The legacy of autism

My how things have changed in the world of autism. Autism has not changed. Autistic children still have speech development issues, avoid eye contact, have anxieties and obsessions, repeat activities such as spinning toys or, may repeatedly harm themselves. Symptoms and intensity vary.No, autism has not changed; the professional response has. That came to mind after I learned that one of our family’s recent preschool graduates will have paraprofessionals from their first day of kindergarten due to autism. I caught a glimpse of the child’s problems and potential while watching their performance in a school program. 
Acceptance changed. Before the mid-20th century, classroom doors did not open to the autistic child. In fact most recommended that children with developmental disabilities be permanently institutionalized. That mindset establishes the backstory for the movie “Rain Man” in which the father sent his teenage son away to a home within months of the younger son’s birth. The younger brother only learned he has an older brother after their father dies and the will is read. According to the book “Neurotribes: the Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity,” Dustin Hoffman’s role as an autistic adult greatly impacted public awareness, acceptance and sensitivity to autism. The movie capped decades of research and an evolving understanding of the needs and potential for autistic children, teens and adults. The book begins the legacy with a biographical chapter about Henry Cavendish (1731-1810). Cavendish computed the earth’s weight, discovered hydrogen and other elements. Called the Wizard of Clapham Common, Cavendish preferred scientific studies to people. To discuss a problem with him, other scientists would talk about the problem near him. He responded without looking at them. He wore identical outfits every day and kept a rigid daily routine. All characteristics found on the autistic spectrum. Fortunately, Cavendish came from a wealthy family with a father who accommodated his eccentricities. Servants quietly, unobtrusively took care of his needs. Autistic children of less wealthy parents have not fared well historically. Their flapping hands, lack of speech or echolalia, emotional melt downs and (for some) self-harm relegate them at least to the edge of society or a locked ward. Until after World War I the disorder seemed rare, partly because families either kept the child at  home or sent them away on the advice of their doctor. Then researchers began studying children with similar characteristics.Fortunately, the parents in our family will not be told the condition comes from living with a cold, distant mother. Psychiatrists laid the “refrigerator mother” guilt trip on many in the 1950s and 60s. Neither will their child be subjected to a plethora of punitive behavior modification ideas to cure the disorder. Treatment continues to evolve as do the parameters for diagnosing the disorder.  Experimental studies and treatments to cure the disorder included an overload of specific vitamins or minerals purported to fix the autistic child (and many others with mental disorders). Many hopeful books, articles and programs from the mid-20th century failed to produce the promised results. Is there a cure? No. Recent DNA studies suggest there may be genetic factors. Are there programs to support the child and family? Yes, in fact the book ends on a positive note reporting parents joining forces to advocate for education and services. Thanks to the Internet, autistic teens and adults have discovered each other and comfortably communicate behind the safety of the screen. Social studies point out the possibility that the eccentric personalities found in the autistic population also bring unique gifts to the scientific, mathematical and artistic tables. All gifts once lost by warehousing the autistic child. All of which provides hopeful news for our young family.