editor ’ s NOTE
SPRINGING FORWARD IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF AUTISM
April marks Autism Awareness month , the time when we bring to the forefront one of the most confounding developmental disorders of the past century . Did I just say “ century ?” Yes , I did . Believe it or not , autism was first identified in 1908 by Eugen Bleuler , a Swiss psychiatrist , although Bleuler considered it to be one of the symptoms of schizophrenia .
Fast forward to the 1940s when a doctor , Leo Kanner , studied several children and noted many of the characteristic features that we know to be part of the disorder such as sensory issues , social difficulties , tendency to repeat words , food allergies and difficulty adapting to change . Interesting enough , around the same time , scientist Hans Asperger identified a similar condition where the children had many of the same issues identified by Kanner , but these children spoke as if there were adults . ( Today , this is known as Asperger ’ s .)
During the 1960s and 1970s , it was not uncommon for a patient diagnosed with autism to undergo shock therapy or treatment with the hallucinogenic drug LSD . At this time , autism was also widely considered to be something related to bad parenting especially on the mother ’ s part . It wasn ’ t until the 1980s and 1990s that there really became an awareness that autism might be something different , possibly something neurological or genetic , and a real interest in determining what causes autism evolved . It was also during this time that behavioral therapy , the key therapy to treat autistic children , emerged as one of the primary forms of treatment .
Obviously since 2000 , research on autism has exploded , as increasing numbers of children are diagnosed with the disorder each year . To date , one in 88 children is diagnosed with autism , with one in 54 boys receiving the diagnosis . Fortunately , a greater understanding and ability to treat children with Autism Spectrum Disorders , or ASDs , has also developed , so more and more children are seeing greater gains in their development . Still , any parent with a child with autism will tell you , there ’ s more work to do .
In this issue of ParentGuide ®, we include an update on the latest info surrounding autism as well as a wonderful piece on how therapy with horses is helping many children with autism ( and some without ). You ’ ll also find a survey of some of the area ’ s best or most interesting camps along with a guide to local summer camps . Plus , you won ’ t want to miss our feature on local sports figure Don Tobin , a former pro soccer player with a great story about founding a club soccer league for kids .
So take a few minutes and check out the great information and resources in our March / April issue . And if you happen to know a parent who has a child with an ASD , give them hug the next time you see them , or better yet , ask if there ' s anything you can do to help . You ’ ll never know how much they appreciate it .
Happy spring reading .
Geodie Baxter Padgett
Executive Editor Geodie @ parentguide . com
ParentGuide ®
5