Dr. Sheldon Cooper, the fictional theoretical physicist on CBS wildly popular The Big Bang Theory, is a quirky sort. Parts of his comedic charm are a strict adherence to routine, suspect social skills, a reluctance to listen, a tenuous understanding of sarcasm and humour and a general lack of empathy. My son is Sheldon, Jodi Echakowitz said, putting perspective to her 15-year-old boys Aspergers syndrome, a neurological disorder on the milder end of the autism spectrum. A communications and public relations specialist, the Thornhill mom of two is also a director of the Aspergers Society of Ontario. She skillfully sheds light on the invisible disability with which her son, Kyle, was diagnosed in kindergarten. Aspergers is Kyles primary challenge, she said. The Grade 10 Thornlea Secondary School student also has general anxiety disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and a mild learning disability. When Kyle was diagnosed, I had never heard of Aspergers, she said in her lyrical South African cadence. We were like deer in the headlights. Theres still little public awareness. Ms Echakowitz wants to change that. So does Kyle. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has been steadily increasing for more than 30 years. Officials at the Centre for Disease Control in the United States have tracked a 23-per-cent increase in the last three years alone. Its estimated one in 88 children have one of the spectrum disorders, including Aspergers, childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome and pervasive developmental disorders. Kerrys Place Autism Services, based in Aurora and offering provincewide supports, estimates more than 10,000 York Region residents, 40 per cent children, live with an autism spectrum disorder. There are no medications for Aspergers, Ms Echakowitz said. There are, however, effective therapies to help people learn different skills. Children diagnosed with Aspergers usually demonstrate normal language and cognitive development, although onset of speech may be slightly delayed. Social impairments are evident, but more subtle that those displayed by people with autism. In the Echakowitzs experience, Kyle had difficulty adjusting to change, environmental or routine. Conversations centred expressly on his interests, eye contact was avoided and, sometimes, personal space or boundaries werent observed. Learning at an age-appropriate level was also an issue. Today, Kyle is a success story, his mother said proudly. Hes coming out of his shell. We can see changes, she said. Weve had so many great milestones. Kyle is enrolled in an individual education plan where classmates have one of the autism spectrum disorders and get special assistants. He has fulfilled his mandatory 40 volunteer hours and mentors the plans Grade 9 students. I guess, is Kyles typical teen reply to if he enjoys school. The lad is articulate, sensitive and forthright. His home room is an autism spectrum disorder class, he asserts unashamedly. He is also not ashamed to talk about being bullied, he said. All the time, he said. Outside and sometimes in the special class. I had to change schools in Grade 7. I was being bullied by a special needs student. Stigma exists, Kyle said. Not enough people understand what its like for us, he said. We have our quirks. We need our space. We need help adjusting to society. Its important people know we need people to be friends with us. It means a lot to us. The teenager wants to pursue a career in psychology. I feel I understand people with special needs, he said. Sharon resident Carole Ann MacDonald, 39, also understands. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, she advocates for people with disabilities across North America. A York University graduate with a masters degree in education, she plans to pursue a doctorate degree in the near future. A director of Autism Ontario, Ms MacDonald is one of the only teachers diagnosed with autism in North America who teaches students diagnosed with autism. A certified Ontario elementary teacher, she teaches a self-contained special education junior autism program for students in grades 4 to 6 diagnosed with high-functioning autism in Brampton. The lady doesnt pull punches. As a qualified educator, she applied to both York Region school boards. She was turned down. She lives in York and teaches in Peel. Its a three-hour drive. I dont like change. Im very disappointed both York boards wouldnt hire me. Im still very upset. Speaking before an international delegation of parents, teachers and clinicians at the Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto last week, Ms MacDonald bared her soul. I have struggled in school. I have faced and continue to face systemic discrimination. I have been alienated from society. I suffer from depression. I am on medication, she said. I have received tens of thousands of dollars in therapy. I have problems with social relationships. My daughter is trained by her father to be embarrassed of her disabled mother. Life is hard. It is not perfect. She also expounded on the state of autism care. Too few people get the therapies needed to be successful in society, she said. OHIP only funds treatments until adulthood. The justice system, she said from personal experience, criminalizes the behaviours of people with autism. Because of repeated, possibly inappropriate comments and the tendency to stand too close to others, she was issued a no trespass order by her daughters school. Its not criminal, she said. Its a medical condition. She travels when and wherever new autism treatments and policies are available. I want to bring back ideas and share them with my students, she said. Her advice to people regarding autism is to accept diversity. Dont be quick to judge, she said. Dont think rigidly. Kerrys Place education and capacity building director Neil Walker spoke to the Orangeville Lions Club recently. He asked the 40 audience members if anyone knew someone who knows someone with autism. All but three raised their hands. The rise in autism diagnoses is a worldwide phenomenon, said Mr. Walker, who is also York ASD Partnerships project manager. Ten years ago, one in 250 births indicated the disorder. The demand on his organization grows by 80 families per month. The statistics are partly due to better diagnosis, more people with a genetic disposition to autism, environmental causes and the medical establishments inclusion in 1992 of the entire disorder spectrum, he speculated. The disorder deserves more attention, funding and therapies, he said. The public doesnt understand, he said. Theyre not informed. It is a spectrum disorder. On one end its very evident, at the other, not so much. Early intervention is key, he said. ` Ms Echakowitz agreed. Unfortunately, there are parents who dont want to acknowledge the disorder, she said. When you understand, youre more accepting. Getting access to services opens doors. Knowledge is power. Quoting from his favourite film, Temple Grandin, Kyle merely wants people to understand those with autism are different, but not less.

Read the original post:
Autism cases up in past 30 years