Autism Speaks for those who may not
For the Flaherty’s, their dedication is personal. Their son Clayton was diagnosed with ASD when he was 14 months old.
“Clayton just would not respond to our voices. We thought it might be a hearing loss,” explained Jennifer Flaherty at a fundraiser breakfast on April 9 in New Philadelphia. “We had a brain stem evoke done, which is a very good hearing test. His hearing was just fine. Other people said, ‘Oh, good. His hearing is fine!’ But I thought, ‘Oh no. This is not good.’ Before I had Clayton, I had a degree in early education, so I knew some of the signs of ASD. As a parent, you kind of deny anything could be wrong. But now we know, and we do what we can to make the best of it. His gross motor skills were good. He could jump and run as he got older, all of those things.
“Clayton is pretty much nonverbal. He is in regular school,” continued Flaherty, laughing as she explained how Clayton sometimes tries to get away with things with substitute teachers and aides. “Now he receives speech and occupational therapy. Reading and language arts are still a struggle at some points. But he does very well at spelling and math. The kids at the school are a wonderful support system for him, too. We communicate mostly with pictures, but I would love to transfer the pictures to writing with the iPad or something like that.”
Clayton’s CRUE has had bake sales, pancake breakfasts, golf outings, and even an Ohio State tailgate party. The Flaherty’s goals for each event are to raise at least $1,000, with every penny going toward the Walk Now for Autism event held in Cleveland each fall.
A trademark of ASD is impaired social interaction. Children may initially develop normally, but suddenly begin to withdraw from their environment. Typically, a young child will not respond to the sound of their name, and may also avoid eye contact. They may be preoccupied with certain objects, and do not adapt well to any change in their daily rituals or routines. They may not comprehend even the simplest of social cues, including facial expressions or tone of voice, and may not show any interest in other’s faces. They often also lack empathy for the feelings of others.
As children with ASD retreat into their inner world, there may be repetitive movements, humming, or other forms of self-stimulation, particularly when they are upset or experiencing a change in routine in any way. Some are very verbal, although perhaps only on very few topics, but often do not engage in typical two-way conversation. Some may also have a type of ASD called Asperger’s syndrome. Intelligence is not the issue – as these individuals may also be highly gifted in specific ways. Some with autism may be able to fully express themselves by writing on a keyboard, but not able to do so verbally.
All of this adds up to a very stressful situation for families who have a member with ASD, particularly as those children become young adults facing a whole new set of issues.
Marilyn and Ed Dotto’s youngest child, Joey, will soon be 17, and has ASD. Joey was diagnosed around 3 years old. They have faced many challenges along the way. Their older three children do not have ASD.
“He did not play with toys like other kids, and he was nonverbal,” explained Marilyn Dotto. She noted how she is now constantly meeting more families struggling with ASD. “Statistics show that very 11 minutes a child is born who will end up being on the autism spectrum. Autism is now an epidemic, and it hits more kids every year.”
To learn more, visit http://www.autismspeaks.org, or contact local support group Tuscarawas Area Kid Network at 330-691-0219 or at http://www.orgsites.com/oh/takn/.
Published: April 11, 2011
