On Wheelchairs (World Autism Day)

My family and I are vacationing at Walt Disney World.  It really is the happiest place on earth...except at 1pm as we are dragging a weary three year old back to our hotel for a nap on a crowded bus.  We are surrounded by smiling faces and sticky fingers, by princesses and monsters, by magic and innovation.  One thing that I have noticed over and over again is the number of people in wheelchairs.  It's incredible to see how these parks have made it possible for the physically disabled to experience just about everything that my able-bodied family is enjoying.  From the buses and parking lots to the restaurants and rides, there are designated accommodations for individuals and families arriving with wheelchairs. (The Small World ride has a boat specifically for passengers in wheelchairs and their companions.  Amazing.)

Sound-muffling headphones are a simple accommodation
to make Disney World enjoyable for everyone

Tonight, I found myself imagining the world before the invention of wheelchairs.  What was it like to break a leg or suffer some other injury that prevented a person from walking?  What was it like to suddenly find yourself paralyzed from the waist down, or to give birth to a child whose legs didn't work?  Most people were probably bed-ridden, trapped in their homes or medical facilities (or, let's be honest, some sort of depressing invalid ward).  And prospects would have been infinitely better for those experiencing a short-term affliction versus those whose diagnosis meant lifelong confinement.  Families were probably distraught over the loss of their loved ones' mobility, as it would require more time and effort to care for this person, and there was no way he would ever earn a wage or live on his own.

Historians have found evidence from thousands of years ago that the Chinese invented a wheeled device for transporting people, but wheelchairs as we know them didn't come about until the early 1900's, and it was only the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 that led to the wide spread accommodations currently in place.  In other words, it's been a long time coming.  The physically disabled have always been with us.  We haven't cured disability, but we've made it possible to live full lives in spite of it.  (I used to work with a guy who used a wheelchair.  He drove himself each day in a car specially equipped with hand controls.  I'm pretty sure he earned more than me too.)

I can't see the destination but I love watching the journey

And here I am, on April 2nd aka World Autism Day, engaging in a Facebook debate about cures vs. accommodation.  Shouldn't people be researching a cure for autism?  Wouldn't you rather that your child didn't have this neurological disorder?  Maybe it's too late for your family, but shouldn't future cases of autism be prevented?  To each of these questions, let me quote from the website www.cerebralpalsy.org:
  "Treating cerebral palsy is almost as complex as the condition is, and there's no cookie-cutter approach because each individual is affected differently.  Although the brain injury that causes cerebral palsy cannot be healed, the resulting physical impairment can be managed with a wide range of treatments and therapies.  Although there is no universal protocol developed for all cases, a person's form of cerebral palsy, extent of impairment, and severity level help to determine care."
The course of treatment recommended includes:  optimizing mobility, managing primary conditions, controlling pain, preventing and managing complications, enhancing social interactions and fostering self-care, maximizing learning potential, and providing quality of life.  Reads like a caregiver's guide for autism as well.  And this is why I don't think finding a cure for autism is a good use of science or funding.

James' smile is the cure for my grumpy moods

Autism is a neurological difference.  It doesn't need a cure.  It does require a course of treatment, therapies and interventions and managing its effects.  Just as the wheelchair has transformed the lives of individuals with physical differences (be it injury or fatigue or muscular spasticity), our autistic loved ones need accommodation for their brains.  I believe research is better spent finding the Autism Wheelchair.  First, because unlike an autism cure, autism interventions and assistance actually exist.  Second, because this will make not only the lives of future generations better, it will make a world of difference RIGHT NOW.

Over a million Americans use wheelchairs to participate in the world around them, to take vacations and work and go out to eat.  More than 3 million Americans are living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.  They don't want to be "fixed", they just want to be heard.  Instead of eradicating them, I suggest we listen.

www.autisticadvocacy.org
http://www.autism-society.org
http://muleandmuseproductions.com/blog/
http://jerobison.blogspot.com
https://emmapretzel.wordpress.com