Renee Allison is a wife, a full-time pharmacist, and a mom — a mom who lives and thinks non-stop about autism.
She's done that since her son, Kaleb Allison, was three years old.
That's when Kaleb, now 11, was diagnosed with low-functioning autism. Since then, he has come far in his language and social skills. But his family still worries he'll climb the tall backyard rock wall and land in their neighbor's pool for that one second they turn around.
Many children in Las Cruces have some form of autism. In November, the Las Cruces Public Schools reported there were 88 students that were under the autism spectrum, which was 1.7 percent of special needs children, who attend public schools.
Three Las Cruces children, Kaleb; Colin Lay, an 8-year-old with high-functioning autism and Daniel Carillo, a 14-year-old with low-functioning autism, have something in common — they receive combined treatments that have greatly improved their social and communication skills.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that usually appears in the first three years of life. The condition is the result of a neurological disorder that causes problems with social interaction and communication skills, according to the Autism Society of America's Web site, www.autism-society.org. Autism falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders, a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development."
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"Kaleb knew 25 words (in 2006) and now knows about 250 words," says Renee.
Training workshops in Applied Behavior Analysis from Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas, including discrete trial training, and Dr. Stanley Greenspan's Developmental Individual-Difference Relationship-based Floor Time Model are provided by a therapeutic company in Wisconsin. The company, Autism and Asperger's Consulting Group, provides the workshops to local therapists. The programs have helped these children pull out of their inner world and communicate with their families, peers and teachers.
"We use the integrated solutions approach, which is a preferred methodology," says James Malan, CEO of Autism and Asperger's Consulting Group.
The integrated solutions approach, current techniques drawn from various disciplines that deal with developmental disorders, is used rather than an eclectic approach. The eclectic approach is a combination of TEACCH, sensory integration therapy and some ABA methods.
The integrated solutions approach works for other neurological disorders as well, says Malan. The ideal amount of treatment for autistic children is 40 hours per week for at least two years to show recovery. A big part of the program's success is due to the families' participation.
Milan says Las Cruces has had three graduates from the program. The criteria for graduation is:
• Being able to test normal in regard to intellectual placement on all standardized testing.
• Having a normal education placement.
• When shown a video of students in a classroom, you would not be able to pick out the autistic child.
The Lovaas Model of Applied Behavior Analysis has undergone rigorous research at UCLA, under the direction of Dr. Lovaas, according to the Lovaas Institute Web site at www.lovaas.com. The research has proven its effectiveness in treating children with autism, and the treatment is usually started between the ages of two and eight.
Dr. Greenspan's Floor Time intervention brings programming (different skills) to interactive play, depending upon the child, says Veronica Barrio, Associate Behavioral Consultant of Autism and Asperger's Consulting Group.
Therapists spend a certain amount of time giving a specific kind of play to engage the child to be able to trust the therapist, allowing the therapist to teach them.
"We want to develop their functional skills: to become independent and to reduce the stress on the family to live their everyday life," says Barrio.
The day Renee realized something was very wrong with Kaleb was when he was 13 months old when she picked him up from his crib. His whole body was very stiff after he hadn't slept all night, and just her touch seemed as if it were extremely painful to Kaleb. Prior to this event, he seemed like a normal child, she said. Afterward, she noticed that he was not responding normally: he didn't make the same baby sounds as before and did not seem to engage in social interaction.
After many doctor appointments and tests, Kaleb was diagnosed on the autism spectrum as low functioning by the Southwest Autism Network in Albuquerque. She and her husband, Bob, were told that Kaleb would never talk or be able to respond to anyone.
"We just felt numb," Renee said.
Now with the help of new ABA and Floor Time programs, Kaleb is much more interactive and responds to prompting. In one of the programs of ABA, the therapist or worker lays down some cards with simple words and asks Kaleb to verbalize them. When he answers correctly, he is given a treat, such as candy.
Malan, who follows Kaleb's progress every few months, says, "Progress is good, but would have been better if there hadn't been a break in treatment for funding and staffing."
Many families have to find multiple sources to fund services, says Malan. The cost to treat these children is about $40,000 per year for two to six years (mostly paid to trained staff). However, if a child doesn't recover, the cost can be from $2.5 million to $4 million for their lifetime.
Angela Lay, mother of Colin, also has an older child, Robby, who is an 11-year-old low-functioning ASD child. Angela also helps Kaleb with ABA one to two hours per week and is studying to become a therapist.
Angela says lots out-of-pocket money goes to medications for Colin.
"I might as well become a therapist, because I deal with autism every day," says Angela.
Colin has been delayed since he was 14 months and was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at four years. That's when he began to talk. Colin goes to Tombaugh Elementary in a self-contained classroom now with one-on-one assistance.
"Colin really improved when he was put on a no-gluten diet," says Angela.
Colin has been in the ABA and Floor Time program for one year. He was familiar with it on an informal level before because of his brother, says Barrio. Colin learns in a more natural play: academic, pretend play and non-verbal imitations.
"We use receptive and expressive language with play," says Barrio.
When Daniel turned nine, he began his ABA and Floor Time treatments. Daniel does say a few words and makes sounds, and the programs have greatly improved his signing skills. He now knows 300 words.
His mother, Laura Clayton, says she wishes Daniel had started his treatment much sooner.
Clayton noticed her son was not talking at 18 months and was not socially responding as he should. When Daniel was 20 months, she took her son to Tresco, Inc., a non-profit company created to make a positive impact in the lives of children with delays and people with disabilities in Las Cruces. At Tresco, staff members said he might have autism. While Clayton waited for a SWAN appointment, she took him to a pediatrician who recommended a neurologist and psychologist. All three physicians agreed he had PPD-not otherwise specified.
To get the treatment Daniel needed, Clayton had to quit her job to get Medicaid. Before he was approved for the ABA and floor-time programs, Daniel had no communication skills.
Now Daniel is in a "really good class at Oñate (High School) all day" says Clayton. He and the teachers work 16 hours per week with ABA. He loves music, loves water and asks to swim in an above-ground pool, where he dog paddles.
"My hope for the future is that I would like (Daniel) to be a good member in a group home after I pass away," says Clayton. "I want him to be more independent and contribute to society. I hope he'll continue to progress because I've seen adults making progress on TV. I would really like him to be able to work doing yard work, or cooking and life skills."
Another common ground that ties these families together is that they all want their children to have life skills and to communicate, and they all expressed the need for more funding.
Vicki Nisbett is a Las Cruces-based freelance writer who can be reached at puncpubs@yahoo.com.