Getting to grips with autism

When was the last time you gazed upon something - a piece of jewellery; a painting; that brand new motorbike; a garden - that really melted your heart and kept you looking?

You might have exclaimed, at the time, how desirable it was to you, or, may have later described it to a friend.

Now, grab a pencil and a piece of paper. What if I asked you to draw it now, in minute detail?

You would probably illustrate a rough outline and furnish your drawing with your perception of its main features - that is if you could remember that much in the first place. And who cares, right?

That is just not the way the human brain works, and you are still capable of a myriad of physical and cognitive abilities that render you one of nature's miracles.

However, if I asked someone who had autism with a savant for drawing, I might be rewarded with a depiction of that jewellery, painting, motorbike or garden that would rival a piece drawn by the hand of an international artist. With detail that would blow your mind. Now let's keep in mind that the artist may only be three years old ... that truly IS a miracle of sorts.

Autism is a genetic brain disorder that falls under the umbrella term of mental and neurological disorders. The disorder contains a full spectrum of symptoms, and degrees to which each person is afflicted with that symptom.

Autistic people see the world very differently from the rest of us.

The main features include the fact that most to all autistic sufferers will have severe difficulties in communication, self-awareness, perception, and social skills. It is non-contagious, and if treated appropriately, is non-progressive. Nobody knows what exactly, causes it, and nobody knows exactly how to cure it.

As if Mother Nature has tried to 'balance out these negatives', the Autistic person often has a corresponding ability to tap into genius talents, like the hypothetical three-year-old artist, mentioned above.

Other autistic savants have the ability, for example, to remember thousands of names after a list has just been read to them. And you may have seen the movie Rain Man where the adult in the film with autism, played by Dustin Hoffman, literally has a calculator in his brain coupled with extraordinary long-term memory. Yet others can hear a piece of music and play it live on a guitar or piano without ever having lessons - or for that matter, understanding the whole concept of rhyme, rhythm, melody, notes, tuning and timing!

A World Autism Awareness Day was held back in April because of the growing number of diagnosis worldwide, which is made during very early childhood by a neurologist or psychiatrist.

Right now, there are thousands of young children being diagnosed all over the world. Autism numbers in the US are around 1,500,000. In the UK, they are around 650,000. However, due to misdiagnosis because the disease shares so many symptoms as other diseases, other medical research websites say the numbers are about half of that. There are no statistics for the Middle East.

The word 'treatment' is used very loosely. This is due to the 'shades of grey' nature of the disease and sometimes inaccurate diagnosis. No one remedy can lay claim to fixing the problem. Sources of treatment might include ongoing behavioural therapy; drugs for ADHD-type or depressive-type biochemical symptoms; and highly specialised teaching and learning strategies and environments. Needless to say parenting a child with autism is unpredictable and tiring because of the constant support and attention the child will need.

Most behavioural treatment programmes include:

clear instructions to the child

prompting to perform specific behaviours

immediate praise and rewards for performing those behaviours

a gradual increase in the complexity of reinforced behaviours

definite distinctions of when and when not to perform the learned behaviours

avoiding any type of change, especially severe change like moving house

repetition and regularity

The first sign of autism may come at a few months of age when parents will notice that their baby does not seem to respond to sound. This has nothing to do with deafness. The child simply does not know how to respond.

As the child grows, speech, motor skills along with odd behaviour will become apparent. The odd behaviour can take the form of just about anything from tearing pieces of paper into strips for hours and hours on end; to jumping up and down for hours and hours on end. Or it can be in the form of staring at themselves in the mirror all day or rubbing their hands over and over again.

The good news is that what children learn to do, can also be unlearnt. Time and patience and love are more effective than drugs in this case, too.

During adolescence the difficulties of autism are heightened as this is the time when relationships are being formed and social interaction is taking place everyday.

The adolescent may also become aware for the first time that they may be a little 'different' from others around them - depending on the severity of the disorder. This may also be a more experimental time with new or different drug therapy as the results are more clearly seen and therefore easily measured.

The good news is that autism does not mean an end to a potentionally fulfilled life and meaningful bonds with others. The first step is correct diagnosis at a very young age.

Autism accounts for approximately 11 per cent of all mental health issues and although its peak diagnosis was between 1989 and 2003, it seems to be on the increase again.

It is indeed, a miracle, a mystery and a misfortune all rolled into one, and I send my warm wishes for happiness and health to everyone who might be affected by this disorder.