Unlocking Potential
Fast Facts About Autism
- Occurs in 1 in 150 births *
- 4:1 ratior of boys to girls have autism
- Approximately 1.5 million Americans have autism **
*Based on prevalence statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007)
** Based on the autism prevalence rate of 2 to 6 per 1,000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001) and 2000 U.S. Census figure of 280 million Americans.
With the help of speech pathologist Bridget Kent, Katie Schoenfield has learned to communicate with a picture system.
The Kelly O’Leary Center gives hope and help to families living with autism.
In 1999, Kelly O’Leary was diagnosed with autism. Kelly’s parents watched their daughter disappear, slowly retreating into herself, no longer interacting with the world around her. She wasn’t even 2 years old.
As they wondered and worried about what the future would hold, Kelly’s parents dreamed of a place where they could find all the care and support that their child and others like her would need.
Today, that dream is a reality.
The Kelly O’Leary Center at Cincinnati Children’s is designed to improve the lives of those with autism, as well as the lives of their families.
The Center provides active treatment to more than 1,000 families from southwestern Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.
Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first three years of life. It affects three main areas of development: communication, social interaction and behavior. Medical professionals think of autism as a “spectrum” disorder, a group of disorders with symptoms that can range from mild and high functioning to severe.
But that’s the scientific definition. For those living with the disorder, it’s much more. How does a family live with autism? What resources are available? The Kelly O’Leary Center was created to provide answers.
“We embrace a true multidisciplinary approach where physicians, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and nurses all work together with these children,” says Patricia Manning-Courtney, MD, medical director of the Kelly O’Leary Center. “The goal is to help the children and families live full, rich lives while living with autism.”
Care Tailored to Each Child
Coleen Schoenfeld’s daughter Katie has been in treatment at the Center for seven years. “Katie will never be verbal,” says Coleen, “so she needed a communication system.”
Katie learned to communicate using a picture exchange communication system. The system uses laminated cards with pictures that allow Katie to express what she wants. “She started with one picture and now she’s up to 80 cards,” Coleen says.
What constitutes success differs for every child and family. For some, like Katie, it’s learning to communicate the most basic things. For others, it’s attending church or going to the store without getting “that look” from people who don’t understand autism.
Helping Others Understand
To help improve understanding, the Center has been instrumental in an outreach effort to engage schools and community providers. The outreach includes monthly community lectures, educational sessions for families with newly diagnosed children and training for special educators and speech pathologists.
One of the most important things families of children with autism can learn, says Manning-Courtney, is that they are not alone. “From the very beginning we tell families, ‘If this is autism, it’s going to be a journey, ’” she says, “and through all the ups and downs, we’re going to be on that journey with you.”
One of the most important lessons for everyone is that there is hope.
“Children with autism can change,” Manning- Courtney says. “They can progress, they can improve - some of them can even shift out of this diagnosis. Up to 20 percent of children who are diagnosed early can shift out of this diagnostic category. So while this is a lifelong disability for many, the amount of progress that can be made, and the impact that we can have on children and families, is enormous.”
