03-08-2006, 12:01 PM
When high school senior Jason McElwain scored 20 points in the last four minutes of a game during his basketball debut in February, he unwittingly put a spotlight of hope on a scary diagnosis.
McElwain has autism. He didn't begin to speak until he was 5, according to The Associated Press, and lacked social skills. But he made his way through school in small classes. He found friends and his niche as the manager for the basketball team at his high school near Rochester, N.Y.
In the last home game, the team's coach set a new goal for McElwain. The boy switched his white shirt and tie for a uniform, got his hands on the basketball and scored.
The inspiring story reflects the philosophy of Dr. Stanley Greenspan. Greenspan encourages all to keep in mind the potential of a child with autism. Don't get stuck on his limits.
Autism is a developmental disorder involving delays in, and problems connected to, social interaction, language and a range of emotional, thinking, motor and sensory abilities. Every child is different. Problems vary according to where a child falls on a wide spectrum.
"Rather than assuming a fixed disorder, practitioners should try to move each child through the stages of emotional and intellectual development to the best of the child's ability," writes Greenspan in "Engaging Autism," written with Serena Wieder. The book's publication coincides with Autism Awareness Month in April.
The Centers for Disease Control says that as many as one in 166 children have autism or autism-spectrum disorders. For reasons still under research, there has been a nearly tenfold increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism in the past decade. The cause of the increase, like the causes of autism in general, is unknown.
"It's a tricky diagnosis," says one parent advocate for a chapter of the Autism Society who says her son has benefited from early detection at age 3 and continued intervention, including setting goals at home and school.
Problems that characterize autism and autism-spectrum disorders relate to three basic abilities -- establishing closeness; exchanging emotional gestures in a continuous way; and using emerging words or symbols with emotional intent, all in an age-expected manner, Greenspan says.
In "Engaging Autism," Greenspan suggests asking these questions to establish the presence of the three core problems:
• Is the child having trouble establishing intimacy and warmth?
• Does the child engage in a flow of back-and-forth emotional signaling with smiles, frowns, nods and other interactive gestures?
• When the child begins using words, does he use them meaningfully? Are the words invested with emotion, such as, "Mommy, I love you" rather than, "That is a table"?
BETSY FLAGLER on charlotte.com
McElwain has autism. He didn't begin to speak until he was 5, according to The Associated Press, and lacked social skills. But he made his way through school in small classes. He found friends and his niche as the manager for the basketball team at his high school near Rochester, N.Y.
In the last home game, the team's coach set a new goal for McElwain. The boy switched his white shirt and tie for a uniform, got his hands on the basketball and scored.
The inspiring story reflects the philosophy of Dr. Stanley Greenspan. Greenspan encourages all to keep in mind the potential of a child with autism. Don't get stuck on his limits.
Autism is a developmental disorder involving delays in, and problems connected to, social interaction, language and a range of emotional, thinking, motor and sensory abilities. Every child is different. Problems vary according to where a child falls on a wide spectrum.
"Rather than assuming a fixed disorder, practitioners should try to move each child through the stages of emotional and intellectual development to the best of the child's ability," writes Greenspan in "Engaging Autism," written with Serena Wieder. The book's publication coincides with Autism Awareness Month in April.
The Centers for Disease Control says that as many as one in 166 children have autism or autism-spectrum disorders. For reasons still under research, there has been a nearly tenfold increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism in the past decade. The cause of the increase, like the causes of autism in general, is unknown.
"It's a tricky diagnosis," says one parent advocate for a chapter of the Autism Society who says her son has benefited from early detection at age 3 and continued intervention, including setting goals at home and school.
Problems that characterize autism and autism-spectrum disorders relate to three basic abilities -- establishing closeness; exchanging emotional gestures in a continuous way; and using emerging words or symbols with emotional intent, all in an age-expected manner, Greenspan says.
In "Engaging Autism," Greenspan suggests asking these questions to establish the presence of the three core problems:
• Is the child having trouble establishing intimacy and warmth?
• Does the child engage in a flow of back-and-forth emotional signaling with smiles, frowns, nods and other interactive gestures?
• When the child begins using words, does he use them meaningfully? Are the words invested with emotion, such as, "Mommy, I love you" rather than, "That is a table"?
BETSY FLAGLER on charlotte.com