Can
Autism be Outgrown?
At
present, there is no cure for autism.
Nor do children outgrow it. But the
capacity to learn and develop new
skills is within every child.
With
time, children with autism mature
and new strengths emerge. Many children
with autism seem to go through developmental
spurts between ages 5 and 13. Some
spontaneously begin to talk-even if
repetitively-around age 5 or later.
Some, like Paul, become more sociable,
or like Alan, more ready to learn.
Over time, and with help, children
may learn to play with toys appropriately,
function socially, and tolerate mild
changes in routine. Some children
in treatment programs lose enough
of their most disabling symptoms to
function reasonably well in a regular
classroom. Some children with autism
make truly dramatic strides. Of course,
those
with normal or near-normal intelligence
and those who develop language tend
to have the best outcomes. But even
children who start off poorly may
make impressive progress. For example,
one boy, after 9 years in a program
that involved parents as co-therapists,
advanced from an IQ of 70 to an IQ
of 100 and began to get average grades
at a regular school.
While
it is natural for parents to hope
that their child will "become
normal," they should
take pride in whatever strides their
child does make. Many parents,
looking back over the years, find
their child has progressed far beyond
their initial expectations.
Find
an Autism Lawyer in Any State:
|
