Karra Barber on Autism After Childhood

In today's San Francisco Chronicle, author Kerra Barber offered a very informative op-ed piece on the need for states to provide insurance for medical coverage for those diagnosed with autism specitrum disorders.

Two very interesting quotes from the piece:

Currently, 80 percent of autistic Americans are under age 18.

South Carolina is the only state in the country with an enforceable autism insurance initiative.

Ms. Barber also asks:

Who will be responsible for preparing our children to function in society? Are there life-skill programs or workability courses available to them in our community? Will they have the skills, abilities and resources to further their education if they so choose and are able? If not, will they be prepared and accepted into the workplace as productive and independent members of the community? And, of course, there is the million-dollar question, perhaps literally: Will they be ready and able to live independently?

The frightening part of this is that 80 percent of autistic Americans are under the age of 18. And with every 1 in 150 children diagnosed with the autistic disorder spectrum the societal impact could be enormous.

Parents of autistic children know that we won't live forever, all we're looking for (praying for) is a safety net to ensure that autistic children as they grow into adult hood will have the resources they need into the future.

Ms. Barber is also the author of "Living Your Best Life With Asperger's Syndrome."

The Curious Incident of Book Banning

The Columbus Dispatch reported last week the new Superintendent of the Olentangy Local Schools Scott Davis banned two of four books recommended to students entering Liberty’s 10th-grade college-prep English class.

One of the books banned by the Superintendent is Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time which tells the story of a 15-year old autistic boy.

The School Library Journal described the book in this manner "Readers will never view the behavior of an autistic person again without more compassion and understanding." Haddon's book was also a winner of the 2003 Costa Book of the Year Award.

From our family's personal experience, this book is a mirror on reality in many ways.

According to the report in the Dispatch, Davis made the decision after receiving a complaint from one parent -- noting as well as the reading any of the books in the program as voluntary.

Davis was quoted as saying the he chose to remove the book from the list due to his concerns about excessive foul language (the f-word) used in the story.

While I understand the concerns regarding the language of the book, I also worry tremendously about this decision to remove a book that is so powerful in helping understand issues of tolerance so critical as a building block to our civil society.

As the parent of children with autism, I regularly recommend to people (including my 14 year old daughter and her friends) Haddon's book. I have (knowing that issues of language exist with the book) with the knowledge that this ook better explains the world of someone with autism and those living with an autistic child than any book I have ever read -- possibly excluding the writings of Dr. Temple Grandin.

Mr. Haddon's book though is a much easier read and is also a wonderful story.

Davis' decision sends a frightening message indicating that tolerance for children with differences should not be discussed openly and honestly as part of our childrens educational awareness.

I wrote the Superintendent last week but have not yet received a return call. Davis also removed The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold from the reading list.

You can offer your opinions about Davis' decision by writing to the Superintendent at scott.davis@olentangy.k12.oh.us.