Susan's Blog

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Autism: Hope At Any Age

My article, “Autism: Hope At Any Age,” was published on the Washington Post’s oped page today. You can read it here.

Let’s hear it for Early, Middle, and Late Intervention, and for giving people with developmental disabilities the support and acceptance they need to have a happy life. That means voting for leaders who will do what it takes to properly fund health and human services, and public education. That’s all, Folks.

posted at 8:25 pm 5 comments

5 comments

Susan, Older children have improved with chelation. It is not too late to look into it.

— added by Foresam on Sunday, March 18, 2007 at 10:20 pm

What a FABULOUS letter! Thank you for writing it!!! My son is still young, but we still have to fight tooth, nail, and lawyer for every little thing, every little inch of service. From what I am getting now, I am sure I will be tearing out hair by the time my boy gets to high school, too. What is it about “lifelong” that people just don’t “get”?

I wish we had won that $300 million lottery. It wouldn’t have been enough, but it would have been a start.

— added by Joeymom on Monday, March 19, 2007 at 12:42 am

Yes, exactly, except…

…I’ve never been able to become comfortable with the word “intervention” when used in this context. It always seems to, regardless of what I try, mean something far more invasive and misdirected than how I view teaching of autistic people.

— added by ballastexistenz on Monday, March 19, 2007 at 1:22 am

i am so moved by your story of nat’s first question to you.

what a beautiful article. thank you for that.

— added by kyra on Monday, March 19, 2007 at 3:16 pm

Susan, an editor friend sent me your WP article. I have a PDD son who will be 20 on Thursday – countless times I have experienced the emotional see-saw you expressed so poignantly in “Hope at any age.”

PLEASE see this press release about Rett’s Syndrome research in Scotland. Dr. Bird, the primary researcher, says that recent discoveries will eventually carry over to a broad spectrum of autism disorders. Immediately, I go to that hope/fear place: how amazing is that?/but will it happen too late for my precious son?

Here is the site:
http://www.rsrf.org/reversal_
experiment/index.html

or google Rett Syndrome Research Foundation, Press Release, Feb 8, 07

Marikay Tillett
Huntsville, Al 35803

scribbleonthesky@aol.com

— added by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 12:12 pm