Autism and my future

A Child's Journey out of Autism by Leeann Whiffen

          Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a topic that is gaining popularity and backing through research. Countless studies are trying to crack the genetic mystery of where this disorder originates or what causes it. Are there factors prenatally that affect the outcome of autistic children? My interest in this particular disorder originated from a book I read a few years ago titled, A Child's Jorney out of Autism by Leeann Whiffen about her personal experience with her son Clay who was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The story was very inspirational about her triumphs and her struggle to get him better in every way and eventually off the spectrum entirely.

Autism Spectrum Disorder consists of a wide variety of symptoms and complex brain developmental disorders. Each child with ASD has their own set of symptoms and their own unique deficits, whether it be with social interactions, difficulties getting their words and feelings across, or performing acts repeatedly without cause (NINDS, 2013). Because of the complexity of the brain and the individualized deficits experienced within each individual makes getting to the bottom of the disorder harder than anyone anticipated. In the book, Clay showed severe ASD symptoms that included  gastrointestinal problems (GI); which according to a recent study at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found to be a common side effect to the behavioral symptoms of ASD (Science Daily, 2013). Behaviors including the social deficits, repetitiveness, and irritability are linked to the GI upsets including constipation, difficulty swallowing food and food sensitivities. In Clay’s case he was put on a strict gluten-free, daily-free diet and his food intake was monitored very closely by his mother, these changes weren’t easy to adjust to for Clay but, they eventually paid off when he was removed from the spectrum. Although Clay’s story is a success, there is still no research to back-up the research done at the UC Davis MIND Institute about the treatments of these prevalent GI problems in ASD children, the research only focused on the fact that there is a correlation between them.  

How common is ASD you may be wondering? According to statistics from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently 1 in 88 children born into the U.S. are diagnosed with an ASD (NINDS, 2013).  

Why does this interest me so much? I plan on becoming an occupational therapist for children in my career and many children that receive occupational therapy (OT) in the school system suffer from an autism spectrum disorder. In my experience shadowing at local elementary schools over the past year I’ve seen the effects of OT in the students that receive it. They play games and do crafts and get one-on-one attention that they might not get at home. These children love going to OT and they feel special that they get to go during class and do these things. I’ve always been the kind of person that tries everything to make someone else feel better, whether it’s saying the thing they need to hear, to being there for support, or anything else they need and experiencing the feeling that you made someone else feel better has always been something I strive for.

From the time I was a little girl all the way through high school I thought I wanted to teach elementary school kids, but when someone told me I would be good at doing occupational therapy I looked into it and I thought that person was right. I can’t wait until the day that my goals are achieved, the day I become an occupational therapist and start to make my mark on the World. I hope to experience the joy of helping children and hopefully getting the chance to specialize with those children with autism spectrum disorders. The research being done on the entire spectrum hopefully will provide some answers that will be of help to me in future years. For now I am simply fascinated by stories like Leeann, who gave up everything to help her son come off the autism spectrum.

         I highly recommend this book for anyone of any age it is truly inspiring.

NINDS. (2013, November 06). Autism fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm

Science Daily. (2013, November 06). Children who have autism far more likely to have tummy troubles. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131106202237.htm

The Puzzle Place. (2005). The puzzle place foundation. Retrieved from

              http://www.thepuzzleplace.com/sponsors.html

Whiffen, L. (2013). Leeann whiffen. Retrieved from http://leeannwhiffen.com/