This is National Autism Month so I'll take this opportunity to share what I wish someone would have shared we me a long time ago... What are the signs of autism? Seems like a simple question, but I struggled horribly to find the answers.
I'll be really honest and say that before having our twins I was scared spitless about having an autistic child. The reason I was afraid is because I know several couples who have an autistic child and it is a very difficult challenge to deal with for the child and the parents.
Also, there is such varied and bizarre myths and wives tales out there. Kendra didn't eat any smoked meats during pregnancy or during the first year because she read somewhere there could be a link between nitrates from smoked meats and autism. Also, some say vaccinations are the cause of autism. That's really a head-scratcher because we are immunizing our kids as a health benefit to them and some people say it is a root cause of autism!
The thing which made me even more worried was the frequency and probability. The odds are 1 out of 126 for a child being autistic. I know poker and I know math and I know those odds are a long shot at least. Not the kind of number I should intellectually be worried about. None the less, the fear of austism was something I thought about at least once a week from the time Kendra became pregnant until they twins were about two years old. That's a LONG time to worry about something for no good reason at all. Even so, I never even voiced my worry or concern to anyone including Kendra. I knew nothing good would come from openly discussing it.
I did some research along the way know what are the signs of autism, but getting a concise, authoritative answer proved elusive. In an odd twist of fate I found the answer in an issue of Fortune magazine as I read articles while working out at the gym. Here is what I saw:
Signs are:
- No big smiles or other joyful expressions by 6 months
- No babbling by 12 months
- No words by 16 months
How simple is that? Unfortunately the twins were already 2 years old when I read this. I knew enough about autism to know that by two years old there would have been obvious signs indicating whether a child is autistic or not. I just didn't know exactly what to look for an by when.
My hope is that other to-be parents or new parents will have this as a basic litmus test of things to watch for and the timing of when they should happen. From what I understand autism isn't like a cancer where if it is caught early then it can be treated and removed. For this reason "early detection" really doesn't matter all that much. It is what it is and there's nothing anyone can do about it if a child is diagnosed with autism.
My entire perception and facts about autism could all be worthless or even dead wrong. I'm just pointing out that the only valid measure of autism was an article I ran across in Fortune magazine, which is really sad. My heart goes out to autistic children and their parents. I consider it a true blessing that neither of our twins are autistic and I thank God for that every single day.
The question I ask myself now is, "what can I do about autism?" The easy answer is to give money to autism related research to find a cure. I find this a difficult proposition though because it's like chasing a ghost. There is nothing concrete for scientists to test about the environment of autistic children. Cancer is probably easier to cure because there is a physical problem which can be treated and tested. Autism is so elusive. If there was a lead case or probable root cause which needed to be validated... now that's something I can believe in and put my money where my mouth is.
I apologize if I am completely off-base with my perception and information about autism. If anything it proves how little is known and how distorted views are of it. Like all things, I'm a work in progress and love to be enlightened.
See you soon!
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