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Ana Karen Hernandez

Professor Batty
English 113B
23 March 2016
Its a gift not a disgrace
Twenty years ago people were not aware of Autism because it was not common. The
percentage of kids with autism being born has been increasing at a rapid pace. For some families
it is hard to accept the fact that their child is autistic and needs special attention, therapy, mostly
love and support from their family. People should get informed about autism and the resources
available first before saying nonsense and confusing others with their theories. Although some
parents may not have time or money for their child, there are free resources available for families
in need.
What is Autism? According to a statistics done by the organization Autism Speaks, 3 in 4
Americans (77%) are aware of Autism and know that is condition and affects people from
different regions. Race does not matter, nor the living conditions. Autism is diagnosed at an early
age (2-3 years old). Parents who are not aware of the symptoms dont try to find help, until they
see that their child is having troubles with verbal and nonverbal communication, then they take
action. The symptoms of Autism is difficulties to speak, tantrums, repetitive behavior, etc. In the
article Autism by The Lancet, there was a research made that, The prevalence of autism has
been steadily increasing since the first epidemiological study, which showed that 41 of every 10
000 individuals in the UK had autismThe growth of autism research

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Almost three times as many reports about autism were published between 2000 and 2012
(n=16741), as between 1940 and 1999 (The Lancet). Autism has existed for a long time. It was
not recognized until 1940. Since the number of people with autism have been multiplied over the
last few years, scientist have done many research of the causes of autism but there is no answer.
Some experts believe the Albert Einstein was autistic because he had difficulty interacting with
people and did not perform great in school, although he was a genius in the Science field. Isaac
Newton, Thomas Jefferson, Amadeus Mozart are some famous people who are believe that were
autistic. There not concrete facts but there are huge behavioral similarities to an autistic child.
In the long run autistic people can live a normal life if they take therapy at a young age.
According to the American Medical Association, People diagnosed with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD), for example, appear to have strengths related to working with systems (e.g.,
computer languages, mathematical systems, machines) and in experiments are better than control
subjects at identifying tiny details in complex patterns (Baron-Cohen S). Temple is an example
of an autistic person with great disabilities. Although she has autism she was able to create a
system to slaughter cows in a less brutal way. Now, Many companies are recruiting people with
ASD for occupations that involve systemizing tasks such as writing computer manuals,
managing databases, and searching for bugs in computer code (Wang SS). Not many people are
gifted with special skills like autistic people. That is why many experts believe that autism is a
gift not a disgrace. Other do say that is a disgrace because they are not going to live a normal
life. Parents have the power to guide their autistic child through therapy sessions and other
activities that will help them in the future.
In the Time magazine a couple wrote an article relating their story of how their lives
changed after having an autistic child. They say that their child might be an alien and they came

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from another planet. In the article the couple explains that they have spent millions of dollars on
their child and they are not content with that. The mother stated that $23 million dollars are spent
over the lifetime of an autistic child. Her sons, favorite foods are discarded water balloons and
dirt (Time). It is disgusting the way these parents are treating their child as if he were an animal.
These parents did not take the correct initiative in treating their kid. Not only was their child
diagnosed with Autism but also with other disorders. The parents only complain but dont
explain how they bother to look for help in order to improve their childs social skills,
communication, eating habits, etc. Towards the end of their article they said that having a
disabled child brings mental health problems to the parents which leads in many cases divorced.
I may not have an autistic family member but I do know a family who has an autistic child. I
asked a mother of an autistic boy if at one point her husband and she wanted to get divorced. She
reply saying, No, because we have faith in God that he will guide us through this journey and
give us patience and love so we can transmit it to our son Angel. Divorce is not a solution to the
problem, it makes things worse on the kid. The child needs both of his parents support and love
in order to grow as a person.
The Perez-Ortega family, is a family compose of five members including the parents.
Ten years ago a baby boy was born in their family. He is the youngest child and the only son of
Mrs. and Mr. Perez. I asked them, How old was Angel when he was diagnosed with Autism?
The mother said that he was two years and ten months old. One day she took him to the
pediatrician because he was having a speech delay. The pediatrician recommended them to take
him to a speech therapist. The therapist notice that Angel had symptoms that indicated Autism.
Maria, Angels oldest sister said, He did not only had a speech delay but he did not make eye
contact, he was not social and when he played he did repetitive movements. When Angels

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parents found out about their childs condition it was difficult for the father to process it, he was
in denial. Both of his parents to took him to therapy, not only did Angel received therapy but also
the entire family. The mother and Maria went to support groups and received feedback from
other parents that were dealing with the same situation. The father only went to a few therapy
sessions because he works 24/7. Angel now at the age of ten he is going to a normal school and
is living a normal life. He is extremely intelligent capable of memorizing things so quickly. In
the Ted Talk, Temple said that the brain of an autistic child works like a search engine. It is true
because when Angel sees something he makes quick references to other things that relate to the
topic. Angel is one of the few fortunate kids that receives support from his parents.
There are some parents that work two jobs and dont have time to take their child to the
therapies or simply they cant afford it. Regional Center is a non-profit organization that helps
families with free resources. California has 21 regional centers with more than 40 offices
located through the state to serve individuals with developmental disabilities and their families
(DDS). There are no excuses for parents to say that they do not have money. It is understandable
that parents work two shifts in order to pay bills and other expenses that it consumes their time
and are not able to take their child to therapy. Parents should feel the need to help their own
daughter/son and make time for their childs benefit. At the end of the day their child might be
the next famous genius or the next president. Yet we will know the causes of autism.
No one knows the roots of Autism but it is a gift because children are able to live a
normal life and be able to get a job in the future. It is unknown where it comes from but we all
need to be aware of the symptoms in order to help others. Companies are now looking for people
with abilities that can take up positions that can help improve technology. It is awesome to know
that theyre amazing people that not exclude the geniuses but include them in their corporation.

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Parents need to look out for the free resources and help out their child. Autism is gift people need
to recognize worldwide!

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Works Cited
America on Autism: A NAAR Public Opinion Poll." (n.d.): n. pag. Autism Speaks. National
Alliance For Autism Research. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

Baron-Cohen S, Ashwin E, Ashwin C, Tavassoli T, Chakrabarti B. Talent in autism: hypersystemizing, hyper-attention to detail and sensory hypersensitivity. Philos Trans R Soc
Lond B Biol Sci.2009;364(1522):1377-1383.
"Frequently Asked Questions." Temple Grandin. RDC Designed Group, n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.

Howe, Jeff. "Paying For My Special-Needs Child." Money. Time, 24 June 2014. Web. 30 Mar.
2016.
Lai, MC, MV Lombardo, and S Baron-Cohen. "Autism." LANCET, 383.9920 (2014): 896-910.
Perez, Rebeca. "Angel." Personal interview. 29 Mar. 2016.

Wang SS. How autism can help you land a job. Wall Street Journal.March 27, 2014.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304418404579465561364868556.
Accessed February 18, 2015.