Steven Higgs Tracks Autism's Generation Gap
Please read the full article at The Bloomingon Alternative.
Autism's generation gap, a lesson re-learned
by Steven Higgs
July 4, 2010
MOUNT VERNON, IND. -- Every conversation I've had with parents of autistic Americans has been riddled with salient moments, when essential truths are revealed about this extraordinarily complex developmental disorder. "Ah ha!" moments, so to speak. Such was the case with my July 2 conversation with Lisa Roach, who lives just outside the Ohio River town of Mount Vernon, Ind.
I had driven to the Posey County capital with Bloomington Alternative intern Megan Erbacher, who had grown up just down the road and has been friends with Roach's daughter Chelsea since childhood. Stan and Lisa Roach's oldest, 26-year-old Travis, has Asperger's Disorder, which is commonly known as "high-functioning autism." While his symptoms had been evident for years, Travis wasn't diagnosed until he was 8. At that time, Lisa learned her son was the first autistic child in the Mount Vernon school system...
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Posted by: John Hawkins | September 04, 2010 at 04:24 PM
I concur with 'They are not autistic'. When writing, please use People First language. I am a person, not a diagnoses and which to be spoken of as such. It would be better to say Americans with Autism. This shows I am a human being, a citizen first.
I know you didn't mean any harm. Just something to note in the future. I have been guilty of doing the samething myself before, despite being someone with a dual diagnoses.
Posted by: Theodora Trudorn | July 12, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Nice article but please don't call them "autistic Americans"! They are Americans with autism or Americans suffering from autism. Some of us believe in recovery and believe that this is a temporary situation unil we find a remedy to their illness. Most of our kids were not born this way but regressed. I believe that if we want to see changes our community has to demand greater political correctedness in terms of how our children are labeled. As a parent I just hate hearing the word autistic!
Posted by: They are not autistic! | July 12, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Staying home hides the extent of the situation from the general public. But I understand why going out is hard.
Posted by: Carol | July 11, 2010 at 04:48 AM
I am struck by the comment that while he was being raised they did not "go out much." How many parents take turns staying home with their ASD child? How many fear what would happen if there was a public breakdown? Would someone call the police? Would the public think the child was being kidnapped? I am guessing that autism is more a hidden epidemic than we can imagine. Autism trains you to shrink from public, to hide and avoid social contacts. No one understands, and no one will because we hide. How can the public "get over it" when the public doesn't see?
Posted by: Cynthia Cournoyer | July 10, 2010 at 06:31 PM