13 of 39

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

about being unable to control her strange behaviors and especially about her inability to communicate normally. Gone was the silent girl who seemed to just stare blankly at walls, rocking back and forth.

Amid all this confusion, it is the families who suffer the most. The public is largely uninformed about PDD. This disability is often coined as a "silent" disability because children who are on the milder end of the spectrum tend to appear as just noisy, rude, 'mean' temper-tantrum throwers who can't get along with other kids. Just like Alex. These children, unlike those who are non-verbal, have the best chance of learning to manage their autism and leading fairly normal adult lives if they are diagnosed early and receive intervention therapy. Although PDD is still very misunderstood and many scientists and physicians can't seem to agree on exactly what a successful intervention program consists of, the general consensus is that the window of opportunity for these children is between birth and age three. The sooner the diagnosis is made and a program is begun, the greater the odds that therapists and their programs will be effective. Alex's family has endured the daily grind of several therapists essentially living with them to intervene on his every waking moment for several years already. He has made substantial progress, but when he was diagnosed, there was little information available to his family, who live a fair distance away from any major metropolitan area and the help of autism specialists. They were lucky enough to have supportive family members who pitched in and helped, but still, as Alex's mom says, "Sometimes I wish we could just be a normal family." Alex's siblings have had to deal with the fact that their brother requires a lot of their parents' attention, and often have had to deal with the criticism of outsiders as well. One Sunday, Alex and his siblings were attending a children's choir practice when he began shoving away his younger brother, who he obviously thought was sitting way to close to him. As his brother refused to budge (there was really no place he could move to, anyway), Alex decided to start pinching him, provoking loud squeals but not achieving his objective. One of the Sunday school teachers' assistants noticed this exchange and very loudly exclaimed her disapproval at Alex's behavior. Even when I informed her that Alex wasn't intentionally being cruel, he just needed a little extra space because he is autistic, she still maintained her opinion. Finally, Alex's older brother intervened and removed the younger brother.

These types of incidents are received everywhere with the same type of condescension. Why? Because Alex appears to be a normal child. He doesn't walk with braces, utilize a wheelchair, or need a guide dog. Yet autism is a very real disability that needs to be noticed. Greater acceptance of this disorder in our society and education about its signs and symptoms is essential for Alex and many other children like him to ensure they get the treatment they need, so that, hopefully, someday, they will be able to sort out the tangles of their mind to match an outward normalness.

*name changed to protect identity

Learn more about this author, Alison Jerabek.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Struggles associated with an invisible disability?
We want to hear your view. Write now!