By Molly Lovell
Editor
     Autism is a developmental disability that knows no social or ethnic boundaries – neither income, nor lifestyle nor education levels have anything to do with who has it and who doesn’t.
     There is no known cause for Autism, yet instances grow 10 to 17 percent annually, making it the fastest growing developmental disability to date.
     In an effort to raise money for the cause, local photographer Nadra Edgerley recently held an event at Pine Point Beach where she invited families with children who have Autism to be photographed.
     Edgerley came up with idea for the fundraiser while having lunch with a friend whose son has Autism. “I didn’t even know my friend had an Autistic son and we go out to lunch all the time. I was really surprised because it just seems to have become very prevalent around me,” she said.
     Edgerley said she’s meeting an increasing number of people with Autism, which makes her think there needs to be much more awareness about the disability.
     “We don’t know anything about this and how it happens and why it’s growing. There are so many theories and speculation, but if you don’t have a lot of awareness you can’t get the funding to research it,” she said.
     Thirteen families participated in Edgerley’s fundraiser collecting nearly $1,000 for the Autism Society of Maine.
     One family who participated in the event was John and Pam Fischer of Scarborough and their sons Drew and Collin. Eight-year-old Drew has Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), which is a form of Autism that affects several areas of development.
     According to the Asperger’s Association of New England, a child with AS might not be able to initiate social interactions with their peers, their conversations might be one sided and almost obsessive about certain topics of interest and they might have a difficult time interpreting another person’s body language. Because of this their peers might find them eccentric, which leads the AS child to feel isolated.
     Another issue typical of an AS child is that they have poor motor skills and/or sensory issues.
     Drew was diagnosed with AS last January. Not unlike other children his age Drew loves dinosaurs, pokemon and sharks. He comes from a loving home where his parents both have successful jobs; John is a respiratory therapist and Pam is a nurse.
     But unlike some other children his age, it became noticeable that he was having some sensory and anxiety issues.
     “He would walk on his toes and would hang his hands in front of him, like a t-rex. That was a big clue to them,” Pam said of his preschool teachers. Drew has to be reminded to walk on his heels because if he doesn’t his tendons might become too tight resulting in a need for surgery.
     Drew was ambidextrous for a while because of his lack of muscle development, which teachers helped him correct.
     John and Pam began to research Autism and AS and it became increasingly apparent that their son had Autism. Drew had major anxiety problems–he often said he hated school and talked about running away. He talked about harming himself, statements he would later take back, however.
     Recess was a battle for him because he didn’t know how to interact with other kids. “He doesn’t know how to go up to a group and ask to play . . . instead of asking to play he would go up to a kid and steal their mitten and run away,” Pam said.
     On top of his social anxiety he was also struggling academically as he was processing things slower than other kids and having a difficult time with short-term memory.
     “He couldn’t sleep at night and the anxiety would build especially on Sunday nights when he knew he had to go to school the next day,” Pam said.
     Drew is on medication for his anxiety, which Pam said definitely helps. Just having a name for what Drew has has given both Drew and his parents peace of mind. “It was easier on Drew’s mind when he knew what he had instead of he thinking he had a ‘stupid brain,’” Pam said.
     Drew’s ability to relate to other children is getting better. He’s discovered that it’s easier to befriend girls. Drew doesn’t have a lot of muscle strength or coordination, so it’s stressful for him when he plays with boys, who typically, are more athletic than girls.
     When he goes to Wentworth Intermediate School next year he’ll have an aid at recess and will also take part in a program that will address his social cognitive issues. John credits the Scarborough school system for taking an active interest in their son’s needs.
     “The big goal is that what he’s learning will get across to him 24/7,” John said.
     John and Pam said transitions are difficult for Drew. “You need to give him lots of warning. We have to time things like dinner to come at the end of a television show or other activity he’s involved in,” Pam said.
     If things are not timed just right Drew might become out control and enter into what his parents call his “moments.”
     “You can’t reason with him, which makes discipline hard. It takes a lot to snap him out of one of these moments,” Pam said. Sometimes it’s showing Drew a picture book that brings him out of it, sometimes it’s Pam acting utterly silly to distract him and bring him out of that moment.
     Drew has found an outlet for his frustration, however. He loves to draw. “Things like having a bad day at school, it takes him hours to get out what’s inside, so he’ll draw a picture,” Pam said.
     When he’s angry Drew has drawn pictures of his mom falling out of an airplane or falling off a building. Drew has written letters to his parents as a form of expression, but he didn’t use any vowels so they had to decode his messages. Just like his parents had to interpret his somewhat cryptic letters, they interpreted other behaviors, such as when he’s sorry, he will read in the dark by himself.
     As for the cause of Drew’s Autism, his parents are at somewhat of a loss. They are however trying some natural remedies to improve symptoms of his AS.
     Drew is on a gluten and dairy free diet. Gluten is found in wheat and other grains as well as food starches. One theory suggests that people with Autism can’t digest gluten and dairy properly, which form substances that act like drugs in their body. This “drug” causes such a person’s behavior to change.
     “It’s almost like getting high off the food,” Pam said. Drew isn’t allowed to eat cereal and milk, which is hard for him. It’s also difficult for him to go to the grocery store because he gets upset seeing all the foods he used to be able to eat. Drew does however understand that he can’t have certain foods and will refuse snacks such as pretzels when offered to him by other children.
     Pam said the next step is to test Drew’s body for metals. It’s believed when toxins build up in an Autistic person’s system they are not able to detoxify, which causes neurological problems. Once Drew’s body is tested, he could have what’s called a clay bath, which will draw the heavy metals from his body. It’s believed that after a child has the clay bath, symptoms of their Autism might improve.
     John and Pam have also adopted a golden retriever named Max, which they hope will sooth Drew when he’s upset. Another family in their neighborhood has a daughter with Autism and did the same thing.
     As far as Drew’s future, John and Pam worry about how he’s going to integrate into his young adult and adult life. “From what we’ve read it’s difficult for them to hold down jobs and in high school it’s especially easy for a child to become ostracized let alone having an issue like Autism,” John said.
     At the same time, they are encouraged because they have also read that early diagnosis and treatment make a huge difference in how a child with Autism functions as an adult.
     For more information visit the Autism Society of Maine at www.asmonline.org or for more information about Nadra Edgerley visit www.edgerleyphotography.com.