By Jim Devine
Staff Writer

Observer/Jim Devine Cory Jenkins, 10, a child with a high-functioning form of autism, spends much of his free time creating a model city with billboards, freeways and traffic lights.

Autism stories • Bedford: Loud, unpredictable noises frighten boy • Bow: Teen with autism defies all odds • Goffstown: Like a switch was turned off • Hooksett: Family appreciates joys, deals with disappointments • Pelham: Autism offers boy a creative impulse

Autism awareness walk to take place May 13 AUBURN – The Autism Society of New Hampshire is sponsoring “A Walk in the Sun,” an autism awareness nature walk, on Saturday, May 13, at the Audubon Center at Lake Massabesic. Registration starts at 9am, and the walk begins at 10am. Participants may walk one mile or three. No pets, please. For directions, visit NHaudubon.org. All donations are tax deductible and stay in New Hampshire to support local families. For more information, visit NHautism.com or call 603-679-2424.

What is autism? By Darrell Halen Staff Writer Autism is a complex developmental disability that impacts a person’s brain functions and, therefore, his or her communication and social interactions. This neurological disorder typically appears in a person’s first three years. “Typically, between (the) ages of 2 and 3, you start to notice that the child is not communicating effectively or there’s uneven skill development,” said Marguerite Tompkins, a preschool services teacher for the Pelham and Windham school districts. Autism is known as a spectrum disorder. It affects each person differently and traits vary from mild to severe. According to the Autism Society of America, an autistic person may exhibit any combination of the following symptoms: aggressive behavior, self-injurious behavior, resistance to change, difficulty expressing needs, repeating words or language instead of normal language, gesturing and pointing instead of speaking, throwing tantrums, wanting to be alone, showing little eye contact, dislike of cuddling, inappropriate attachment to objects, lack of fear of dangers, overactivity and underactivity, uneven gross/fine motor skills, unresponsiveness to verbal cues, laughing, crying and showing distress for no apparent reason, unresponsiveness to teaching methods, playing oddly, spinning objects, and apparent oversensivity and undersensitivity to pain. Dr. Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist who observed children, officially identified autistic children in 1943. Before Kanner’s work, such children would have been labeled as emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded. Society’s understanding of the disorder has grown since Kanner’s contributions but there are still many unanswered questions about it. There is no single known cause of autism, according to ASA. No gene has been identified as being responsible but experts believe the disorder is due to abnormalities in brain function and structure. Differences in brain shape and structure have been found when comparing autistic children and non-autistic kids. Experts at the ASA believe children are born with autism or are born with the potential to develop it. The role of genetics is also supported by research that many autistic people come from families with a history of autism or related disabilities. A study by the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., ruled out a relationship between the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine and autism. It also ruled out a link between thimerosal and autism. Thimerosal is the ingredient in the vaccine many suspect as the cause of autism. Nevertheless, many people still believe the vaccine theory, and there is a class-action lawsuit in federal court regarding that theory. As many as 1.5 million children and adults in the United States are believed to be autistic, said the institute. The milder the symptoms, the likelihood is greater that it will take longer for the problem to be recognized, Tompkins said. There is no medical test for diagnosing autism. Professionals make a diagnosis based on a person’s behavior, communication and development levels. More children are being diagnosed with it, but Tompkins said there’s speculation as to why that is. But just because a person has autism doesn’t mean they can’t learn and be productive. Kids don’t outgrow the disorder but their symptoms will lessen as receive treatment and develop.

On a late school day afternoon, 10-year-old Cory Jenkins gets off the bus with his older brother and greets his mother at his Pelham home before starting his next project — building his own miniature Los Angeles.

Like most boys his age, Cory’s interests include video games, toy cars and Spider-Man. What’s unique about him, though, according to his mother, Mary Jenkins, is how much he becomes engrossed in his projects.

“It’s to the extent that he wants to live and breathe (his interests),” she said. Nothing else matters. He would be just full-blown into something. He gets an interest and he thinks when has one he can’t have another.”

Cory’s focus in these areas are a result of “pervasive developmental disorder/not otherwise specified,” a high-functioning form of autism. In many ways he appears and acts like any other child his age — in fact, his parents had no idea he had such a disorder until a first grade teacher suggested special education testing for PDD/NOS.

Jenkins always thought her son acted a little different from her first two children, but his behavior never seemed to be something to bring up with the family pediatrician or teachers.

Interaction with other children can sometimes show signs of autistic development, she said, but since Cory didn’t go to a daycare he didn’t have much interaction with other children his age until he entered first grade.

“He was so high-functioning that we just thought he was a little weird,” she said.

Jenkins learned that it’s common for children with high-functioning forms of autism to not be diagnosed with it until they’re older. Only 50 percent of students are diagnosed by age 3 because behavior can be a difficult way for a parent to realize there may be an issue there. “He definitely stood out amongst other 6-year-olds,” Jenkins said.

Now, with medication and help from occupational therapists and other special education teachers, Cory has shown considerable improvement.

Getting home from school each day, Cory does his homework before becoming engrossed in the new miniature city he’s started creating. Main Street of the city has become the scene of small stop-animation films which he’s begun to film with a small camera toy he received as a gift. The detail and effort he puts into the mini-city is growing, his mother said. If he ever gets to it, he said he’d like to build an ocean with a road connecting the city to Sacramento.

“California is my most favorite state in the whole United States,” Cory said.

Jenkins said she is pleased with her son’s educational development.

Cory’s reading level is two years above his grade level, and he’s developed creatively quite a bit — he’s created his own comic magazine and circulated it through his class.

Inclusion methods at school have helped him develop skills while allowing him to spend as much time in the classroom as possible. Specialists will often visit with him and take him out of class to work in different developmental areas.

For a period of time, Cory would attend therapy outside of school at Kids Play in Londonderry.

The facility, which focuses on development for autistic children, has been a huge help allowing him to get the kinesthetic and overall motor skills with swings, trampolines and hammocks.

Jenkins said she learned that it’s common for children with these disorders to appear “klutzy” or just unable to show full control or coordination with actions throughout the day.

“They don’t know their own space — they just feel undone,” she said.

Lori Silverwatch, an inclusion specialist in Salem School District, said the therapy treatments for each student varies on the type of disorder as well as the needs of the student.

“You have kids with varying ability levels,” Silverwatch said. “The challenge is finding out what those individual needs are and working on enhancing those skills.”

Among all the different types of autism that appear, there does appear to be one frustrating factor that continues to emerge, according to Silverwatch.

“The most frustrating part is the social interaction,” she said. “We find that’s a piece that’s characteristic of autism.”

While Cory does not require much language or speech therapy, he does have help with pragmatic speech therapy, to help him develop social cues which may ordinarily be discernible to other children his age. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of not understanding phrases of expression or taking things too literally.

“He doesn’t always get jokes,” Jenkins said. “He may have trouble reading someone’s emotions.”

Although the disorder has no cure, Jenkins said, she has seen a steady improvement in her son with help from therapies while he is still able to give all the attention he likes to give to cities like Los Angeles and hopefully, someday, Sacremento. Progress has been tangible and development will hopefully continue.

“All the help he’s had has definitely made a difference,” Jenkins said. “He’s gotten a lot better in the past year.”