efore my son was born, I had a few friends who had children with autism. But I had no clue what it really meant, other than that some of those children were very hard to control.

At 19 months, my son was diagnosed with autism. Autism is a developmental disorder that affects communication, social, sensory and emotional interaction in a toddler before the age of three. The causes are highly debatable if not controversial. It is believed to be caused by genetic and/or environmental factors.

When our son was diagnosed, we were devastated, although I had suspected something was wrong. At 19 months, he was at the developmental age of 0 to 3 months in cognition, language and communication skills. A diagnosis at this early age meant his symptoms were severe, but it was positive in that early intervention could help.

With no known cause or cure, the future looked bleak. One of his therapists advised us to just keep trying every day to teach him, although it could take months or years before he could say a word or two.

I went to a seminar for parents of newly diagnosed autistic children and left in tears. I sent a note to my minister’s wife telling her of the diagnosis and asking for help. After a church service, several elders prayed for him. Brethren, friends and family also prayed for him, and God has given us a measure of hope and comfort.

With intensive therapy, our son is now able to speak, and his tantrums and moods have reduced, but autism still has no cure and therapy is expensive. My husband had to make a video presentation of my son’s progress in order to secure funding for the therapies.

I am very grateful to be in this country where great medical breakthroughs can make an unknown or rare disorder manageable. In some developing countries, due to lack of awareness and education, coupled with traditional beliefs, many disabled people face neglect. Disabled children in some areas are regarded as objects of the gods’ disfavor and are abandoned. Those who survive often end up living on the streets. This has led my sister and me to start a nonprofit foundation called The Foundation for Orphaned, Abandoned and Disabled African Children (FOADAC), a foundation that takes care of some of these abandoned and disabled children. If you would like to know more about it, please visit our web site at www.foadac.org. •

Understanding the child with autism

Autistic children have difficulty processing information that most of us take for granted. They are often extraordinarily gifted in other ways, but they do need special help and understanding. Here is some information that will help you help them. It is adapted from material supplied by The Autism/Asperger’s Digest.

Autism is a disorder of brain development that now affects roughly 1 in every 166 children to one degree or another. Basically it is a neurological disorder that affects social, learning and behavioral patterns. It often leads to obsessive, irrational behaviors. Autism is baffling, as people affected can look "normal" yet have difficulty processing information coming at them.

Here are seven things every child with autism wishes you knew:

1. I am a child with autism, not autistic. It is only one aspect of my total character, just as a person wearing glasses is not considered blind.

2. My sense perceptions are disordered. This is why I sometimes appear belligerent—I am having trouble processing the data coming my way. My brain can’t filter all the info and I’m in overload. Everything from sun glare to Muzak can set me off or cause me to withdraw.

3. I am a concrete thinker. I take things literally. So don’t tell me to "hold my horses"—ask me to stop. When you call at me across a room, this is what I hear: "&%^)($$@@@###" So, please come and speak to me in plain words. Kindly suggest other things for me to do—"No, don’t pull the flowers, come help me close this door. Okay?"

4. I am very visually oriented. Patient repetition helps me learn. Therefore focus on what I can do with much loving repetition.

5. Encourage other children to help me interact. It may look like I’m a loner but that’s because language is often difficult for me and I need a bit more time to get into things.

6. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. "Tantrums" come about because my system is in overload— I’m trying to process what’s coming at me.

7. Learn more about my situation at any number of web sites. Without your support, my chances of successful adulthood are slim. I do have a capacity for fine detail and focus. Just ask Mozart or Einstein or Van Gogh—they all fit on the autistic spectrum.

Companion article: The curious incident of the dog in the night-time

Copyright 2007