When our preschool director arranged for a Child Find evaluation, it was a life-changing moment for our family. Child Find represents an ongoing "process of public awareness activities, screening and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possibleall young children with disabilities and their families who are in need of Early Intervention Program or Preschool Special Education services." Despite being starved for knowledge, I was not prepared for the onslaught of new information. As I listened, I learned our child had speech and language problems. Later my child was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. I was bombarded with a new language filled with acronyms like IEP, OT, PT, and LRE. Much of the information was over my head making my anxiety grow, despite the assurances from the kind and understanding group of professionals. This meeting marked the beginning of an ongoing education in advocacy and autism.

With hindsight, we had to learn fast and the lesson we learned best was that we were our child's best advocates. We were not alone, as our child started kindergarten a team of educators also had to learn quickly. The first step was to get an accurate diagnosis with the help of our pediatrician who referred us to a psychologist. Our education began by joining the Autism Society. As we escalated our knowledge, we passed information on to concerned educators. Through conferences, training and meetings, we were becoming better at advocating. All this knowledge allowed us to better prepare for facilitating a team of support for our child both at school and in private therapy. Parents know their child best and are the only consistent support through all the therapies and education. Parent education is crucial to the quality of life of the child!

As the years went by and our advocacy skills increased we learned many lessons on advocacy and education. Enlisting the help from teachers is critical. At the same time, teachers must have the support needed to better understand how to work with the child. In our case, an expert visited the classroom and worked with teachers on a regular basis. Before too long, the teachers had developed new skills that not only helped the child with special needs, but also helped all the children in the classroom. This expert assistance along with the willingness of classroom teachers to master new skills helped our child succeed in regular classrooms of our neighborhood school.

Another lesson learned involved the social training for our child. The idea for a "Circle of Friends" originated from a gifted school social worker. This student group provided friendships and built a community of kids. As a group, these students shared lunch conversations, field trips, and community service projects. The circle provided needed social support for our child with Asperger Syndrome, while teaching these kids life lessons in acceptance and compassion.

One of autism's frustrating challenges is no solitary treatment or single answer exists for all children. Therefore, it is imperative for parents to seek help early from health and educational professionals. These children possess a great deal of trapped talent. The key to unlocking the door lies in a collaborative team effort.

With early intervention, research shows these children do amazingly well and have much to contribute to society. One such example is Temple Grandin, PhD, who is world renown for designing humane livestock handling facilities. She has written many publications, several books, and is a professor at Colorado State University. Dr. Grandin writes, "I have read enough to know that there are still many parents, and, yes, professionals, too, who believe that 'once autistic, always autistic.' This dictum has meant sad and sorry lives for many children diagnosed, as I was in early life, as autistic. To these people, it is incomprehensible that the characteristics of autism can be modified and controlled. However, I feel strongly that I am living proof that they can." (Taken from Emergence: Labeled Autistic)

With the rapid increase of autism spectrum disorders, it is important for every parent, grandparent, childcare provider, and educator to learn the signs of autism. Each of us can make a difference in the success of children with understanding, accurate information, and advocacy.

To learn more:

Understanding Autism - Free Seminar
Dr. Jennifer Epstein
Children's Hospital

Saturday Feb. 23, 2008
10:30 - 12:00 Noon
Broomfield Chamber Council Auditorium.
Broomfield City/County Building
1 Descombes Drive
Broomfield, CO 80020

Sponsors:

Broomfield Library Friends
Broomfield City and County
Children's Hospital
Healthy Learning Paths