| Autism is showing a new face
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04/14/08
By Jill Breedlove
Star-Gazette
Kay Allen of Corning believes her 8-year-old daughter, Clara Allen, represents the new face of autism.
Clara goes to Winfield Street Elementary School in Corning, plays with her friends and lives a pretty normal life. She's "a loving, giving child," her mother says.
Clara doesn't exhibit the symptoms of what many people associate with autism: rocking her body, flapping her hands or making noises. Instead, she has some communication difficulties. You wouldn't know Clara has autism by looking at her; Clara's case is considered mild to moderate by doctors, her mother said.
"We are a normal functioning family, we just live a little differently because of the autism. Clara's lifestyle is closer to that of a four- or five-year-old," Allen said.
People with autism often struggle with language skills and find it hard to control their behavior. More attention is being focused on autism disorders. April marks Autism Awareness month. And last year, April 2 was first designated World Autism Awareness Day by the United Nations.
One reason for the attention is that autism is becoming more prevalent, and researchers are still trying to determine why. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data in 2007 that found approximately one out of every 150 8-year-old children in multiple areas of the United States had an autism disorder.
"Autism isn't what it used to be ... we need to be co-active in our kids for noticing these signs early on," Allen said. "As parents, we're trying to tell people to look for the signs early. If you have a child who is not looking to see who is in the room, take notice of it. You have to try to figure out what exactly is wrong with your child and if the doctor says your child will grow out of it, don't accept that."
Allen said early intervention made all the difference for her daughter.
She said Clara is healthy and was developing normally, but she lagged behind in her social skills. She couldn't carry on conversations like other children her age did. In group settings, Clara wouldn't join in. One of Clara's main issues, Allen said, is that she has meltdowns if something in her world changes. As a result, she depends on a strict schedule.
When Clara was 1 1/2 years old, the family started watching her more closely. In late 2002, they went to a doctor who sent them to a neurologist who said it might be autism. To explore further, they went to a neurologist outside the area to see if there were other ways their daughter could communicate better. The doctor, according to Allen, said Clara was autistic and there was nothing he could do. Allen added that the same doctor said Clara considered her mother nothing more than "a chair" to sit on. Allen said she was appalled by the doctor's views, since Clara does display many emotions and is aware of what is going on around her.
Allen said it was last year, when Clara was 7, that the family finally received some definitive answers: a neurologist classified her with mild to moderate autism.
Right after Clara was diagnosed, the family took action: therapists and family members worked with her all day while Clara's doctor immediately set up therapies, and was very helpful.
The Allen family has worked with Clara to improve her communication skills. Allen said that Clara is a smart kid when she understands, and is a visual learner. Allen said that schools are truly beginning to adapt to new ways of helping these students.
Sarah Romans, the head of special education for the Corning Painted Post School District, where Clara attends school, said the district has a group called the autism core team. She said it is made up of teachers, therapists, school psychologists and parents who are dedicated to improving students' lives and the quality of educational methods. Romans said the group meets monthly to brainstorm ideas to support students in classrooms, plan activities and make connections in the community. They discuss everything from solving problems with current students to training.
The head of the autism core group is Tricia Bressler, the district psychologist and an autism specialist. Bressler said children with autism can be nonverbal or very talkative, not understanding when to stop talking. Some have above average intelligence while others have deficiencies, she said.
Warning signs include not speaking when expected to; not knowing how to read others' body language; or not wanting to play with others. Some nonverbal children want to communicate, but just don't know how, Bressler said.
The autism core team is trying to organize events for the kids outside school. For example, they want to do a movie night during April for children with special needs. They'd have a sensory corner where kids who have any issues during the program can sit and play with toys to help them calm down. The movie would have softer music and a gradual dimming of lights, so that the kids are not walking into a dark movie setting.
Kristin Butler, spokesperson for the Elmira City School District, said her district also has a monthly support group for dealing with issues related to children with autism. Eileen Paulin, a special education teacher who is an autism specialist, runs the monthly group. Butler said the district makes an effort to immerse students with autism into the regular classrooms. Some, however, are placed in special education classrooms while others require personal aides, she said.
In the Corning school district, teachers are given information to read about autism, so they can recognize symptoms in students and notify parents of their observations. It's still the parent's decision to seek a diagnosis from a doctor. Once the school gets confirmation that a student does have autism, the next steps are planned based on the individual student's needs.
Bressler said that even in the Corning district, the number of children diagnosed with a form of autism -- currently 70 -- is growing tremendously. While some of those students are in special education, others are in regular classes and even honors programs. In year's past, some of those students would have been diagnosed with mental retardation or severe speech disabilities.
"We've gotten much better at diagnoses, numbers have drastically increased because we may have once called the disorders something different five years ago. How we are looking at students and diagnosing them has changed," Bressler said.
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