass was dried from the summer heat -- talk about a mighty entertaining balancing act!

Jake is also delayed in his speech, and does not usually comprehend simple commands or ideas (including danger, which definitely keeps me on my toes!) He displays Echolalia, which is repeating words verbatim, sometimes out of context. In Jake's case, if I say for example: "Jake, say 'please' when you want something", he will imitate the entire phrase: "Please when you want something" when he asks for something. He will even mock my tone of voice. This can be very cute, but it also must be curbed as much as possible. He also repeats lines from his favorite movies or cartoons. Then again, a lot of kids who do not have Autism (also referred to as Neurologically Typical or NT), do this as well.

With Autism having such a wide spectrum, how would you know what symptoms or characteristics to look for? I'm glad you asked!

Keep in mind, there are no medical tests such as blood tests or x-rays which can detect Autism. A trained professional can decide whether or not a child is autistic by observing the behaviors of the child over a period of time, and comparing those observations with normal developmental stages. Just as well, having one or two of the following does not necessarily constitute Autism. There can be other conditions, which cause symptoms that resemble Autism.

Appears to ignore their name or appearance of deafness - If after a hearing test has been given and passed, consider sensory issues. Loud noises that startle others when they least expect it, may have no effect on autistic individuals. This could be due to an inability to filter out noise. For example, most of us can tune out background noise to make it less noticeable when focusing on something else we want to hear. Often, this is not the case with autism, because everything is perceived as a 'flat' noise. Therefore, when a person with autism must concentrate on one particular noise, they may very well be 'turning off' all other noise. Another possibility is that most autistic individuals cannot look and listen at the same time. It is either one or the other. Therefore, if you notice your child doesn't look as if he/she is 'paying attention' to you when you speak, most likely he/she is, yet, does not have the ability to look at you and listen at the same time. Our children are aware of what is going on, they just may not show it, physically, the way we are used to seeing it.

Doesn't relate to peers - Oftentimes, autistic children may appear to be playing with other children when actually they are merely mimicking the other children. If you watch carefully, you may see that what the child is doing is playing alongside the other children and imitating what the other children are doing. The child may be imitating the other children because he/she feels that this is what he/she should be doing at that given time. This is how Jake plays. If another child asks him to play with him/her, he will join in but only play 'like' the other child rather than play 'with' the other child.

Doesn't like certain noises or sounds - This may also be explained by sensory integration dysfunction. The child may very well be frightened by the sound due to his/her aroused nervous system. The sound can also be very painful to the child. What we may hear at a 'normal' level, may be magnified many times to an autistic.

Inability to comprehend simple questions or commands - This is one Jake is still having a rough time with. When I pick him up from school, I ask him these questions and get these answers: "Did you have fun at school today?" "Yes." "Did you use your paints?" "Yes." "Did you color a picture with crayons?" "Yes." "Did you set the building on fire?" "Yes."

Sensitivity to light - It has been said by many autistic individuals that certain lights, specifically fluorescent lights, are annoying and can cause migraine headaches. A lot of autistic individuals can actually see the flickering of fluorescent lights, and on their computer monitors as well. If your child seems frustrated in front of a computer screen or complains of headaches, consider a laptop computer as the screen doesn't flicker. Consider, also, the lighting in your child's classroom as most schools use fluorescent lighting.

Hyperactivity or under activity - Some autistic children will run around as often as the day is long. Jumping on furniture, their precious Mom, whatever they can climb upon. Jake is this way. Not too hyper, but he could certainly use a couple of drops of morphine every once in a while! On the other hand, others may sit quietly in a single spot for a considerable amount of time; even hours.

Echolalia - This is, as stated earlier, repeating back something said. Delayed Echolalia is repeating it later out of context. Functional Echolalia is using a quoted phrase in a way that has shared meaning, for example, a child who sings the Barney song to ask for a Barney videotape, or says "Get your shoes and socks on" to ask to go outside. Both behaviors are found in many autistics.

Doesn't like to be held or touched - It is not uncommon for a child with autism to distance him/herself from touch. Do not be offended. It's nothing personal against you. This can be due to a sensory integration dysfunction, which a lot of autistic individuals have as well. Most researchers characterize this sensory disorder by a "fight, flight, or fright" reaction to sensory information that most people would consider harmless. The child typically has a highly aroused nervous system which prepares the body for survival, but does not recognize the certain 'touch' to be non-threatening. This can also cause real physical pain to the child. He or she may demand only certain textures, such as in clothing or even food. Autistic children may also have a rough time transitioning between shorts and pants, short sleeves and long sleeves, etc.

No real fear of danger - Many autistic individuals do not perceive the world the way we do. Things that we may recognize as dangerous such as fire, large bodies of water, moving vehicles, glass, heights, or toxic substances, are not recognized as a danger to some autistics. A good example of this is when Jake was about 3 years old, he was imitating a cartoon character. He was jumping on a bed and fell off, causing a hairline fracture of his humerus. At the time, neither my husband nor I knew of his Autism, and thought, "That'll learn 'em". Much to our shock, he woke up the next morning after coming home from the hospital, and immediately began jumping on the bed and furniture! Cast flopping around, as if nothing had happened only hours before. At the time, I thought he was just hardheaded. After all, it runs in the family!

Attachments to unusual objects - It is quite common for all children to have a favorite toy, or blanket they carry around for security. However, an autistic child may be attached to something such as a small clock, a piece of string, Mom's favorite vase, or other unusual things.

Odd or repetitive play - Autistic children often play in unusual ways. Things that spin, such as tops, or things which they can make spin, such as coins or the wheels on a toy car may fascinate them. Some autistic individuals may show little imagination and don't try to "act out" things they have seen, as most children would. They may also like to line things up. Jake likes to line up cards, blocks, all four Nintendo controllers, and anything else that comes in 'more than one of the same object'. Dominoes will keep him entertained for a long time. I have attached a couple of pictures of him lining up things. As you will see, he is very meticulous about having the objects all spaced out evenly. (Please see the link below.)

Insistence on routines - Some autistics may tend to be uncomfortable in changes in their daily routines. Perhaps it is due to the difficulty they have with learning the way our world works. They may insist on having their clothes put on or taken off in a certain order, the route they take to school, or even seeing someone off. Jake is very insistent on the last one. If he doesn't get to give people hugs and kisses goodbye, he screams and cries, and tries to force his way out the front door until the person comes back and says goodbye 'properly'! Obviously, these changes in routine cause great distress, and produce tantrums, or self-injurious behavior.

Lacks eye contact - This particular trait is probably the most recognized. Often, a child with autism makes little or no eye contact, or only briefly to those whom he/she is familiar with. Although some autistic people do not display this trait, a majority of them do.

Uneven development - A child with autism may significantly fall behind in one area, yet excel above their peers in another. An autistic child may be able to hold a pencil or crayon and draw straight lines, (this is called a fine motor skill), but walk or run awkwardly (this is called a gross motor skill). Jake has great penmanship for his age. One evening, I questioned my older son, Marshal, (who was 10 at the time) about writing "Go Jacob" on Jake's bedroom wall. Marshal insisted he didn't do it. I realized Jake was the culprit, but it surprised me that his and Marshal's handwriting were almost at the same level. He can also draw pictures in 3-D very well. He is also left-handed which is wonderful... I know this has nothing to do with Autism, but I have to give him his props for being a southpaw just like his Mommy! You can also find some of his 'work' in the link below.

Whew! Of course, these are not all of the characteristics of Autism, but I think I may have listed enough to get someone started...

Here is the link to the pictures of Jake. I thought these might be a couple of good examples of what can be typical in autistics. Please click your mouse on the picture below. Enjoy!