Derek was a beautiful bouncing baby boy, the second child born to the family. As the months went by and even years, Derek seemed to develop differently then the other children his age. Derek would start out adapting and learning as any other child would, and then as soon as he would learn something, it seemed to have slipped away just as quickly. This was of no concern to the parents, they just assumed he was bored or wanted to learn other things. However, as time progressed forward, Derek seemed to lock himself into this own world. As Derek grew older he began sustaining self-injury through repeated scratching of his eyes, biting and severe head banging. Derek’s parents did not know at the time that he was showing signs of being autistic. Like Derek’s parents, many do not know how an autistic child’s life occurs, how parents, friends, and families cope with the child’s autism, and how to act around an autistic child.
Autism is a physical disorder of the brain; it causes lifelong developmental disability of the brain. There are three major areas affected by autism: communication, social interaction and behavior. Families with one autistic child only have a five percent chance of having a second child with this disorder. The cause of autism is difficult to determine, diagnosing this disorder is as difficult.
Derek was becoming introverted and isolated himself from others. He seemed to have a strong desire to use his hands to manipulate objects in an odd sort of way, such as rolling small objects or pennies constantly without ever being distracted. Derek chose to keep to himself in a silent world. The parents knew there had to be a way to find out how to have Derek correctly diagnosed.
Derek’s failure to develop normal socialization with other children, his communication skills being far below average, his abnormal relationship to objects and events, his abnormal responses to sensory stimulation, and his motor skills being delayed all helped Dr. Bruson correctly diagnose Derek with autism. Now that Derek was correctly diagnosed the next step was to learn how to cope with a special needs child. Failure to develop vocal speech can be a challenging characteristic of autism.
Before Derek’s parents learned he was autistic, they felt hurt and powerless because they go not response when they reached out to their child with love. After learning that Derek was autistic, his parents still felt powerless because they knew nothing about autism. They did not know how to reach out to Derek, what was causing the autism. The endless self-blaming the parents took on was overwhelming. They were convinced that Derek’s autism, if not their fault, had to be someone else’s fault. They lost the ideal perfect child every parent believes they have, along with the hopes and dreams they cherished for his future. There were times they felt so much emptiness inside and such pain for their child that they wondered if it would have been better if he was not born at all. The above reactions are normal reactions that many parents with autistic children feel. It is a way to avoid the reality of the child’s autism and their future.
Parents can learn to adjust to their child’s autism. For example, they must address their own emotions, take the time to heal and get the facts on the disorder. Although it is still undiscovered why, many autistic children are better at puzzles, codes and numbers than the average child is. Children with autism often throw tantrums; other children have had to wear headgear to be kept from inflicting self-injury.
After learning of Derek’s disorder and coming to the realization of their own feelings Derek’s parents began searching for ways in which to help their child. Although autism is still thought of being a life-long condition there are medications and ways in which the child can be helped. Education seems to be a large factor in improving autism. An autistic child’s education is different from other children. When an autistic child begins their education it is not to learn the ABC’s, it is to learn things in which they can use in their every day lives. These things include toiletry, eating, grooming, social interactions, language, and community living. Things that will one day allow them to survive on their own.
Although educational is one form of treatment for autistic children, another form of treatment is medical. Medications often prescribed to treat autism are called neuroleptics or “major” tranquilizers. These include a variety of medications, which affect the brain. The medications taken reduce the activity of dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that acts as a messenger between nerve cells. Now, however, there is music therapy for autistic children.
Many medical problems are associated with autism. Some of these include seizures and the fragile X syndrome. The fragile X syndrome is something many believe is a common cause for mental retardation.
As Derek’s family learns to cope with their son’s disorder, one can hope that one day there will be a cure for autism, or a sure way to learn the causes of autism. There are many predictions as to the causes of autism, but the predictions have all been proven false. Although many do not know how an autistic child’s life occurs, how parents, friends, and families cope with the child’s autism, and how to act around an autistic child. Scientists are still learning, and with them, the world is continuing to learn as well.
