I always look forward to writing my regular articles for our website and Brantford’s community newspaper as I find it satisfying to educate people about dental health, something that as a dentist, is obviously very important to me. However, today’s article will be a bit different. Although it is not entirely dentistry related, it does address a subject that is also extremely important to me and my life: Autism.
Sometimes Autism Can’t Be Seen
The picture you see here is of my two beautiful sons, Michael and Noah. One of them has Autism but I bet that by looking at the photo you can’t tell which one. That’s because Autism isn’t always visible… at least not initially. Spend some time with my eldest guy, Michael, who is now 21, and you’ll quickly figure out that he is affected by this serious developmental disorder that is now affecting more than 1 in 42 boys. Michael is on the more severe end of the Autism spectrum so he cannot speak very well, socialize or play with others, nor does he have an appreciation of danger. He would easily walk in front of moving car or wander off from our home if we looked away at the wrong moment. Although Michael’s body is now that of a man, in many ways, his brain will remain like that of a three-year-old boy. Forever.
As the parent of a child with Autism, I feel that my wife and I have many special responsibilities that have been put upon us. One of those is raising awareness about this serious developmental disorder that is stealing away so many of our children at an alarming rate.
Why is Autism Awareness Important?
There are many reasons why it is important for people to know more about Autism.
Being aware gets young children with Autism diagnosed faster
The more we know about Autism, the faster we can recognize possible signs of it and pursue a formal diagnosis which in turn leads to treatment. The earlier a child begins Autism therapy, the more successful outcomes can be. Being aware supports Autism research Simply put, more research translates into more hope for effective treatments down the road.
Being aware fosters understanding and emotional support
Parents of children with Autism don’t want your pity, but they do want your understanding. Speaking from personal experience, enduring a temper tantrum in a mall is no fun at all, but it’s made that much worse when onlookers drop their jaws in amazement at the meltdown before them which they feel can only be attributed to bad parenting. Families who have a child on the Autism Spectrum don’t have it easy and we would love everyone’s understanding and compassion.
Being aware can help our economy
Individuals with Autism can play an important role in our workforce, but only if we as employers open our minds and give them the chance to succeed. There is a growing number of companies who are successfully employing individuals with Autism and the employees and employers alike are benefitting.
I am so proud of my entire family – of Michael for trying so hard when nothing comes easily, of Noah for being the best “big” younger brother anyone could ask for, and of my wife, Brenda, for being there not only for me and the boys, but for the entire autism community with her autism advocacy efforts which have been instrumental in advancing the scope of Autism treatment across the Province.
The dentist in me can’t help but to at least briefly delve into something dentistry-related, although this tip does relate to Autism as well… An organization called AutismSpeaks has recently published an excellent handbook called “Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” This free manual was designed to help dental professionals treat individuals on the Autism Spectrum. If you have a child on the Autism Spectrum, I urge you to get a copy and share it with your dental office.
Steven Deskin is a Dentist in general practice
