American Morning
Autism: A journey of recovery
Editor's Note: New cutting-edge research is helping to unlock the mysteries of the child's brain and could give autistic children a whole different future. Watch part three of our special series, Inside the Child's Mind, tomorrow on American Morning.
By Kiran Chetry, CNN
As a baby, Jake Exkorn was everything his parents hoped for – happy and healthy.
“He hit all of the developmental milestones. He walked, he talked, he played,” says Jake’s mother Karen Exkorn.
But at 17 months, Karen says the light began to fade from Jake's face.
“At first he stopped responding to his name. And then he stopped playing. And then by his second birthday, he stopped speaking entirely.”
Karen worried it may be a hearing problem, or a speech delay.
“I never expected to hear the words, your child has autism. … It was completely devastating. It meant that there was no hope for my son. And yet I was determined to help my son in any way that I could. I knew that I wanted treatment for Jake that had science behind it. And a lot of treatments don't. But the one that had the most science behind it was a treatment called ABA.”
ABA – applied behavior analysis – is an intensive approach that uses repetition and rewards to teach autistic children the things that come naturally to most kids.
“We wanted to teach Jake to respond to his name. So we'd say, ‘Jake,’ and we'd take an M&M and we'd hold it up just between our eyes.”
Day after day, 40 hours a week, they plugged away – hoping to help Jake relearn what autism had taken away.
“Going into this there were no guarantees. Nobody ever mentioned the word recovery to us so that wasn't our goal ever.”
And there continue to be no guarantees, but for the first time a new study shows that early intervention therapy can improve language skills and behavior, and raise IQ – giving hope to parents of children with autism.
“What we know is that if children receive early intensive behavioral intervention, some of the children do lose their diagnosis,” says Geraldine Dawson.
Dawson is the chief scientist for the advocacy group "Autism Speaks." She helped design the study and says symptoms of autism may appear as early as eight months.
“So the most important thing is to be alert for those symptoms and then get into intervention right away.”
After a year of ABA therapy, Jake showed progress. Then, at age four – a turning point. When Karen took him for ice cream, without prompting, Jake told the man what flavor he wanted: “Nilla.”
“The man had no idea that this was this defining moment in my life, but this was huge. This was huge. And this marked the beginning of spontaneous language for Jake.”
What soon followed was an even bigger milestone. At Jake's 4 year check-up, Karen was told her son no longer had symptoms of autism. The doctor said Jake had recovered.
“Hearing her say that blew me away in the same way as when I heard her say the diagnosis.”
Today Jake is a thriving 13-year-old. He plays basketball and football, and is every bit the typical teenage boy.
“I like to hang out with my friends. … I don't love to study even though sometimes I have to. … I would describe myself as outgoing, athletic and nice,” says Jake.
A dramatic transformation for a family who once thought they lost their little boy to autism.
“I don't think about it too much but when I do it is kinda crazy. But, my mom and dad put in a lot of effort into it and so did I and it paid off.”
A payoff that, with more research, may be within reach for more children with autism. Researchers still don't know why some children recover so fully like Jake, and others don't. But most agree that early intervention is the best hope for a more positive outcome.
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How about giving yourself a break once in a while, emotionally...early intervention, ABA, all the methods that everyone swears is a miracle treatment, go ahead and do it. But outside of that, learn to love the quirkiness of your unique child, look deep inside yourself and recognize the changes that have surely taken place.
I know for me personally...this absolutely brought out the best in me, once I stopped agonizing over WHY this happened, and WHAT I could do, should have done, must do...how miserable he must be....grieving, etc etc and celebrated his beautiful disposition, all the rest came easily.
I understand the desire to not have a kid with special needs. We all have the image of the Cleavers as a family and all of our kids must be intelligent and popular and athletic and Harvard candidates.
They are going to be just fine, and so are you, if they dont reach quite what YOUR expectations are!
Just make sure your CHILD is happy, your OTHER children are happy and cut yourself some slack!
I can relate to the poster that said some lady looked oddly at you when your chid started stimming; I used to carry little biz type cards for just such a situation, if someone stared at us, or made comments. I would smile and politely hand my biz card and walk away, glancing back to see them reading the engraved "my child has autism, whats YOUR excuse?"
See? Its ok to enjoy yourself and your child too....dont forget to LIVE...
For the record, my son will not go to Harvard. He is on track to get a certificate, but not a diploma. He is receiving vocational training for basic life and job skills. And he is AMAZING and well loved in this community; considerate, popular at football games as the inspirational cheering kid who prays with the team, etc.
And he DID get lots and lots of early intervening, starting at age 3, with the top in this field at Hopkins/Kennedy Krieger. And he HAS made great progress. But, he wont be going to college. And we are just happy with him as he is with himself.
God bless...
ABA does not help all kids, and the extent of how much progress varies off course. But research show that ABA do help many kids develop much more than they would without the same intensive training. Some dramatically. It is always said in these stories that it is very important to get an early start, but I would like to give parents of slightly older children some hope as well. According to the latest research from Norway age was not at all as important as they had thought. They had kids that started at 6 and did tremendously well. Also the level of autism or IQ did not matter in how much progress was made. What did matter very much was the hours. 35 hours a week was not as all as effective as 40 hours for example.
I think the story is a good one. I wish there were more details about ABA, the expense, the lack of insurance coverage in the majority of states for ABA therapy.
We're average middle class Americans. My husband and I don't have trust funds. We have one car. We don't go on vacations anymore. We've cut back on a lot of things. We've poured our money into improving our daughter's life. She has had almost two years of ABA therapy now. Academically, she is at age level. However, she still has some lingering social issues and a mild speech delay. Her social skills have come a long way though. We're so proud of her.
The way I see it if someone kidnapped my child and demanded a ransom of $100,000 or whatever to give my child back, we would do everything in our power to put together that sum of money. This is no different in my opinion. Autism stole our daughter from us. The ransom we're paying to ABA is the way we're getting our daughter back.
Autism is a spectrum condition with some children functioning on a higher level than others. It would wrong to discourage parents from trying ABA simply because it hasn't worked for your child. Not everyone who has cancer will respond to chemotherapy but does that mean we discourage cancer patients from getting chemotherapy? Obviously not. There is no treatment for anything that is going to make 100% of the people who try it better. ABA does help quite a number of children. It's tragic that schools and insurance companies don't provide it. Most parents I know have to pay for it out of pocket.
Someone above asked for a good resource. I like the following book.
It's "A Child's Journey Out Of Autism" by Leeann Whiffen.
hi everyone my name is paula and im very worried about my 4 yr old son!who is very active,talks but not as much as he should for his age,he likes to play with his cousins but at school he prefers to play by himself!and also whe he plays with his trains or cars he likes to line them up!at school hes very active and exxept when his eating or doing something he enjoys doing!he seems he only falows directions when he wants to!a disability worker went to obserb him and she said that hes just stuborn but he does need a spech therapy!i told her that i wanted a second opinion so today another disability worker went and that he did had some autistic symptoms like linung up cars ,hyper,and prefers to play alone!but she didnt know if that was enough to diagnose him with autism!so sherefer me to a specialist!
For anyone who thinks they cannot do this therapy because they are not well-to-do, let me tell you that I, as a single parent without any outside support, no savings, no trust fund, not government help, no public school, etc. did this for my son for years without any training other than a stale education degree. I quit a lucrative high tech career to do it, tutored kids in the library to make just barely enough to keep us alive, and prevented my son's Aspergers from progressing to full autism and also reversed his Aspergers such that only I can still tell there is every any of it remaining...and only in situations where he is very tired or distressed in anyway. By the time I put him in public school during adolescence, the school personnel did not believe that he had ever had any signs of any autism spectrum disorder. They thought it was all in my head, but he was unable to safely be in any formal educational setting full time previously. Now, he is a well-liked, amiable, humorous, top honor student and fine classical musician, great conversationalist, and wonderful, caring son.
The people who read this and say it's nuts or not possible may be protecting themselves from the horror of realizing that there may have been something they could have done if only they knew it was possible. I get that, but please don't be haters of these miraculous recoveries. When you do that, you may influence thousands of parents to give up on the thought of helping their toddler children recently diagnosed recover and live normal lives, dooming them to difficult, costly, and unproductive lives for no reason but to protect some parents from walking in faith of things unseen as of yet.
Remember, if you don't do it for your child, nobody will, period. You can't afford to wait until school age and then just trust in the school to tell you what to think and do, when it may be too late to make as much progress as would be possible if interventions started immediately when you realized there was an issue.
Start now, and never, ever give up. I haven't, even when no one was there to help me, my family abandoned me, people accused me because they saw me vulnerable in my poverty, and my son exasperated me. Now, they are envious of my son's character, knowledge, skills, and demeanor. I gave up going to medical school, gave up getting my Ph.D. Gave up marrying again. Gave up my travels. Gave up my career. And gained freedom to be all he could be for my son. It has been the best career and life I could ever have, despite the pain and difficulties. And, I have never once regretted my choice. Almost everyone else I've met has more support behind them to do this for their child than I have had. But, I did it. You can too, and there are many forms of support emerging for you in terms of online discussions, parent groups, trained medical professionals who specialize in such things, books, internet information, and, yes, even celebrities who have had success and promote awareness.
If I can do it, you can too with your greater resources in most cases. Do it today on faith. Start today. Read all you can. Get on the discussion boards. Ask for help online. Find people locally who have the same situation. I know people who have done this the prescribed way with the 40 hours per week and outside therapists. I did it myself without the formal program or outside help. It's worked very well in many cases. I can't say it will work in all cases, but I could not live with myself if I knew I didn't try, didn't give my all, didn't do what I could starting with the moment I knew it may help.
In my son's case, I found that having the attitude that I did not want to waste a moment of his life or an opportunity to enrich and bless him gave me the power to do this for him.
And, when I caved on occasion and let others bully me into doing things briefly in a standard way they insisted was better, my son started to regress. I followed my intuition, read a lot, talked to other moms doing this, and it worked. It does work, people, if you are focused and committed and do it, day in and day out. It's a true joy.
These types of stories due more harm than good. There is nothing new or miraculous about ABA. It has been around for decades and the if was such a miracle cure we would have seen a mass exodus out this disorder ages ago.
All the statistics on ABA prove is that more intervention is better than less, and not that this particular technique is especially effective. In fact many families claim their children actually regressed using it.
Here's the little secret no one wants to know. There are four things that determine "recovery."
1) average to above average intelligence. Individuals with mental retardation can progress in many ways but they are never going to go on to be the next Einstein or Temple Grandin or whoever. There is no cure for mental retardation.
2)The child has to be a fighter. They have a struggle and they are going to need some gumption to get out of it. Submissive children will be happy to stay just as they are.
3) They have to have something in life they are passionate about. Something they want to participate in or achieve so much they will work to get it.
4) At some point they need to develop self-awareness. They are able to recognize they are different, and use their fight and passion to minimize the discrepancy.
It's really not so much the treatment plan as it is having the magic 4. Whether you use ABA or not if your child has the 4 they will do very well, and if they don't have the 4, they won't, no matter how many hours you spend drilling them.
The media loves to take these stories and run with them. Like I said, so where's the mass exodus out of autism if this ABA is all that? My son is 20 years old and I've known countless parents who have used ABA. I've met many recovered individuals who NEVER used ABA. I personally have never met a recovered child who used ABA. Not one.
I have written a play about my family and my son. I would love for anyone interested to check out the website http://www.autisticlicenseplay.com
To Emily and others who are "tired of hearing of Jenny"; then ignore her. Do your own research, not just rely on the info that is spoon fed to us via MSM on a daily basis.
In regards to vaccines, it's not just the MMR, but also the other 24 vaccines that they get in the first 2 years of life, starting with the Hep B within 48 hrs of birth. It is also the toxins in the air, the ground, the food, and the water and other liquids. There is even the possibility of dental amalgams being a factor.
In the biomed field of research, they are finding that you have to get into the biochemistry to see where the culprits are, such as intestinal yeast imbalances, oxidative stress inside the cells, immune dysfunctions, and "leaky gut" to mention a few things. Real research is being done, by real Ph D's, in real university labs. Jill James is one such researcher. As a result of their findings, real treatments are being developed, and are being implemented with various degrees of success. You just need to look for yourself.
One more thing, our ASD kids will never be "cured" of autism, but many are being recovered in various degrees. Because our kids are all different and respond to treatments differently, we can't give up wihen one way doesn't work; just move on to the next. This is what our children need. Research it and then do it.
As a mom of 2 children with autism, I find his story lacking a lot of information. There is more to autism than lack of speech. What about behaviors and social interaction. Oh, and 40 hours of intervention? Who on earth paid for that? I guess only rich people's kids have a chance if they have autism. What a lame story.
Our child was diagnosed at age two. We had one doctor tell us that we shouldn't have high hopes. We didn't listen to her. Though our insurance wouldn't pay for it, we paid privately for as much Verbal Behavior ABA as we could afford. We certainly didn't do 40 hours a week. However, we did at least 20 hours a week that we paid for my scrimping and using our savings. What was our other option? Do nothing and believe the doctor who said we shouldn't have high hopes. I'm not that kind of person. I wasn't going to take this lying down. On my death bed, I wanted to know that I had done all that I could for my child. So I watched what the ABA therapists did during their sessions and I repeated what they did. I also generalized what they did in other settings. I read as much as I could. I talked to other parents who were doing therapies. There is a wealth of information out there. Thank god for the internet.
ABA really isn't rocket science. It's all about breaking things down into smaller components. Verbal Behavior ABA worked for our child. Our child is now thriving. Thriving!! Our child is talking in sentences, asking questions, attending a regular school, is toilet trained. I could go on. Even our relatives have noticed a big difference from the time our child was diagnosed. We've made believers out of them.
I don't know if you can cure autism, but this article isn't saying that, and that's not the point. It is possible to recover from the symptoms of autism and be functional especially if the right help is given early enough. However, it's NEVER too late to get help. You can always improve at any age. The human brain is dynamic.
I'm crying foul.
While I know these stories are meant to be uplifting, they always break my heart a little. I work with severely autistic children and envision the false hope that their families are experiencing. There are so many holes in this story. There was something more to this child's diagnosis. I feel this and all the other bs that people like Jenny McCarthy are putting there is irresponsible and downright cruel.
As an early childhood speech-language pathologist who works with children on the spectrum, I am appalled by this story. It makes me angry everytime I hear a story like this saying a child is "cured." Yes, some do lose the diagnosis. but it is not a disease that can be cured. I do feel it is over-diagnosed, and often children who have cognitive delays, global delays, language delays etc. get this diagnosis too quickly. Furthermore, this article severely oversimplified ABA. Good ABA is more than putting an M & M near your eyes to get a child to look at you. It is specific, targeted, intense. It is a methodology. It needs to be carried out carefully and consistently, and then generalized into other settings. I am so tired of these "fad" cures and these pop-culture people and their support of unfounded treatments or treatments with limited reliability and validity. Do real research people...which Jenny McCarthy's books are not .
I enjoyed watching this movie about the boy with autism, because it is amazing how the boy recovers. When I was young, I was just like Jake. I had autism for I couldn't speak to my parents. I wanted to, but my brain made me feel sad and I couldn't speak. But when I grew up, I can now talk a plethora. I am very healthy now. I can make excellent grades at school and be intelligent like Jake. I am also an adored boy at school. This is my new dream of excitement and joyfullness. I wish that Jake will stay extremely healthy for the future like me.
The truth & sad part about this.... Is it is saying how important that ABA is & the hours it takes.. A lot... The it is becoming impossible to get this level of service for your child. Unless, you are a multi-millionaire... Go into EXTREME debt. Sell everything you cannot fund it. School systems & State/Fed funding used to help significantly. Now with the economy in the state it is are not... School systems create programs that have some of the attributes of ABA... But, it is a facade in saying they are anywhere close to an ABA program.. That is my experience anyway. Medical & Insurance companies do not help out in this dept either as it is not deemed as health.. But, education... So, YES it is one of the only clinically prove ways to improve & give hope to autistic children but, WAY out of reach. BTW, the upfront investment & improvement these kids are likely to benefit far outweigh the cost as they become adults.
I did Speech therapy at 2 years old and my parents thought i was deaf. But actually I was autistic and started Lovaas ABA at 4. I did 40 hours a week for 2 years. Now I am 19 and going to community college. Great to read your story.
Dear Kiran: I really enjoyed watching the story about Autism and the recovery of this young man. My 13 year son Brandon was diagnosed with Asberger's, or mild Autism at the age of 5. There were signs of speech delay and lack of eye contact and hand flapping early in his development, but at the time Autism was not a house hold name as it is now. I beat myself up over the fact that I should have listened to that voice in my head that said, something is not right with this boy when he was 2 or 3. But I felt that he was a late developer, even the pediatrician felt that he would just develop and speak in time. I wish I would have had him tested early so that early intervention would have helped him heal possibly or dramatically improve.
Brandon is mainstread into regular classes at his middle school. He's been through so many therapies and has improved a great deal. Still, I wish I would have had him tested at a younger age. He's a great boy and we're all so proud of him.
Thank you,
Maha Paulus
San Diego, CA
It is good to see people with interest in Autism ,to answer Elizabeth you can't just give up there is always hope, I love my grandson and he is number one in my life and my thoughts. a day never goes by that I don't think of him . Sometimes I find myself with more corncern for him than my other grandkids ,I love them all the same but he is special ,You seem bitter for some reason . Did you every read the poem FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND" We have to hope for the best for our loved ones . Hope more money is put aside for research , I don't think I could do daily what my daughter and son in law do "WITH NO REGRETS" They are much better people than I. Thank you
It saddens me to see so many people being negative about all the treatments that are available today for autism. Especially since there are so many out there and many parents are seeing results. Even if you don't want to "cure" your own child of autism, I don't think that means you should discourage other parents from doing their own research to find the treatments they deem best for their children to give them the best life possible. My twin boys have autism and they have made tremendous progress with bio-medical treatment from their DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor and from us implementing methods from the Son-Rise Program. After much research, these were the treatments that made the most sense for our family. Every child is different and my sons are by no means recovered and they may never be. But I would do it all over again in a second to see my boys come as far as they have and we will continue to help our boys in whatever way makes sense to us. We will especially continue with the bio-medical treatment because if our kids's bodies are well, they respond to therapies such as ABA and Son-Rise that much better. And when I say bio-medical, what that basically means is vitamins, minerals, and diet rather than a bunch of prescription drugs that usually seem to cause more harm than good.
Kiran,
We're raising our, now 5yr5month, Grandson since he was 11 months. He has now been diagnosed with his 3rd mental health challenge.... We're Grandparents by the way. I'm 55 and also 100% disabled. Your coverage of Autism has been outstanding. Our Seany Boy does not have any form of the disease but your story has enlightened us greatly as we've watched and listened to your in depth, fully rounded, ultimately professional and enthusiastic reporting. As he will be entering yet another level of "recovery" ... love it ... the ABA therapy process is beginning the 21st of this month. Your outstanding report gave us more insight as to the future for Sean, and most importantly, Hope. Thank You !! Don
(while I gotcha .... get rid'a Joe paleeze !)
...'cause we all know that children are worthless if they aren't "typical", "outgoing", or don't "play basketball and football." Sheesh.
Does anyone know why autism happen to baby...why most of the babies are having autism?....because those MMR vaccine they get after year...not giving them right way...autism will only happen after they get the vaccine.
Hi I wish you the best my son has the same problem and my wife and I working hard to help him with this he is very smart kid he knows how to read write computer he can work everything by him self he loves to sing but still the talking and communications, he is six now but we will never give up on him and his older sister helping him and trying to teach him too.
GOD BLESS YOU
Just a very nice article
As the Mother of 2 children on the Autism Spectrum, this is very inspirational. My son, Scott, much like Jake started ABA at 2 years old. I also thought it may have been a hearing or speech issue, and the diagnosis of Mild to Moderate Autism was crushing. My son, now 4, is in a special day preschool, running around, playing, potty training, asking for items, expressing his wants and needs. I know that there is still a long uphill battle to go for our family, as I know there are for others, but seeing this light at the end of what started out as such a dark tunnel gives me hope. As a parent, YOU are your child's voice, their biggest advocate, NEVER be afraid to ask Doctors for tests, the Schools for help and ask about programs in the community that are available to children with Autism or Special Needs.
This is a very inspiring story. Jake, you're a miracle. I hope you have a very happy and successful life.
Although a heartwarming and wonderful story (I am very happy for them) this is not the "typical" scenario. Being the father of a 12 year old autistic son that has been in rigid therapy for over ten years, we have seen progress but nothing to the extent of the above, truly remarkable, story. I would hate for parents of newly diagnosed children to be lead astray....... forever optomistic but also realistic.
This is exactly what happened to my little brother. He was diagnosed with Aspersers when he was three. The doctors were doing everything they could to get my mom to put him on drugs. She refused and we all as a family worked with him growing up. It was tough but now he's grown out of the Aspersers at is a straight A student going to college next fall to become a nurse.
Does it not occur to the parents and the doctor that perhaps Jake was mis-diagnosed as an infant?
I am so happy you got your little boy back.
Is it possible that some children don't have Autism, they just have parents who weren't paying attention? It seems like this intensive therapy is nothing more than, "Parents, spend time with your children!"
Obviously that simplifies matters, but is it possible that kids just aren't getting the mental stimulation and emotional connection to their parents that they USED to get, but have had taken away because of "working" and "selfishness" - things that are rotting away every faction of society today?
ABA is very useful and can have great results. However, what the story did not say is that it is NOT offered by public schools, it is NOT covered by health insurance, and it costs about $50,000 a year.
it is an outright shame that this therapy is denied to children because they are financially unable to access it. PLEASE people, if you oppose all other health insurance reform, please at least support mandates that make them cover autism !
Great to see ABA, one of the only scientifically validated autism interventions, getting the recognition it deserves! As a professional in the autism field I use ABA and see the tremendous impact that it has on children with autism and the families that love them. It is an amazing thing to see a child go from being completely non-verbal and non-social, to reading small words and giving hugs to everyone he sees! Hope to see more articles like this in the future!
The term cutting edge is so misleading – many of our autistic children entering their teens are doing so well not just from ABA but from all types of medically sound early interventions with speech, PT, OT, food, psychological and psychiatric therapies. The key 12 years ago and still today is early diagnosis and intervention, and much hard, very hard work of the parents. I was told my son would be institutionalized when he was younger. As a 12 year old, he is an amazing brainiac with humor and anecdotes. He has some remaining social challenges which will eventually be resolved one small but huge step at a time. Kudos to the Exkorn's for the amazing job they did with Jake. Words of advice from a doctor when my son was two: Never Give Up.
I was watching your report regarding the child with Autism and I very happy to hear that a child was able to overcome such a disability but what none of your reports includes is the cost.
As a father of a 5 year old girl who is autistic I have heard of the ABA therapy and I have since my daughter was diagnosed at the age of two been trying to find a way of getting her this type of therapy but the average price is $18,0000.00 to $25,000.00 for one year of treatment and the insurance companies do not cover a dime of the cost.
I have checked into schools that use the ABA method of Teaching and the tuition is $5,000.00 or more per month.
I make 100K a year gross, I have another daughter, a wife and a mortgage and there is no way I can afford to pay for either the school or therapy.
I have attempted to provide my daughter the best care but the Insurance Companies will not cover any of the cost, I make too much money to collect Social Security Disability for my daughter and the school systems do not want to part with the funds to send my daughter to a school that specializes in teaching Autistic children. I make too much to receive any financial help from the State or Federal Government but not enough to pay for the therapies/schooling out of pocket.
So in 13 years rather then having a child be self sufficent you will have a child that lives off the system
Perhaps you should title your report, Therapies for Autistic Children in American IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT.
I am the mother of a boy with autism. What this article does not say is that ABA does not work for everyone. I have seen some children helped by it, but none of the ones I know of were ever "cured" by ABA. It is also expensive (I've read as high as $100 an hour), is not covered by insurance, must be paid out of pocket, and must be done intensively for hours and hours a day by special providers. These are the realities of ABA and should be mentioned. Also, if there is scientific evidence it works, then why do no third-party payors pay for it?
The term "early intervention" is not specifically related to ABA. Early intervention refers to any therapies that help a child with developmental delays progress, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Insurance will not pay for these, usually, but Medicaid will.
Finally the media singing the praises of an actual research based treatment for Autism. I am tired of hearing Jenny McCarthy talk about vaccines when their is no research to support that notion and the research that has been done has not been able to be replicated. Its like telling someone I saw a pig fly, but then no one else was able to see it.
I had a similar experience with my child. At 18 months, just after receiving the MMR vaccine, she faded away and became withdrawn, stopped speaking , had angry outbursts, was unable to learn simple things. By nine she had been diagnosed with depression, bipolar and finally autism. 13 different meds seem to make her even more withdrawn, almost non functional, i had to pull her from school, and a fmaily member even said, "the have homes for people like her". I finally decided to wean her of meds over time, and now she is a smart, active, beautiful, healthy, popular, normal 15 year old.
I believe one of 2 tings, the diagnoses are trendy.. bipolar and autism being the most popular, and also, the vaccines cause some sort of reaction in the brain which can take years to clear, and also all of the medications cloud the child from coming out of it as well.
Both I and her father are medical people and we believed what doctors had told us, until we saw her getting worse on meds and being classfied with all these diagnoses, when in our hearts we knew she was going to be OK>
What a beautiful miraculous story. especially poignant at this time of year!
My son had early intervention at age 2. Our neighbor's daughter and our nephew in CA have autism. We recognized that our son was falling behind and showed some signs of autism. Morristown NJ School district is very supportive and he got PT, OT and speech therapy from age 2, he attended pre-school and is now in a K-1st grade class. It is a Columbia University self paced learning program and he is doing great. The key is early intervention, if you think you child has issues err on the side of doing SOMETHING. The hard part is finding a pediatric neurologist but they are out there. Get a diagnosis and get help!! Our son had both ABA in the school and RDI privately, they both helped. Good luck
I could cry reading this...my daughter was born with loss of oxygen and ZBrachial plexus palsy...a 10 lb 10lb baby in an incubator.and all kinds of poor prognosis...But I knew better and started her in therapies right from birth..the first year was the most trying as there didn't appear to much much of a dent..but over time and repetition things became great..she is a thriving, beautiful, active and intellectual adult now..with a sweet sweet spirit. Persistents pays.
My adult sister at age 41 was left with traumatic brain injury, litteraly learning everything all over...ABA was a lifesaver for her..She too now thrives , active, social, able to hold an intelligent conversation etc.....
I am so happy for this Mother..I worked with children in m young adults years who suffered from Autism...things are so different now...then there really was no hope, no one knew what to do...besides pray...now there are several paths to take to help their child well...it's a blessing from God for those parents who feel lost and hopeless and a renewal of life to the child who was almost stolen from life and living.
What a beautiful story. Miracles happen with love.
It’s good to hear that kids diagnosed with autism have a chance at recovery. I thought the M&M part was a little funny though since I was taught to train my dog the same way. I guess it makes sense given that a dogs intelligence is like that of a 2 year old child.
God bless you and your family. jake sounds like a great child.. I did not loose my son fully to autism.. he was diagnosed as "high functioning autistic", however, i do see some of the signs. He also received early intervention and I treated him and placed him in regular classes at school and programs.. he is 10 and is doing great in school, plays foot ball although he tells me that someone told him he is "the weakest player", I told him too keep playing and learngin how the game is played and in not time he one day will be the winning game player! this story put a tear in my eye.. To all parents with autistic children please, please get the early intervention assistance, your child might not be a success story like jake, but you will see great improvements. these teachers are the best and they will love your child.. Happy Holidays to all.. Bless you..
Early intervention brought my son back too. I didn't know the signs for autism either, my toddler was just "quirky & quiet". Within the first week of preschool (age 4) the teacher suggested we have him tested and the "autism spectrum" words hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately started learning all I could and went to seminars. Then I heard about D.A.N. (Defeat Autism Now). The whole year of Kindergarten my son was on an oral chelation regime and I mixed up his schedule all the time – wanting him to be use to inconsistency rather then be upset if something was out of the ordinary. He went from a kid that didn't speak to one we couldn't keep quiet. Over the years he's made marked improvements every year. He's now 13 years old and an A student. He's more of "loner" but he does have a few friends at school and the only stemming he exhibits now is pacing.....carpet your garage.
I have worked with babies through EI..that were non verbal......the intensity of ABA (sometimes three hours a day) with lots of repetition
have proved successful...I am not saying it works for everyone but that first verbal imitation sends chills and brings tears.......
Great story!
I've met several other recovered children. To those who don't know any better, they seem like any other child. It is possible for some children with autism to lose their diagnosis provided they get adequate behavioral services early and intensively.
As the parent of a child on the autistic spectrum, I think this is an interesting and inspirational report. It is worth noting that most insurance covers little to no ABA therapy and no insurance will cover 40 hours a week. Still if a family has the resources, this is a wonderful way to use them to help a child.
I'm thrilled for this family. Their story is one of success. As the mother of a son with Asperger's (aka High Functioning Autism), I feel compelled to say that autism is a spectrum disorder. Every child is affected differently and responds differently to treatment. The level of severity often determines how well a child will respond to treatment.
As I read this story, my heart sank for the millions of families raising a child with autism who have done everything that this family, and more, without any positive, lasting and meaningful result. Many families are unable to care for their children with autism in their home, especially if there are other children who are equally in need of parents who are not broke, exhausted and desperate for their child's wellness.
While it's truly a gift to have a child "recover" from autism, please understand that not all families have, or will have, the same level of success. Yes, families need hope, but not false hope. There are many therapies and products that tout themselves are miracle cures but are nothing more than dollars out the door and hope crushed. If ABA therapy, gluten and dairy-free diets worked for every child, there would not more autism on planet Earth.
I missed your program regarding Autism but woul love to receive information where I can go to access any research or break throughs in Autism or many other syndromes or disorders attributed to Autism. My grandson is ten years old and has Aspergers Syndrome, which is a form of Autism and any information I can recieve is greatly appreciated. I will not accept "children like him fall through the cracks" which is a quote I received from his third grade teacher. I will do anything to help him just as my son and daughter-in-law are willing to do. Thank you for any help you can give me. May you have a wonderful holiday season.
Best Regards – Sandra Peralta
Kiran,
I like your reporting, but I would like to make a suggestion. While Autism deserves coverage in the media, it gets its fair share already. There are many other debilitating syndromes/diagnoses that deserve attention as well. The Autism community has received countless benefits by all the media reporting. My son has Noonan Syndrome which is as common as 1 in every 2500 children yet no one reports on it beacuse there aren't any celebrity's kids who have this.
Here's a story for you: My insurance won't cover the $600 a week out of pocket I pay for my son's therapy, but if he was diagosed with Autism it would cover a good chunk of it. Why don't you report on the inequalities of insurnace providers coverage, the inequalities of certain state insurance laws and how this public insurance is not going to help people in my situation.
Ever think that he never had it in the first place?
I am so pleased that so much attention is being given here.
I would definitely like to be a part of any studies etc., also any info can be sent to my email. Thank you for caring. Our 6 year old little girl Ashlyn, has brought more joy to us and the people around her than most people get in a lifetime!
Glad to see real recovery and real psychology/medicine applied to this patient. There are so much hocus pocus cures and causes of Autism that it truly boggles the mind.
Great story! I only wish the recovery stories through BIOMEDICAL treatments would be shared with the public as well. This disorder is genetic/medical/environmental and there are numerous paths to healing. What works for one kid may not work for another. Too many recovery stories though correcting underlying medical issues, to deny that this is a medical/envrionmental problem.
Read "Changing the Course of Autism" by Dr. Byron Jepson. And check out
http://www.generationrescue.org
Tons of new research to prove this. Come on America, Wake the H*** Up!!
Our son is recovering as I write this. Thank God for the scientists, doctors, and parents who've had the courage to take their heads out of the sand and continue to gain more and more knowledge on this dreadful disease. You've helped save my son!!!
See it's great that the parents kept the faith and never gave up. These parents and all who helped needs to be comended for all their hard work. You go Jake that mountain is as high as you want it to be. So climb it.
As a behavioral therapist, I practice ABA every day teaching children on the spectrum to read, write, use their language. It is an uphill battle for all the families that I work with. It is hard and I respect every last one of my families and children SO MUCH! I love what I do and have seen things get better or turn around completely for the children I work with. Thank you, CNN, for this burst of hope in and reminder of what I strive for in my day!
Thanks, Kiran, for this beautiful story. I have never heard of such a thing, reversals of autism, entire reversals. I still don't really "get" what autism is. Is it neurological? Psychological? Is the rampant autism we're experiencing in our society the result of something in the environment? Chemicals? Over-stimulation? I will watch the special but I don't expect to understand it any better afterwards (I've watched a lot of specials about autism). Happy Holidays to the Exkorn family!
My son was diagnosed at 19 months and started to show progress with extensive ABA therapy (30+ hours per week). Today you cannot distinguish him from a typical 4 and half year old, with just a few deficits he is now 90% in development compared to 40% were he started. Parents do not let the shock of the diagnosis put you in a coma, you are your child's advocate! Fight and do what ever it takes to get them in early intervention, never give up! I did research 16 hours a day and camped out at therapy centers until I was assigned the necessary therapy.
I was so happy to hear this story. During college while studying to be a Physical Therapist I was trained to be a ABA trainer with one little boy. Wow, it was amazing to see the transformation with him. I have since lost touch with the family but I can only pray he is doing as well as Jake. Thank you for the story!
this is exciting news and offers much hope for many families. Much more research is needed and there needs to be a serious nod toward Jennie McCarthy and what she has done with her child thorough diet, craniosacral therapy, etc.
Kinda harsh, no hope for a kid with autism, there always is.
As a parent of a 5 year old very bright, Autistic child, we belive in every word of this journey.
Our son, Ali Fuad was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified) when he turned 3 years of age. It was a feeling I would never forget in my life. I still remember the very moment this was pronounced to us.
We started looking into all avenues and stumbled upon ABA therapy and speech therapy. After 3 months of ABA therapy we pretty much exhausted all our money. Whats more, even though the state of Texas clearly instructs the insurance companies to insure autistic children, we could not get a single penny back from them. We continued the speech therapy and at age 5 Ali is a very smart, out-going and almost normal kid. He started special ed Pre-K at his school but within the same year he was transferred to a program that had 20% autistic kids. That has done wonders for him. Keeping him close to normal kids was the best thing happened to Ali and today he is going to a regular Kindergarten and is meeting all his goals.
My take on ABA is, it may not be for everyone, but you have to try out every possible avenue. These kids can learn. we have seen many success stories. the key is persistence and belief that the child will do just fine. He needs extra help and he will do just fine.
Gamze & Tanveer Khan
Houston TX
When you bring your son to the doctor, the doctor will tell all people your son is autism. Then he became a true autism child.
I thought this was interesting. Hope you are having good holidays!!
My wife works with autistics, 6 and 7 days a week and I know from seeing it first hand the parents that would sell their souls for their child to say 'nilla'...
Hey Karen.. Wonderful news.. We too have a similar story. Our youngest was also diagnosed as severely autistic at the age of 3. He too received 40 hrs/week of ABA therapy and today, at age 15, He received Principle's honors with his last report card (Grade 9), works at McDonalds and is enjoying a happy and healthy life. We prayed so hard.. He is our miracle. We are so happy to hear your story. I hope that our testimonies will be encouraging and will bring hope to other parents
What this report fails to say is that therapy is extremely expensive for the average family. I can't stand to hear news reports on autism say "all you have to do is..." It does absolutely no good to diagnose your child at 18 months if you can't afford therapy and insurance companies refuse to pay for it. You are at the mercy of the public schools, which may provide few, if any, services to treat autism.
What a beautiful and inspiring story! My son was also diagnosed with a autism spectrum disorder last year, and he participated in the Early Steps program here in Florida. It really made a difference. I would love for him to go through ABA, but I cannot afford it right now.... He is, nonetheless, making improvements, and each little word or advancement is a blessing!
I have two grandsons (same family) with autism – one severely. the most severe is now 9 but was not diagnosed till 5 – when they went to enroll him in school. even though he said only a few words (always in a jumble), never looked at anyone in the eyes and always wanted to spin around continuously and never wear clothes-
his brother born a few years after him started acting exactly like the older brother and was confirmed also having autism but this time it was early- 3 yrs old when this boy was diagnosed and school and the medical people got him home and school help and now he is normal at 5 yrs old!!! he is very smart and doing things you are taught in second grade and talks and looks at people in their eyes and acts just like a normal kid – not sure if he ever had autism to begin with as he could have just been mimicking the older brother – or was the medical and schooling that great to turn him totally around? this is an amazing story for sure!!!! I hope they find out a cure once and for all so that others do not suffer. By the way, the older brother had help also and helped him a lot but he is still severely autistic where the family cannot go anywhere with him – and what happens to the people raising these kids? they need help too coping with the problems!
Thank you Ms. Chetry – It's great to finally see an autism recovery story in the mainstream press. It's about time – because there are many other kids out there who share the same story. It's a shame we don't hear more of these stories of hope amid the worst public health crisis facing America today (1 in less than every 100 children).
In some cases, you don't hear about them because their parents, upon witnessing such rapid improvement, keep their diagnosis a relative secret to protect the child from being unfairly labeled when they enter mainstream society. My son is one of them. He'll start regular kindergarten next year like everyone else, no support, no services whatsoever, after years of intense therapy since he was two.
But I suspect that more often, our public health authorities and the pharmaceutical industry make sure these stories are rarely heard. The perception that autism is a treatable, even reversible, disorder simply doesn't jive with the fiercely-defended notion that autism is a purely genetic brain disorder and the medical profession has few clues yet on what's causing it.
There seems to be a grave fear that the public will soon recognize what some researchers already know – "autism" in most cases today is an environmental disease preying on genetically-susceptible children. And the list grows longer every day.
My son is living proof that autism is reversible if you treat the underlying chemistry. No doubt, ABA is tremendously effective – he had 40 hrs per week for nearly two backbreaking years. But I'm convinced that his most pronounced changes resulted from treatment by a respected pediatric neurologist that reduced toxic load on his little immune system – but apparently that doesn't "have the science behind it."
This is a very heart warming story and the type of fantasy most parents of an autistic child dream about. My son (who is the same age as Jake) was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (PDD NOS) at 3 and underwent ABA and early intervention. When he was older we sent him to a school where there was a very high teacher to student ratio and where he was integrated with typical children. While we have seen great progress and our son is truly amazing, every day has it's challenges. He still needs a lot of assistance with his ability to get things done (executive skills) and socialization is always a challenge. To the casual observer our son is a very intelligent, self sufficient and engaging boy – but many things in his life are a struggle.
My fear is that reading a story like this, people will think there is a miracle cure. The truth is that every kid has their own challenges and there is no one right answer. As well, much focus has been placed on early intervention but support for adolescents and adults with autism should not be ignored.
I would like to know if this family followed the vaccination schedule. And wether the batch and lots were preserved with thimerasol.
Great story, I have a similar one. Our son was diagnosed with PDD at age 2 , and went thru regular Early Intervention for speech and OT and then had the ABA therapy till age 3 after which he became eligible for special assistance in school. Today at the age of 4 and a half , he is absolutely normal, even above average (especially in academics), loves playing with kids his age , takes interest in everything we do, read/writes , plays on the computer. Couldnt have asked for a better child...
Reading this article today is very difficult. A young child here in Nova Scotia died just today. He suffered from autism and on Saturday, Dec 5th he walked away from his house in to the woods. He was not found for 38 hours but he was alive. A severe winter storm hit on Sunday. The boy, James Delorey, was not wearing warm clothing. His dog followed him in to the woods and authorities believe huddled down with him. Unfortunately, he died at the Children's HOspital in Halifax early this morning. Because the child was not able to speak, he could not call out for help nor have the ability to respond even if he could hear the people behind massive search and rescue attempt. So very sad.
Early intervention is key to improving your child's outcome, and more indigent parents need to be told what resources are available long before the child starts school.
That being said, it is highly irresponsible to have the story of a child who "recovered" from autism. Is this to boost "feel-good" ratings during the holiday season? Why not show the reality of autism and how having an autistic child during the holidays only increases a parent's stress level. We don't go caroling or shopping, or even try and have our children sit on Santa's lap, not unless Santa wants to be choked or bit.
Plenty of us parents work very hard on improving our child's development when he/she shows the signs and symptoms of autism. Your implication is clear, with enough hard work, or maybe if we cared more, our children would've been cured as well. -KB
I thought of Kenny. I hope you find this inspiring.
Love,
Gab
You guys should have mentioned how expensive and dificult it is to do ABA. It is not covered by insurance and public school districts do not do it. It would be interesting for you to cover what is going on with the majority of the children with autism, not just the flashy miracle-like cases.
How about that?
This is great, but how did this family pay for it? Our son has autism and the State is always trying to cut his services. We'd love 40 hours a week fo this, but we can't even get 2 hours of speech therapy. We are abandoning a whole generation of autistic children, because no one is willing to provide the resources for these crucial early interventions that most parents can't afford.
Interesting article on effect of aggressive and early intevention for autism ?? recovery
Your story is very depressing and uncalled for, you could have approached this story in a positive way instead you just did what everyone else did.
Sounds like my son Caleb's life. The only exception is that we got him into a pre-cat class with an excellent teacher named Lisa Woolsley. Lisa had told us that he was a smart child and to never let our son be put into a special ed class. We took her advice and he's been bringing home honor roll certificates his entire life. Sadly, Lisa passed away from cancer at the young age of 32 a couple of years after teaching Caleb. I guess the only tribute we could give her postumously is that Caleb's name is the first one on the local Civic Associations "Student of the Year" (or something like that) plaque that is in the schools cafeteria that was renamed in her honor.
I'd be interested to know if Jake was given any antibiotics (for ear infections, etc.) between the ages of 2-4 when he recovered. Why? Because if his autism was caused by Lyme Disease (gestational or acquired), that would explain his miraculous recovery. I wish CNN would do a story on Lyme-induced autism, because there are many, many autistic children out there who have recovered due to treatment of the underlying cause–a spirochetal infection known as Lyme Disease. If you look at the areas of the country that have the highest rates of autism, they are also the areas of the country that are highly endemic for Lyme Disease. This is not a coincidence; it is the clue to finding a cure. If you are reading this and are the parent of an autistic child, please pursue the Lyme-autism connection. Thank God I did, because I recovered both of my children.
This is a very encouraging article. However, the frustration I have personally with ABA is that the cost is too high for many people. I woulld have loved to have had this for my now 19 year old autistic son but could not afford it and could not get funding for it from the school distrcit nor from our regional center( we live in San Jose CA). My son was put into a traditional autism preschool program which does not have nearly the intensity that is required to get the results like the one reported here. I put him into what I could afford such as university programs for Sensory Integration with Occupational Therapy students. And then when he was five into an afternoon recreation and socialization program which again does not provide the intensive therapy needed. He is today a very happy person, but is nonverbal with no educational skills. He will need 24 hour supervision and public assistance for life. I am grateful that he is happy but wonder what he could have been like had ABA programs been more affordable or provided by school districts or health providers as a standard treatment for people with autism.
That's awesome. My neighbor is autistic. I can only imagine how that must have felt for the mother.
A truly great summarization of the source of autism in the brain is in the last two chapters of the book 'Blink'. The medical and scientific community know that we have two distinct parts of the brain used to recognize and interact with objects, and one with people/socially.
Autism, in general terms, is when the brain begins using the object recognition/interaction part of the brain for people too.
So, I am so happy to hear that therapy is paving the way toward re-training the brain to re-wire itself to put little minds back into the social part of their brain. Stroke victims can rewire their brain – and that's when there's physical damage. So, it stands to reason that a non-damaged brain can be re-wired/reprogrammed with the right therapy.
Truly awesome!
I was born with a mild form of autism. I have recovered to about 90%, but still have some issues. Autism is not always good, but I have maganged to deal with it during my adult life.
Could it be that he was misdiagnosed with autism? I have two children with autism. My daughter was clinically diagnosed at 22 mo. At age 8 she was re-evaluated and told she doesn't fit the all the criteria. Instead they slapped anxiety disorder, severe language disorder with autistic like behaviors. I think it can be difficult to correctly diagnose some kids, but it's a mind game for the parents. My son has classic autism which makes his diagnosis much easier. To lose the diagnosis by age 4 is questionable. I believe in early intervention and believe autism symptoms may improve, but not totally be eliminated.
Don't want your child to develop autism? Don't get them vaccinated!
Odds were that he suffered from Sensory Perception Disorder, rather than Autism. More and more doctors are diagnosing children with Autism because Sensory Processing Disorder therapies are not covered by insurance policies.
I am glad to see that this boy is thriving.
I have a similar story to share. My son Aditya was identified with Autism and like Jake is completely cured. Today, he is in his first year at University specializing in Electrical Engineering.
Autism was noticed when my son was around 18 months old and it was a long haul of 5 years. Without the efforts and great support from my wonderful wife this would not have been possible.
Early intervention is a must for its cure.
Ram
How's Trica's little bother doing. This is an interesting article. Maybe you could email it to them.
Susie
Assuming he's immumized.
Dx'd at 17 months, right after his 15 month MMR.
Thank you for this article. It provides a ray of hope that autism need not be a prison if it is recognized early. We need to educate family physicians and the like to understand that autisim can be beaten with concentrated efforts.
Thank you so much for posting this story. My son was diagnosed with Autism at 3 1/2 and I began ABA work with him just before his 4th birthday. Since that time he has made outstanding progress. He is now 6.
This story brought tears to my eyes because when a family receives the diagnosis of Autism, there is no treatment plan. The treatment that you select for your child is a gamble. There is so much information out there and everyone has a story about what works for them. It makes me feel very excited to hear such a wonderful success story in Jake. I understand that every child is different but his success brings us all hope.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.
This is a fantastic story. Now that there's some research to support years of anecdotal evidence (plus the Surgeon General), insurance companies should be required to cover ABA therapy. 40 hours of ABA therapy/week can easily cost a family $50,000/year. Most states do not require insurance companies to cover ABA therapy, so insurance companies don't cover it. Autism is a neurological condition, and as such should be treated as a medical condition.
We have had a similar transformation, but in our case the problem was a sinus related hearing loss, one that took years to find and diagnose. Autism is over diagnosed. If you are questioning a diagnosis of Autism, and your child does not repond to music – one of our clues – consider soft tissue Xrays of the lower skull. One twenty minute operation later we had a different child, although years of work to overcome sensory deprivation followed.
It is so great to hear about a child who has grown up after having the autism diagnosis taken away. I have two boys who have overcome autism, and I wonder what kind of teenagers they will be sometimes. I'm glad to hear the early intervention word is getting around!
What a wonderful story. My son, too, has autism. He is 15 and non-verbal and undergoes the exact same therapy. Unfortunately, even though he has made many strides, he is not cured. However, I will NEVER give up hope.
I hope this boy continues to thrive.
That is fantastic. I have to salute the parents for their continued devotion and support for their son. I could be wrong, but the family looked like they had a little bit of money and could afford such treatment. With our health care system in shambles in this country, I can only imagine what poor or less fortunate families are and will go through to help their children.
We need to look into this treatment and try to help as many children as possible.
What if the next Einstein or Thomas Edison is locked away in his mind with autism?
What a loss for all of us that would be.