Autism is one of the most common mental disorders diagnosed in children today. 1 out of every 150 children born today will be diagnosed with autism. In the documentary film "Autism: The Musical", the lives of several children are documented. Each child had a different type of autism. Some of them were high functioning with behavior that would be borderline acceptable at public schools. Others were not so high functioning. There was one child who couldn't speak, a girl who could only repeat what was said to her, and a boy whose brain was overloaded with dinosaur facts. While all these children sound like they could be mentally retarded, autism is a disorder that occurs in mostly intelligent children whose brains work in different ways than other normal children. But can they be taught to live a normal life and function well in mainstream society? With the right communication devices and help from family and friends, children with autism can grow up and be semi-independent and live full and satisfying lives.
Amanda Baggs is part of a new generation of adults with autism. The Autism Society of America estimates that 600,000 adults are living with autism in the United States (Gajilan, 2007). This number will most likely skyrocket because as stated before, 1 in every 150 children have autism. Amanda was born with severe autism. She didn't cry when she was born and had to be taught how to nurse. As a little girl, she could actually speak, but as she grew older her spoken language disappeared altogether. In order to communicate with others, she slowly learned how to type. Today, she relies on her computer or a voice synthesizer linked to a keyboard to interact with people. This device is similar to the one used by a young Russian adoptee in the aforementioned movie. Although, she has autism, Amanda still lives her life on her own terms. She has her own apartment and communicates well with her family and friends. Adults with autism live normal life spans and may require long-term medication, therapy, and residential placement (Gajilan, 2007). But people like Amanda show us that it is not out of the realm of possibility that children diagnosed with autism can live an independent fulfilling life.
Having a child today that is diagnosed with autism can be a life changing and traumatic experience for new parents. The challenges of raising a child with autism have even broken up marriages. Although it may be stressful and frustrating trying to raise a child with autism, a parent is the determining factor as to whether that child will learn to communicate and be somewhat independent. Children with autism have thoughts and feelings just like any other normal person; they just have to express them in different ways. With more research being done on autism every day, I believe that these unique individuals will be able to live among and easily interact with us in the near future. After all, they are really not that different.
Work Cited:
Gajilan, A Chris. "Living with autism in a world made for others" CNN 22 Feb 2007 <http//www. cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/21/autism.amanda/index.html
1 comment:
The stats you presented in your essay are startling. 1 in 150 and rising means that we have to adapt social techniques to incorporate people with autism(and other such disorders) into our mainstream. In the past, we have adapted by creating handicapped parking and making available handicapped accessible areas. Even my comment screen offers assistance to those with difficulty seeing the security code. With a little social support, people with autism can definetely live full lives.
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