Autism: Still A Mystery
Even As Care Improves

Where to begin on a discussion of Autism?

That was the dilemma facing the Advisory Board of To Your Good Health, A Health Care Newsletter, at its most recent meeting at the Four Points by Sheraton Resort in Hyannis.

Start with a definition, complicated in itself

Dr. Herbert Mathewson, a retired pediatrician and medical director of the VNA of Cape Cod, points out that today Autism is considered a specific condition within a larger category called Autism Spectral Disorder.

Dr. Shannon Scarry, Medical Director and Chief of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry at Cape Cod Healthcare's Behavioral Health Services, elaborated, these consist of Autism; Asperger's disease, similar but without the speech difficulties and often with above-average IQs; plus two other more serious conditions, both leading to early death, RETT's Disorder, a degenerative disease seen mainly in girls, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, seen mostly in boys.

Concentrating on Autism, Dr. Mathewson points out that while there is "no specific diagnostic test, it often can be recognized by observing patterns of behavior during an office visit."

The basic clues are "poor social interaction with their parents or other kids in the room, the 'red flag' for a pediatrician, plus delayed speech and oftennervous tics or repetitive behavior."

Autism often becomes obvious by the age of three, but symptoms can begin appearing as early as 18 months.

The number of cases of Autism has increased significantly over the last several years, even on Cape Cod. That's clear.

The most recent available state statistics for Cape schools show that there were 115 autistic children representing 8.9 percent of the student body in the 2002-03 school year, 127 or 9.8 percent in 2003-04 and 139 or 10.7 percent in 2004-05. These increases also are reflected throughout the Commonwealth as well as nationally. Click Here to read more

Elsewhere In This Issue
State Survey Shows Consumers Give High Grades To Cape Nursing Homes
Challenge Into Opportunity The Family Way That's Sheehan's Cape Medical Supply Story