AUTISM Awareness Month

By Jaclyn Youhana Garver

Kelly

Pense’s

two sons have autism and, when they were younger, there was one resource clinic in town.

“Now there’s 11,” Pense said, “and we’re still not even scratching the surface.”

An estimated one in 59 children has autism, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which updates the statistic every two years (it was last updated in 2018). Fifteen years ago, when Pense’s boys were toddlers, it was one in 166.

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects how people interact with the world around them. Those with autism face challenges with social skills, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. As a spectrum disorder, autism’s traits and symptoms vary—no two people with autism are the same.

Take Pense’s sons: Steven, who is 18, is incredibly antisocial, she said. He prefers to be alone and does not care to interact with people. Nathan, who is 16, never stops talking. He will make friends with anyone, and he struggles with the social cues that indicate when to pull back.

Resources vary based on age; for example, treatments like applied behavior analysis work best with younger children, as it seeks to change behavior based on positive intervention.

“We try to determine the purpose of that behavior and work on each step of the behavior,” said

Pense, who is also the director of participant assistant care services for Fort Wayne’s Partners in Autism, which provides services for children and adults with autism. “It’s reinforcing and applauding the positive and ignoring and reducing the negative.”

For example, if a child is throwing toys across the room, why are they throwing the toys?

“That’s the most complicated part,” Pense said. “Is it to get attention? Is the light too bright? Are they hungry?”

Those looking to learn more about autism have a number of other resources available to them:

• The Autism & Resource Fair at East Allen County Schools on April 13 hosts 40 area businesses Pense said, and the disAbilities Expo at the Coliseum on May 11 has more than 100 organizations that offer services and products for those with disabilities.

• Various support groups cater to different populations, such as groups for parents and caregivers, adults on the spectrum and women on the spectrum. “I always say the best information you’ll get is from other parents,” Pense said. “Trying to find things online is never going to help you. Talking to someone who has gone through it is.”

• The Northeast Indiana Autism Connection is a collaboration of providers that seeks to improve the lives of those with autism and their families. The connection, for example, hosts a sensory-friendly Easter bunny and Santa Claus at Glenbrook Square. One session is on a Sunday before the mall opens. The events include sensory activities to distract anyone from feeling overwhelmed, like an Easter egg hunt down a hallway without many businesses or bright lights. Each event draws 50 to 100 people. “That’s 50 kids who couldn’t go before,” Pense said. “As a parent, that’s really exciting for me. That stuff wasn’t around when my kids were little.” a

Resource:

Partners in Autism, Fort Wayne, 260.420.9332, partnersinautism.com