By Tony Field
It is World Autism Awareness Day – an initiative the United Nations hopes will foster understanding about a much misunderstood condition.
Autism is a developmental disorder that effects around 40,000 New Zealanders and their families.
Jimmy and Leo Brown are brothers and share a condition known as Asperger's Syndrome – a high-functioning form of autism.
But their dad, Russell, says you shouldn't lump them together – or anyone else who has autism.
“They are all different, and we have seen that with our two kids, who are very different people,” Mr Brown says.
“They are all different, both the same diagnosis, but very different people and it is worth remembering that.”
About one in 100 people has some form of autism – the exact cause is not known.
People with autism can have problems communicating, or trouble empathising with others – they might be socially awkward, or might have behavioural problems.
“They don't make eye contact so much, they don't smile so early, they don't reach out to touch, they don't speak so quickly,” says Alison Molloy, chief executive of Austism NZ.
“One of the signs is if the child isn't putting one or two or three words together by the time they are two, for example.”
There are plenty of myths, like the idea that everyone who is autistic has an area of brilliance – many do, but not all.
If there is one misconception Autism New Zealand would like to put an end to it is the idea of badly behaved kids and bad parents.
“Instead of thinking, ‘gosh, poor mother she and that child need help’, they think ‘gosh, she is a really bad parent’,” says Ms Molloy.
For parents whose child is diagnosed, Russell Brown has some simple advice.
“Don’t flip out, don’t panic, you may need to grieve for the child you are not going to have, you may have had all these aspirations, that's often the case with parents of children on the spectrum, but it's not the end of the world, we have a wonderful family relationship,” he says.
Autism New Zealand says although there is no cure, with support and understanding, autistic people can have satisfying and fulfilling lives.
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