Labeled with Autism: Is it Really a Death Sentence?

Although most people have heard of autism, few truly know of the significant differences that lay within its spectrum. Many argue as to the reasons that the label of autism is being used more commonly -are we becoming more educated or are we simply overusing the diagnosis? Learning basic facts about the disorder and looking into the life of child with an autistic spectrum disorder may help many realize that a label of autism is not a "death sentence" as so many believe.

When I was in high school my mother gave birth to a son. She suffered from diabetes during her pregnancy and had a difficult time delivering. When he arrived, he appeared to be healthy with no other complications. However, my mother soon realized something was wrong. Around his first birthday he stopped responding when his name was called. Although his speech had been progressing normally, suddenly he seemed to have lost all of the words he had learned. At the doctor's office, when my brother was just 14 months old, his physician was sure of the prognosis - autism.

The road ahead was to be a long and trying one. By the time he was 18 months old, the state had supplied him with therapists to help him progress. I often sat in the kitchen with my mother comforting her cries as he screamed in the living with them. Early intervention is a key factor in helping a child diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. The more time spent in denial or dragging your feet, the harder it becomes to change behaviors and teach new skills to these children.

By the time my brother was 2 and a half years old, he went on a school bus to go to a specialized program. At first my mother followed the bus to the school and sat outside crying as she wait in the car. As time passed, however, my mother realized that the word autism was just a label, a word. It was not a predictor of my brother's future. She began to educate herself and quickly learned that there was a wide range of severity in the autistic field.

Time passed. My brother's annual review came up and it was time for a re-evaluation. At three years old he was now labeled PDD-NOS. When he was four years old I remember showing him a picture of a mummy in a tomb. I labeled the parts of the photos for him, from the mummy to the coffin. He turned to me and said, "That's not a coffin - that's a sarcophagus!" Could this be the same little boy who just a few years ago would hum and bounce unresponsively all day long?
Time continued to pass. I graduated college and began work as a teacher in a program specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis, a proven treatment for modifying behaviors of autism. I worked intensely with preschool aged children diagnosed with autism. Most parents didn't realize that it was their determination and strength that helped their child succeed. It was the belief they shared with the other teachers and myself that there was something more inside of their child than what was immediately visible. It was the confidence that the diagnosis was not going to stop them from reaching into themselves for the courage needed to exist with the elephant in the room known as autism.

By the time my brother reached 12 years old his diagnosis changed again, to Asperger's Syndrome. My mother couldn't care less. What does a label mean? That depends on whom you ask.