Team Spellbound to participate in the 2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks event

Once again, Spellbound is raising money for autism research by participating in the 2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks event, being held in St. Louis on October 9th in Forest Park. Our goal this year is $525. I encourage you to contribute to this worthy cause. To donate on-line, visit Team Spellbound's donor page at Autism Speaks. 

Spellbound's official charity is the Autism Society of America

What is it?

Autism is a neurological brain condition that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and process sensory input. Its victims, usually diagnosed around age 2, are unable to lead normal, self-sufficient lives and are usually fated to assisted living facilities for their whole lives. Although autism has existed for as long as people have, and first formally identified in the 1940s, the condition only came to the public's consciousness after the release of the motion picture Rain Man in 1989, where Dustin Hoffman played an autistic adult in a role that won him an Academy Award.

Since then, societies have begun paying attention to autistic people and identified other similar conditions, now to the point that autism spectrum disorders have passed Down's Syndrome as the leading developmental disorder in children in most countries. Estimates are exceedingly difficult because of changes in record keeping and symptom diagnosis, but the most realistic number is that 1 in 250 people have an autism spectrum disorder, and 1 in 3000 have severe enough conditions to eliminate the likelihood of self-sufficiency in their lives.

Autism isn't a disease or disorder, but a syndrome (a collection of symptoms) that covers a wide range of conditions. Classical, or core, autism is rather rare, and most sufferers never learn to speak. Many have severe issues with sensory input and are profoundly disturbed by loud sounds, bright light, and rough clothing. The character of Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man depicted a person on the upper end of this portion of the spectrum.

On the other end of the spectrum, people with Asperger's Syndrome or Hyperlexia may not be diagnosed at all, but may stumble through childhood as awkward, socially delayed loners and grow up to be eccentric, but usually independent, adults. They benefit most from early intervention and therapy, especially regarding social skills. Several famous people in history are suspected of having the symptom's of Asperger's Syndrome, including Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.

Debates rage viciously over autism's supposed causes. The bottom line is we don't know why it occurs, although we know it is sex-linked (4 out of 5 autistic children are boys) and has a large genetic component (siblings have a 1 in 4 chance of being autistic as well). We also suspect that autism is, in fact, a group of similar appearing but pathologically unrelated conditions with a myriad of causes, which may be why so many myths and urban legends surround its supposed cause, how effectively it can be treated, and whether or not cures exist. The most reliable scientific studies demonstrate no correlation with any specific external cause, and most people with autistic symptoms do not respond to medical treatments of any sort.

Why do I care?

My son, Eric, was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, in the middle of the autistic spectrum, in 2003. Needless to say, it shook our family to its foundation and forced us to revise many hopes and dreams we had for him for the future. Eric can occasionally be overheard on the program, usually asking me some embarassing question in the middle of a voiceover. :-) Eric is a charming 7-year-old who has a measure of warmth and affection that many autistic children lack. Eric can speak, although most of his speech is stereotypical (he repeats memorized phrases to communicate) and his ability to create spontaneous speech, express his feelings and answer "why" questions is severely limited.

Eric gets good care from our public school, the Fox C-6 School District in Arnold, MO, but they are the exception to the rule -- most public school care for autistic children is mediocre to poor because older methods of special education do not tend to benefit autistic children. Most parents must dig deep into their pockets to pay for the extensive speech and sensory therapy that autistic children require.

Who are they?

The Autism Society of America is my choice of organizations because they avoid the mudslinging and conspiracy theorizing that inflict most autism organizations, choosing instead to focus on scientifically based research, community outreach, and support for families of autistic children and adults. While many organizations exist, some of the most prominent hold misleading -- bordering on fraudulent -- positions on autism's causes, purported ability to treat, and methods of treatment. It's a field overflowing with quacks and desperate parents willing to latch onto any plausible explanation, no matter how much science shows it's not true. (Because of this, many local autism support groups are more stressful to interact with than going it alone.)

I encourage anyone with some spare money to consider giving to the Autism Society of America and support family services and increased research into this mysterious malady.

And think of Eric when you do. :-)