What Is Autism?
Autism is a neurological condition that interferes with a person's ability to communicate and relate to other people. It is not a single disease but rather a description for a group of disorders that affect people in similar ways. This group of conditions is often referred to as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Some autistic people are better at using language than others, while others may not speak a single word throughout their entire lives.
A milder form of autism is called Asperger's syndrome. For people with Asperger's syndrome, their linguistic skills remain largely intact, yet they still have a hard time reading social cues and understanding subtle humor, such as irony or cynicism. People with Asperger's syndrome tend to interpret situations literally, and they like to stick to routines.
Fact
In addition to Asperger's syndrome, the autism spectrum disorders also include conditions such as Rett syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, and childhood disintegrative disorder. It is beyond the scope of this book to explain in detail each of these conditions.
There is hardly anything more profoundly devastating than having an autistic child, even though it can be rewarding at times to see your child making gradual progress. After going through the normal stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance — each parent eventually comes to terms with autism and accepts the daily challenges and deals with them one day at a time.
Essential
In the film Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman portrayed a fictional autistic man with a photographic memory and astounding artistic abilities. In real life, however, most autistic individuals do not possess superhuman talents, and the vast majority need additional help to carry out the activities of daily living.
An autistic child requires constant supervision, no matter the age. There is never a day off from autism, and the accumulation of stress adds to the burden. If you ever thought that raising a typical toddler is a challenge, you have no idea what dealing with an autistic child is like. Every parent loves his autistic child, but sometimes the behaviors associated with this disease can frustrate even the most patient person.
Autism robs a child of the ability to relate and empathize. It is very difficult for autistic children to reach out and connect with others. This is most apparent when autism interferes with linguistic skills, but it affects children on many levels. Autistic children cannot easily relate to the feelings of others, and they find it very difficult to make their needs known to others.
