The many faces of autism

She was 10 years old, unable to walk, communicated by grunts, and was very skinny. Taking care of her was my summer job. To eat, she had to be strapped into a large car seat on the kitchen floor with a bib around her neck. I was instructed to belt her arms to the sides, but at the inexperienced age of 18, I couldn't bear it. I quickly learned better; getting anything in her mouth was a heartbreaking physical battle. Eye contact was rare and she didn't respond to affection; she lived in a solitary netherworld.

At the other extreme is high-functioning autism. "Bryan" (name changed) is about the same age. He's a sweet, physically active, adorable boy who always has a smile ready. His eyes often engage others. He speaks well and attends school locally, although he is clearly different. He can socialize and exist in the same world as others; although as often he withdraws to his inner world and is unable to communicate his feelings. As in Bryan's case, autistic people tend to have higher than average intelligence, even as compared to the mainstream population.

Autism is a complex disability with a wide variety of degrees and symptoms, typically detectable by age 3. Because it has so many faces the condition is poorly understood. As Monday's Press reported, a team of cyclists from Sandpoint hopes to change that, raising awareness and funds by cycling 3,000 miles across the country this summer.

Autism affects a person's ability to communicate with others. Its cause is unknown, although if one child has autism, the chances of a sibling with autism are greater. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" affecting individuals differently.

Curiously, the incidence of autism seems to be increasing, with little evidence pointing to a reason, but plenty of loose speculation. In February 2007, the Centers for Disease Control issued an autism prevalence report, concluding that autism has risen to one in every 150 American children, and one in 94 boys. However, the diagnostic criteria for identifying autism also expanded; some doctors say that it isn't the prevalence that has changed so much as the classification system.

Autism can't be cured, but is treatable. According to the Autism Society, early diagnosis (60 per day in the U.S.) and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. Some symptoms of autism in children include lack of or delay in spoken language; repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects); little or no eye contact; lack of interest in peer relationships; lack of spontaneous or make-believe play; and fixation on parts of objects.

A new online study on autism and pain is being conducted at www.stonybrookautism.net. For more information about autism see www.autism-society.org.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. E-mail sholehjo@hotmail.com