Unstrange Minds by Roy Richard Grinker

Author:Roy Richard Grinker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 2011-04-06T16:00:00+00:00

PART TWO

8

Isabel in Monet’s Garden

IN A CRISIS, I AM OFTEN completely stymied. When Isabel was first diagnosed with autism, I would have stood still, if Joyce had let me. Joyce likes to think a problem through, make a plan, and then act. She saved us all. She’s shown me that no matter how hard it might be to raise a child with a serious, incurable disability, it’s always better to try and do something. I’m convinced that our actions have helped Isabel develop more and suffer less.

I’ve subsequently encountered other parents in other parts of the world who understand the importance of decisive yet thoughtful action. Parents who waste little time to ponder their future or dwell on the “whys” of their situation—Why autism? Why me? Why my child? Parents who, at least in the developed world, understand that they are not alone, and that there are things to be done. A medical team has to be assembled, an educational plan mapped out. Accurate diagnoses and cognitive assessments have to be made, inappropriate behaviors have to be corrected, medicines considered, teaching and speech therapy methods learned.

Joyce and I acted quickly, but in comparison to some parents I know, we’ve been conservative, relying mostly on what the experts say.There is now consensus in the scientific community that the earlier one begins therapies the better. This is why so many scientists in the United States are trying—apparently with some success—to find ways to diagnose autism in infants six months old and even younger. As diagnoses come earlier, and are more sophisticated, the question that arises is which form of treatment is most likely to be successful, or even possible, with such very young children. Scientists have shown that certain antipsychotic medications, such as risperidone (Risperdal), an atypical antipsychotic, and antidepressant medications, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), can help with specific symptoms of autism—anxiety, agitation, self-abuse behaviors, and sleep disturbances, for example—but these medications are not generally prescribed until the child reaches school age. Thus far, research has not managed to prove that any of the available nonpharmaceutical treatments or therapies help minimize autistic symptoms any more than time and love.

I’ve met parents and guardians who have tried almost every kind of therapy.This is understandable. Autism treatment is a process of trial and error, and there is no one treatment that is going to work for every child, so it makes sense to try different therapies. Unfortunately, the widespread diagnosis of autism has spawned legions of unproven claims of new and effective treatments. Many parents will try just about anything when they feel there is something wrong with their child. Whether you are a parent in a small village in Africa or a parent in suburban Maryland, you are not going to stand by if there is something you can do.

The autism lore is filled with anecdotes about this or that miracle drug or combination of vitamins, fish oils, and minerals. Some parents try gluten-free or casein-free diets because a few scientists have hypothesized

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