"Recovery" from autism is an all-encompassing term. I have a 20-year old
brother with autism. When Christopher was first diagnosed he had changed from a
happy, engaged 2-year-old who had retreated to "his own world,"
without eye contact, lashing out
in frustration and losing all the words in his growing vocabulary. My family
went through every treatment available, from floor-time and sessions with
Stanley Greenspan in Bethesda, Maryland, Cranial-sacral therapy,
sensory-integration therapy, Tomatis auditory training, Gluten-free diets and
an in-home ABA therapy 40 hours a week. And while Chris is still non-verbal he
is now very much a part of “this world.” Yes, there are still bouts of
frustration and trouble with communication but the essence of Chris that is the
"gentle giant" that we all know and love was slowly recovered through
my parents’, Chris’ and his many therapists’ and doctors’ tireless efforts.
The methods that my parents used are not different from
those that families that have had more success. The fact that Chris still does not speak is not a
failure for the efforts made, it just simply did not work for our family. The fact is that this is the case for
many families. It can be difficult
for families who do not see complete success to wonder “why not
us?” This is not meant to detract
from those who have been successful but rather a personal frustration.
For all of these reasons, extreme caution must be taken when
using the term autism "recovery." One family’s miracle can feel like another family’s failure.
While there have been well-documented stories of children who have recovered
from autism, not every family, even while using the same techniques, will have
the same success. This is not an attempt to take away from the joy of the
families who have been successful, but a call for consideration of those
families who have not. It is also important to differentiate between the words
cure and recovery. Children who have recovered from autism still require
interventions and treatments to maintain their successes.
Autism generally co-exists with other conditions, especially
involving anxiety and attention-deficit issues. These conditions do not
disappear with recovery. Recovery is not a cure and that is a necessary
distinction. While recovery is something that should be researched and studied,
it is not universal. Much like the autism spectrum with its many facets and
caveats, the treatments that work for any individual child and the ways in
which they work are always different. Recovery is something that requires a lot
more research just as many issues involved with autism spectrum disorders.