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by Betty Fry Williams
Professor of Education, Edward B. Lindaman Chair
Elizabeth Santopadre was such a beautiful baby her parents called her their "angel baby." A happy, active infant, she quickly began using words and playing simple games. Then Elizabeth's life took a tragic turn. She lost the words she had learned, regressed to babbling, stopped making eye contact, lay rigid and rocking on the floor, and spent hours in seemingly endless repetitive behaviors. Elizabeth became socially isolated and failed to reach normal milestones. She was soon diagnosed with autism, and her parents watched precious time slip away as they searched for a way to recover their child.
Autism was once a rare condition, but today 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, making it the sixth most common disability in the United States. That means that every 20 minutes another family is delivered the devastating diagnosis of autism. The rate of autism diagnosis has increased six-fold from 1994 to 2003, not just in the United States, but around the world; and the rate appears to be continuing to increase. Though some of this increase may be explained by greater awareness and changes in diagnosis, autism-care providers have been overwhelmed by the number of children and families in need of services. Last December, Congress passed the Combating Autism Act of 2006 authorizing $945 million over five years for autism research, screenings, treatment and education, intensifying attention to biomedical and environmental factors.
There is currently no biomarker that predicts who will become autistic, and there is no known cause of autism. Without a known cause, the search for a cure is severely hampered and the feverish search for effective treatment has branched in many directions. Unfortunately, unsubstantiated claims regarding the cause and treatment of autism have also multiplied exponentially. Parents travel a minefield of scientific claims and counter claims. Professionals are often at a loss in terms of how to guide clients through the maze of information and misinformation about treating autism that is perpetuated through the Internet, advocacy groups and publications.
It is clear from the research on effective treatment programs that early diagnosis and intensive behavioral intervention are critical in helping a child recover from autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released two reports aimed at informing all pediatricians about the signs of autism, providing tools for screening all children under the age of two, and identifying the evidence supporting early intensive behavioral treatment that can make substantial differences in the long-term prospects for children with autism.
With the resources available through the Edward B. Lindaman Chair, Whitworth is responding to the "Age of Autism" in several ways:
1. Establishing a website devoted to evaluating autism research. This site will provide information for parents, professionals and advocates and will clearly identify the evidence base and the plausibility of claims for each of the many "causes" and "treatments" being investigated.
2. Providing new coursework in autism. The Whitworth School of Education is offering a new course for training special educators in effective behavioral intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder.
3. Offering a new course on disability studies for non-education students. This Jan Term course targets Whitworth students who want to be prepared to accommodate and advocate for the disabled more effectively.
4. Supporting development of a new textbook highlighting effective research-based behavioral programs for individuals with autism. This text will describe successful treatment models for individuals with autism across a spectrum of age, severity and settings.
5. Collaborating with the Spokane Guilds' School and with other universities in the Inland Northwest to expand research and training in early intervention. This effort is directed toward the development of a Spokane center for interdisciplinary service, research and training of personnel serving children from birth to age three.
Gina Green, a respected autism researcher, says, "There is a need to do a lot of homework, and to do it quickly. Why the urgency? Because the stakes are high, and every moment is precious." Whitworth students and faculty are engaged in the urgent work and the necessary service required to combat autism and to improve lives.
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