As I was looking for information on the “different” brain movement among some adults with autism, I came across yet another opinion about autism…that it is a disease. This definition implies more of a possibility of “curing” it than if autism is labeled a disorder.

Of course there are those out there who believe that autism is only a difference. But as LuLu grows and is better able to express herself, I’m not buying that she believes that she’s only different. The physical side effects of GI pain, tics and other symptoms can’t be ignored as things she wishes she didn’t have.

Yet, curing her is something I long ago gave up on, regardless of the label that was slapped on her. In recent years it’s been all about “lessening the bucket” and making things easier for LuLu in a non-disabled world. Although, I still pursue interventions that make sense, as I still see LuLu as struggling so hard to be heard and understood through so many obstacles. The “autism is a difference” camp would call me a “curebie”, I guess, because I’m looking for ways to cure, or lessen, her symptoms and make it easier for her to function in this world.

I understand the “autism is a disease” camp, because mostly they center on the physical differences children on spectrum exhibit…problems with their immune and GI systems. There is mounting evidence out there that autism, like many other diseases and disorders, is linked to a malfunctioning immune system. In fact, there is evidence that any number of neurological conditions may be linked to the immune system. Hopefully research will continue in these areas.

The statistics of the number of children with autism would point to it being a disease that has become an epidemic, rather than a disorder that is primarily acquired through genetics only. These statistics, not explainable by the argument that we’re just getting better at identifying those children on the autistic spectrum, have sent everyone scurrying for a “cause” of autism. Many are totally convinced that it’s the mercury in the preservatives in vaccines. In some cases, it may be…even the federal court admitted as much recently.

And the other thing I understand is that no one has THE answer. I suspect that it lies in the gray areas in between all the extreme opinions. Not all people with autism were poisoned by vaccines, but not all people with autism want to accept the autism and go on being “different” either. In the children who have evidence of other physical problems, like immune system deficiencies or GI distress, it makes sense to treat this. If their hormones are wildly imbalanced, it makes sense to treat this. If this improves the symptoms attributable to autism, then great!

One thing I know for sure, children who have been diagnosed autism spectrum disorders have something (different somethings perhaps) preventing them from connecting and communicating with others. While inability to communicate is not a disorder…it is disabling to those people who are trying to communicate. And I believe that children with autism want to communicate. I also believe that for too long society has equated inability to communicate with low intelligence level. And frankly, I can think of no worse hell than having my intelligence locked inside myself and being chronically misinterpreted (and therefore prone to abuse and marginalization) because of my ability to be understood. And that…in a nutshell is what I think autism is.

Photo Credit