Hi there – Several of my friends have children whom have Autism and each child has Autism to varying depths. I am ashamed to say that until now I didn’t really know exactly what this meant. Not because I was being

Don’t get me wrong; I understand the needs of these kids as I have done volunteer work with several agencies in the community who help parents to cope with having a special needs child.

One of my fondest memories is of a little boy Z whom I used to pick up three days a week and take to school. One day I was a little distracted as I got out of the car and Z was quick to lock the door with my keys inside! I dared NOT take my eyes off Z while I phoned a co-worker. We all knew the only way to get Z to open the door was with a McDonalds ice cream. So I sat there talking to Z keeping him interested in me while another colleague brought the ice cream. Z was a fantastic boy whom I still see occasionally and always greets me with a hug; Z is now 18 and getting ready to move into his first independent unit.

 I am no expert but I did have a few questions that I thought would help me to understand a bit better. These questions were:

What is Autism? What causes Autism? Are there any early signs too look out for?
• What to do if you suspect your child may have Autism?
• Can Autism be cured?

So I’ve hit the net to see just how much of these questions I would answer and here is a bit of what I have come up with!

Autism is a serious disorder that is usually very apparent by the two – three age brackets. It is well known that Autism can vary from child to child; from being quite mild to very disabling. There is some evidence to suggest that around five Australian children in every one thousand may suffer from Autism although there are not yet any studies done to prove this.

There are many different symptoms and behaviours that can be used to characterise autism, I was really stunned at the amount of symptoms and also the different thoughts between different countries. So I have listed a few of the most common characteristics noted here in Australian.

• Lack of playing skills
• Being a loner (by this I mean that the child prefers not to interact with other adults or children except either mum, dad or another important regular carer)
• Repetitive activities (this could mean lining up toys over and over, rewatching the same DVD, only eating particular foods, routine sensitive - must a routine to cope, prefers certain items of clothing only)
• Problems communicating – this is usually indicated by either the lack of any speech or a personalised code or speech method.

Sadly there is not yet enough research done to yet know for certain exactly what causes autism but some speculate that the brain has misfired somewhere. There are however some genetic influences.

A few things that are certain is that autism IS NOT caused by the father being older in age, Vaccinations, watching too much TV or by what you eat - these seem to be some popular myths which simply ARE NOT TRUE and I find it unreal that some people could actually entertain these ideas.

If you suspect that you child may have Autism then you should speak to your GP about this and your GP will usually refer you on to a paediatrician or an autism expert for assessment.

There is no cure for autism YET but there are some very effective treatments and therapies that can help with teaching an autistic child to communicate, play and socialise. Some autistic children can even go on to live a relatively normal life as long as it is fairly structured. Sadly however a child with severe autism will usually remain dependent on their parents and care givers.

During my time as a volunteer I was always amazed at these children and their zest for life, they remarkably happy children and are very fascinated by the simplest things is life. Another little girl F would love going for a walk around the block but would stop at every pretty flower to smell its scent, T used to stop for an ant and was constantly amazed at how they moved, M would laugh at the clouds are was forever trying to catch them, Q was always making sure there were enough seats for everyone.

I could go on and on but I won’t. One thing I will say however is that these children have big hearts with lots of love to share you just need to be open to them and their love.

Thanks for reading . . . .  Below are some web links you may be interested in

Cheers Kellz

Autism Tasmania

Autism Victoria

Autism South Australia

Autism Western Australia

Autism Northern Territory

Autism Queensland

Autism New South Wales

© Copyright 2008 Kellzacar. . All writings by Kellzacar remain the property of Kellzacar and should not be republished or copied without written permission. Kellzacar can be emailed via Minti. Any similarities are by coincidence only as all writings etc are the research and or thoughts of the writer