The Spectrum

Yesterday was World Autism Awareness Day and April is also Autism Awareness Month, so I thought I'd write a list of what it means to have children on the Autism Spectrum, from my own experiences and from talking to friends who also have children with Autism.

It's so much easier to adjust your own thinking to work with theirs, than the other way around. Not that you should ever give up teaching them coping and effective communication skills because the rest of the world won't be so willing to adapt.

The Big Bang Theory

Sarcasm is a useless skill. Unless you plan to hold up a Sarcasm sign every time you use it, and even then it's only effective a fraction of the time. I've found that it's easier (and actually better for communicating with everyone) if you just cut it out of your repertoire.

When they laugh, it can be one of the most joyous sounds in the world because it is born from pure, genuine delight and amusement. Fake laughing is as useless as sarcasm.

Surprises are a given. This goes for both good and bad surprises. Sometimes it's impossible to predict what will cause a meltdown. Things they enjoy, will eat, or will talk about on any given day can be just as unpredictable.

They are different, not broken. They typically cannot filter out sensory information to focus on what is important. This means they hear, see, feel, and smell everything, which often seems to overload their brains. I can't blame them for hating places Costco and Ikea on a Saturday.

When they think it's like their own brains move too quickly and process far too much for their mouths or their hands to keep up. That may be why they sometimes stutter, don't like writing assignments, and may only talk when they feel they have something important to say or struggle to talk at all.

They will blow your mind. I have been told countless times over the years by teachers, friends and family members that they are astounded by the information that my children absorb. They may look like they're not paying attention, but they soak it all in. My kids know more about the Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, Egypt, Disneyland, Legos, and cats than you would believe. Sometimes I think my kids know more about them than their own creators. Savant seems like too mild of a word.

Even as much as their teachers might marvel at their ability to absorb information, if you have children on the Autism Spectrum you will need to be their biggest advocate. Do research. Learn what's available. Be willing to ask difficult questions and push for what they need. Schools are required by law to accommodate for students with special needs in the least restrictive environment. This can mean different things for different kids and it is basically up to you to fight for their educational needs.

There is no known cause of Autism. Despite what you may have heard, no valid, repeatable, scientific studies have actually linked vaccines with Autism. Doctors are even able to test for Autism in infants before most vaccines are administered. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, doctors and researchers believe a combination of genetic and environmental factors are the most likely causes, and more research is still being done, and multiple genetic markers have been found to predispose certain individuals to Autism.

Courtesy of Securebinary.com

People with Autism may stand out, but that's not always a bad thing. Many famous actors, scientists, inventors, computer engineers, writers and artists, and a few characters from popular TV shows, have been diagnosed or are thought to have had Autism. Fox's Bones character, Dr. Temperance Brennan is one that is likely, though I'm not sure if the show's creators or the novel character on which the show is based ever confirmed this possibility. Every time I watch CBS's The Big Bang Theory, I can't get over how much Sheldon is like my oldest son. He has Asperger's Syndrome, a label that was taken out of the most recent versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and was basically dissolved into the umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorders, but which I still use out of habit. Asperger's is commonly known as The Geek Syndrome because of its frequency among tech gurus, software developers and other fields that demand both creative and detailed thinking but don't necessarily require social skills. The name is pretty fitting because those with Asperger's have more of the social issues associated with Autism and typically less of the learning and physical delays and even have higher than average IQs.


Early diagnosis and intervention can be so important, but it's never too late. The daughter of a coworker didn't get a diagnosis until she was almost an adult. When she was young Autism was almost never diagnosed in girls unless the case was severe, and according to the UK's autism.org page, is diagnosed at least half as often in girls and women than in boys and men. Her daughter is now 28 still struggles to learn social cues and signals that one of my son's was taught through elementary school, but at least she's still learning and has access to resources that weren't available before.

Getting a diagnosis means much more than being able to put a label on the problem. It leads to greater understanding for parents, teachers and anyone that interacts with a person with Autism. It means finding support, whether that's information and resources like the Autism Society of America, Social Security, community services, support groups, and more.