恐慌和无知使孤独症“复杂化”了

以“接纳每一个孩子”为主题的第六届孤独症年会最近在东斯特劳斯堡大学（East Stroudsburg University）举行。这个年会的宗旨是为那些照料孤独症儿童的人们提供培训、支持、和各种资源。

主题演讲人William Stillman是一个成年阿斯伯格症患者，因此他对患者如何在这个社会里生存有着切身的体会。

“我认为世界需要孤独症。”Stillman说。“我不会顺着人们的想法说话。我只会说大实话。”

孤独症是一个世界范围内的现象，男性的发病率是女性的四到五倍。据（美国）疾病控制中心2007年的估算，每150个儿童中就有一个被诊断为孤独症－－－在男孩中则是每80个就有一个有诊断。

Stillman预计这个统计数据还会上升。

“我估计，在今后的五到十年里，孤独症将影响到十分之一的儿童。”他说。“我从1987年就涉足这个领域，接触过很多这类特殊儿童。那时候孤独症的诊断还很罕见。”

Stillman有教育学的本科学位，并且写了几本关于孤独症的书。他还在全国范围内发行的季刊“孤独症视角”（The Autiam Perspective）上开有专栏。

“我所感兴趣的，不是什么造成了孤独症，而是孤独症造成了什么。”Stillman说。“尽管人们的孤独症意识向前推进了，但是在如何对付孤独症方面却止步不前。”

50年前，孤独症儿童所受到的对待大不相同。

“父母们被告知他们没有能力抚养他们的孤独症子女。”Stillman说。“他们得不到任何帮助和支持，而将孩子送进养护机构却是受到鼓励的。”

Stillman说，人们告诉父母们把孩子留在机构的门口就不要再回来了。他觉得即使是在今天，社会给父母发出的还是这样的信息。

“宾州存在着虐待孤独症儿童的情况。他们被踢，被打，被捆在椅子上，嘴巴还被用胶带封起来。”Stillman说。“?我无法想象父母怎么可能对孩子做出这样的事来。”

Stillman是到了三十多岁才被诊断为阿斯伯格综合症的。

“当我考虑孤独症问题的时候，我是从大的方面来看的。我考虑的是孤独症如何与现实世界融合。我看到的不是孤独症的流行，我看到的是一个机遇。”他说。“我不是个喜欢社交的人，不善于和人闲聊。沃尔玛超市对我个人来说是一个地狱，因为我满眼看到的都是人。”

大超市里拥挤的人群会使Stillman望而生畏，在那里他总是避免和别人搭话。

George Shadie是三个孩子的爸爸，其中两个孩子有孤独症。他在这次会议上举办了一个研论会叫“孤独症101”。

“我的儿子Brendan一岁的时候眼睛不看人，不会指东西，叫他名字有时有反应，有时没有。”他说。“Brendan很早就有孤独症的症状。”

Shadie建议父母们从孩子很小时就开始做记录，以便了解他们的行为。

“不是所有的孩子症状都一样。孤独症是一个复杂的诊断。”他说。“如果你见到了一个孤独症儿童，那只是一个而已。在公众的印象中，所有孤独症儿童都有特殊才能。实际上，孤独症的症状差别很大，它是一个谱系。”

虽然孤独症的平均的诊断年龄是3岁，但也不都是如此。孤独症是一个谱系障碍，变数很多。

“越早诊断，越早干预，将来的预后越好。”Shadie说。“认知能力的范围也是诊断的一部分。”

尽管孤独症谱系障碍的确切成因目前还不清楚，但是可能性有很多。

“孤独症可能是遗传造成的，也可能是免疫系统异常、环境因素、或者其它因素造成的。”Shadie说。

Stillman在关于如何对待孤独症儿童的问题上，提出了以下忠告：

“要假设他们什么都懂。要在他们生理年龄的水平上和他们交谈。”他说。“不要把孤独症复杂化了。不要加重大众（对孤独症）的恐慌情绪。如果你想知道孤独症是怎么回事，那么就去问一个孤独症患者吧。”（英文版请看下一页）#p#分页标题#e#

ESU conference says that fear, ignorance make autism 'too complicated'

The sixth annual "Including Every Child" Autism Conference recently took place at East Stroudsburg University to help educate and give support and resources to those caring for children with autism.

As an adult with Asperger's syndrome, keynote speaker William Stillman knows firsthand what it is like to deal with the condition on a daily basis.

"I believe the world needs autism," Stillman said. "I don't tell people what they want to hear. I tell people the truth."

Autism is a worldwide occurrence, and is four to five times more prevalent in males than females. In 2007, the Center for Disease Control estimated that one in 150 children are being diagnosed — one in 80 boys.

Stillman predicts that this statistic will increase in the near future.

"I predict that in the next five to 10 years, autism will affect one in 10 children," he said. "I've been in this field since 1987, and was exposed to children that had different ways of being. Autism was rare then."

Stillman has a bachelor's degree in education and has written a number of books on autism. He also writes a column for the national quarterly The Autism Perspective.

"My interest isn't what causes autism, but rather what autism causes," Stillman said. "While advances have been made to the awareness of autism, advances haven't been made in how we handle it."

Methods were very different 50 years ago in regards to the way autistic children were treated.

"Parents were sent a message that they weren't capable of raising their autistic child," Stillman said. "There was no support, and people were encouraged to place their children in institutional facilities."

Parents were told to drop their child off at the front door of these facilities and never come back, according to Stillman. He feels that society sends a similar message today.

"Here in Pennsylvania, there are schoolchildren with autism being abused. They are being hit, kicked, strapped in chairs with their mouths duct-taped shut," Stillman said. "I just cannot believe that any parent would want that for their child."

Stillman feels that many make autism too complicated. He suggests asking a person with autism if you want to know about it. This is why he speaks at conferences on the subject.

Stillman wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome until he was in his mid-30s.

"When I think, I think in the terms of the big picture. I think about how autism fits into the world. Instead of an epidemic, I see it as an opportunity," he said. "I am not a social person and stink at small talk. Wal-Mart is my personal vision of hell. I spend a lot of time observing other people."

Stillman finds the crowds at such large stores to be intimidating, and he tries to avoid conversations there.

George Shadie, father of three children, two with autism, held a workshop called Autism 101.

"My son Brendan wasn't making eye contact at the age of 1, not pointing to objects, and not responding to his name consistently," he said. "Brendan had signs and indications early in life."

Shadie suggested to parents to start keeping a log when the child is young to learn about their behaviors.

"Not all kids have the same signs. Autism is a complex diagnosis," he said. "If you've met one child with autism, you've met one kid with autism. The public has a perception that all autistic children have special talents. There is a variability of symptoms, and a whole spectrum there."

While the average age of diagnosis is 3, that isn't always the case. This is a spectrum disorder with plenty of variables.

"The earlier the diagnosis and intervention, the better the long-term outcomes," Shadie said. "Range of cognitive ability is a part of the diagnosis."

While the exact cause of autism spectrum disorders are currently unknown, there are many possibilities.

"It could be genetic, dysfunctional immune system, environmental factors or other reasons," Shadie said.

Stillman has advice for dealing with an autistic child.

"Presume intellect always. Talk at the person's chronological age level," he said. "Let's stop making autism so complicated. Stop fueling the culture of fear. And if you want to know about autism, ask someone with autism."