I’m having trouble finding an ideal family to speak with about their experiences with adult autism. It’s been a bit of a set-back for my fourth and final text module (the extra module for grad credit). I may have to go in another direction if something doesn’t pan out soon.

As for my slideshow that’s due next week, I am not thrilled with the pictures I took at a bowling event for the Baltimore-Chesapeake Chapter of the Autism Society of America. The pictures do not quite tell the story I was hoping to capture. There is a great event that’s upcoming that would be much better in mind. Here’s the posting I found online: “Even with all those elves, the fat man himself couldn’t have designed a better fantasy world than Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Festival of Trees. It’s a three-day extravaganza of fairyland forests, gingerbread towns and toy train gardens, complimented by over 100 craft boutiques, holiday goodies and activities for kids of all ages.” The event raises funds for patient programs and research projects at  Kennedy Krieger.

As research this week I took a look at other instances of children who were seemingly cured of autism over time – the same way the young boy Mason was cured in the last text module I posted. The story Raising an Autistic Child is really a dialogue between readers and a doctor about particular autism cases. Some cases are quite similar to Mason’s. I find it interesting how different other cases can be. This excerpt was incredibly moving: “I wonder how many of the kids who COULD improve ultimately don’t because their families simply don’t have the ability to make the necessary sacrifices and can’t afford the therapies that help. I hope that stories like yours make people realize that there is a societal benefit to providing services early to improve long-term outcomes. We -just- got off the five-year-long waiting list for services in Maryland through the state autism waiver — I wonder sometimes if we had had those services six years ago, would my son be ‘cured’ now, or at least significantly better off.”

This week I interviewed the Moreno family for the third text module of my multimedia project. I went to the Moreno’s home and spoke with Sam and Denise and to their son Mason who was diangosed with autism at the age of 4. Mason has a remarkable story of healing. At 12 years-old, Mason no longer shows any of the symptoms of autism. He does all the things a normal boy his age does and he will never have to tell anyone that ever had autism in the first place. It was great to hear from the family how things turned for the better and how their son can live independently as an adult rather than as an adult with autism who needs special supervision. This case is obviously rare and cannot be explained easily by doctors. But one thing seems apparent: anything is possible and families have to keep faith.

Mason is certainly lucky in that he was able to overcome the disorder. But he was always lucky because of his family’s financial situation. Occupational and speech therapy are quite expensive. Insurance issues persist throughout America when it comes to autism-care coverage. The article the “Long Fight Over Autism Care Could End” details the movement towards increased coverage in Wisconsin where, according to the article, insurance does not cover most autism treatments. Maryland, in fact, is one of only six states that has specific laws regarding autism coverage.

I find this problematic. I can’t imagine the numbers of family’s who simply cannot afford or do not qualify to receive the help they need for treatment. It’s clear the therapies can make a world of difference. The coverage must become more accessible for all Americans and the topic even entered the presidential debates between Barack Obama and John McCain.

For research this week I examined an article that was actually posted this morning on the Website of ABC News. The article is titled Trying to Solve Autism’s Mysteries: Seeking Solutions to Autism’s Elusive Questions. The article details several families’ stories including the story of a young boy, Preston, who was diagnosed with autism at young age. The boy is said to no longer have the disorder. Autism is often described as a life-long condition. In fact, one of my modules for my multimedia package will involve adult autism. But Preston’s remarkable “healing” seems to contradict conventional logic and modern medicine. The case-in-point also further proves just how many unanswered questions remain when it comes to autism. The dropped diagnosis is extremely rare but it may give hope to families and scientists and doctors alike.

As I mentioned, I will be doing a story on adult autism. I’ll be in contact with Ellen Feifarek with the Baltimore-Chesapeake Chapter of the Autism Society of America.  An adult autism resource group meeting will be held on November 11^th which I plan to attend. Also, I was unaware that Towson University has their own Center for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the College of Health Professions on campus. Lisa Crabtree is the director. I will be making contact with her as well. I could go one of two ways with these contacts. I can get their stories in what it’s like to work with families battling adult autism. Or, I can arrange to meet and speak with a family about their struggles. I might even be able to come across someone like Preston who has had his or her diagnosis dropped.

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Questions for Brian:

Did you cover the presidential race in any detail?

Are you glad the race is over?

What’s the big story now that it is over?

Favorite story you have covered for the Times?

A story you would like to cover at some point?