Advocates for children with autism have worked tirelessly over the past decade to bring an awareness to the general public about the condition. They have also worked very hard to have definitions reflect a broader spectrum of the expression of this disorder. This broadening of the spectrum has allowed for more children to be diagnosed as “autistic” or for having “autistic type” behaviors. With this wider spectrum comes a broader range of services, support and research that is now available to inform practices of parents and practitioners alike.
There are special implication for a child who falls on the autism spectrum and has a parent in the military. These implications are not impossible to overcome and figure out, but they may take a deeper level of consideration when preparing for major changes in the family such as PCSing or deployment.
Autism is defined as: “… a brain development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. The autism spectrum disorders (ASD) also include related conditions such as Asperger syndrome that have milder signs and symptoms. Wikipedia
In an article dated 12/08, the following statistics were noted:
According to Pentagon data, there are 13,243 autistic children among the 1.2 million dependents of active duty personnel. This incidence, just over one in ninety, is vastly higher than the conventional wisdom that only one in every 150 children is affected. This apparent increase is almost certainly due to rigorous military record keeping rather than any difference in environment.
The DoD approved (from what I can tell) appropriations in 2007 for further research and services. This money has been approved and increased up to the current budget. Of course the DoD can only offer so much, and just like in any family situation it is up to the parents to make the decision about treatment options once they are made aware of what is available and what is recommended.
The challenges for families seeking treatment will mostly lie within the inability for continuity. One of the prevalent behaviors in autistic children is the inability to adjust quickly to changes. Deployment for the family is certainly a process and not just a single event. The pre-deployment phase consists of varying levels of saying good-bye, coming to terms with your soldier heading to a war zone, shifts in family dynamics, and these are all often brewing in a lot of very normal and natural stress.
There are some steps that families with Autistic children do to help them weather the changes and the phases of deployment and other changes:
* Communicate any upcoming changes with anyone involved with your child. His teacher, therapists, and medical care providers should know if they will be interacting with him. They may also be able to help you put together a transition plan.
* Children with autism often struggle with change and sometimes the biggest battle occurs at the moment of transition (once they are transitioned and settled they often can settle back into regular patterns). Be very mindful about the amount of time and the number of reminders your child needs in order to start acclimating to the idea of an upcoming change.
* Make sure you (the primary caregiver) have a good support network in place. Your child is going to need some extra energy from you until the “new” is settled and familiar. You need to have support so that you do not get burned out. If you get worn out you will not be able to handle the extra demand when it’s really needed. Reach out and make friends. Call your local autism support group and meet other parents who can understand what you are facing.
* When talking about your soldier’s upcoming deployment use consistent words and phrases. Be very concise in what you say and say the same thing every time you remind him. Being “deployed” and “going to Iraq” may be two separate events in a child’s mind.
* Come up with a creative way to put a tangible countdown to deployment and then a countdown to redeployment. Some families use paper chains where each paper link represents a day. Every day one link is ripped off and thrown away. As the link shrinks the days to reuniting is closer.
If you suspect your child has autism, but you have never had him/her evaluated, set up a meeting with your pediatrician to have your concerns addressed. Sometimes a parent has to be the first advocate. If your concerns are not addressed, keep asking and ask for referrals. One of the most consistent findings in autism research is that early intervention affect long term outcomes for the better.
Here are some additional resources:
DoD Special Needs Parent Toolkit
Autism Society of America (ASA)
7910 Woodmont Ave.
Suite 650
Bethesda, MD 20814-3015
Tel: (301) 657-0881
FAX: (301) 657-0869
Info referral telephone number: 1-800-3-AUTISM
http://www.autism-society.org/
Autism National Committee
635 Ardmore Avenue
Ardmore, PA 19003
http://www.autcom.org/
Also known as AUTCOM or ANC
Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the United States (ASC-U.S.)
(formerly ASPEN of America)
P.O. Box 49267
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32240-9267
(904) 745-6741
info@asc-us.org
http://www.asperger.org/
