Recovery?

The Today Show has been running a series of videos about ASD. Here is a link to the videos:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/30262936#30254929

There are four in the series-

Can Robots help treat autism?
Making sense of children’s senses
Web Only: A school for kids with Autism
Can kids recover from Autism?

While I watched all of them, I was struck by the fourth- the question of recovery. This is a double edged sword for me. While I desperately want for Little Bug to have every opportunity that any else child has, I am frightened by the idea of recovery.

I don’t believe that you ever truly cover from ASD. From a personal experience with my Uncle, I can say that while the symptoms decrease to a great extent, they don’t disappear. They are simply managed- more or less. Uncle wasn’t diagnosed with ASD until adulthood. He was born in a time when children who didn’t fit into the mold were hidden away. Stories from my grandma show that their mother didn’t do this. She fought tooth and nail to afford him the greatest opportunities.

Still there are symptoms. He is extremely grounded in a routine and very literal. He at times can appear to be inflexible to change- to a greater extent than people who aren’t on the spectrum. He has an obsessive knowledge and love of music- not playing, but knowledge. He can tell you who played what with whom and when. It is as though he has a music history Wikipedia in his brain. Uncle is very hesitant to socialize with new people, but once you get him going, it’s a blast. I love Uncle dearly and glad to have him in my life. He is a kind and funny person and I love spending time with him. Our experience with Little Bug has brought us closer to Uncle and afforded Uncle a new opportunity to learn about ASD in a personal way.

The other side of this concern for me is that by taking away a diagnosis while managing the symptoms of ASD can lead to pitfalls. A lack of understanding of about behaviors that may not be managed. A potential loss of services. While the behaviors may be managed, they are there and some people as adults may need therapy to better manage the behaviors. An ASD diagnosis affords for opportunities for assistance and rites. Someone who isn’t diagnosed may lose the option of aid and services for a disability that they still struggle with.

I don’t want to sound crazy. I desperately wish that Little Bug wasn’t diagnosed at times. Other times, I can accept it. I fear for him losing his diagnosis because I fear that he may opportunities for services that he may need.

I guess it all depends on the level of “recovery” and whether you believe that it can happen. While I can believe it can happen, I am not sure how completely or how often. Little Bug has made great strides and about 50% of the time, most people who spend a short amount of time with him wouldn’t know he has ASD. The other 50%, well let’s just say it is more obvious.