DRISCOLL SEEKING PARENTS OF KIDS WITH AUTISM
TO PARTICIPATE IN PARENT MENTORING GROUP
ASSISTING IN CREATING NEW RESOURCE LIBRARY

If you are interested in participating in Driscoll Children’s Hospital’s
Autism Parent Mentoring Group, please call (361) 694-4423.

(Corpus Christi, TX) Autism is a life-long, neurological developmental disability that can hinder individuals from comprehending what they see, hear, and otherwise sense.  This can result in severe problems of social relationships, communication, and behavior.  It is often termed the “ultimate learning disability.”  As one of the most common developmental disabilities, autism affects one and a half million people (2 to 6 births in 1,000 are diagnosed with autism) in the United States, where 4 out of 5 children with autism are boys. 

Driscoll Children’s Hospital is currently looking for parents of children with autism to participate in a new Autism Parent Mentoring Group to participate in the development of a new Family Resource Library.  The library, slated for a late summer grand opening, will serve autistic parents and their families in the area served by Driscoll Children’s Hospital.  To volunteer for the Autism Parent Mentoring Group, call (361) 694-4423.

Designed to help 1^st-time parents of children diagnosed with autism, the new Family Resource Library will offer a myriad of resources including books, informational packets, and internet access to better help them understand the diagnosis, therapeutic techniques, history, new research, what is and isn’t covered by insurance, etc.  In addition, there will be a quite place for mentoring opportunities between parents more experienced with autism and those with newly diagnosed children.  They can share first-hand experiences of what to expect and emotions they may be feeling.  Driscoll will add additional resources dealing with all other diagnostic areas (i.e. cochlear implants, cerebral palsy, juvenile arthritis, etc.) in the future.  Currently, Driscoll serves approximately 45 kids with autism, ranging from 2 to 15-years-old.

When treating children with autism, Driscoll uses a team approach including physicians, psychologists, occupational and speech therapists, as well as parents and family members.  Therapists use a visual literacy-sensory integration approach.  They combine functional activities and literacy to promote both communication and remediation of sensory-motor deficits.  Visual communication books (designed by the parent and speech therapist) combined with functional activities at home promotes carryover of therapy strategies.

About Autism …

Autism is a brain disorder, present from birth, which affects the way the brain uses information.  It is best considered as a disability on a continuum from mild to severe.  The cause of autism is still unknown.  Some research suggests a physical problem affecting those parts of the brain that process language and information coming in from the senses.  There may be some imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain.  Genetic factors may also be involved.  Distributed throughout the world among all races, nationalities, and social classes, autism may also be a result from a combination of several “causes.” 

Some individuals with autism have to learn normal patterns of speech for intelligibility and communication.  In addition, they have to learn alternative strategies to relate to people, objects, and events – in a similar manner to those who have had a stroke.  The degree of severity differs from person to person, but usually includes the following severe delays in both language development and understanding social relationships, inconsistent patterns of sensory responses, uneven patterns of intellectual functioning, and marked restriction of activity and interests.  In addition, people with autism often experience extreme hyperactivity or unusual passivity in relating to parents, family members, and other people. 

Autism is treatable as studies have shown that all people who have autism can improve significantly with proper intervention.  Many individuals become more responsive to others as they learn to understand the work around them.

Happy 50^th birthday!  Since opening its doors in 1953, Driscoll Children’s Hospital has been offering hope and healing to the children of South Texas for half a century.  The facility is a 200-bed pediatric tertiary care center with pediatric board-certified specialists representing 19 medical and nine surgical specialties.  The facility’s referral area spans 31,000 square miles, making it larger than the state of South Carolina, and offers care to children throughout the Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley. 

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