A young couple has a beautiful happy baby boy. As he grows he learns to walk, and he begins to say a few words. His mother and father talk at night about what he will grow up to be… a doctor, a CEO of a major business, or maybe a fireman.

But, then something happens: they can't pinpoint the date or time when they started wondering if something was wrong with their son, but at some point they realize that there is a problem. He will not look at them, and tantrums become the norm. The few words that they had been so proud of they don’t hear as much. It feels like their child is slowly fading away.

They go to their local pediatrician, and they are told that it’s just a phase. The parents return home a little uneasy, not quite sure. They wait another month and it gets worse instead of better. They decide to do some research on their own. After hours of searching they take their precious child to a developmental pediatrician. After months of waiting, they finally have an answer. Their son is diagnosed with autism. A million questions swirl through their minds. What does autism mean? Is there treatment? What do we do now? This article will hopefully create some light at the end of a tunnel, as well as offer hope to the many parents of children with autism who are struggling day in and day out.

The incident rate for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has steadily increased over the last 10 years. The level of awareness by the media and the general public has also been on the rise. Is it an epidemic, or are we just diagnosing it better? Autism occurs across races, social status, income levels and religions. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that in the United States now one child in 166 is diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, and that it is more common in boys than girls.

Autism is a developmental disorder that is usually diagnosed before the age of three years. ASD is comprised of several specific disorders, each with their own name. On the high end of the spectrum is Asperger’s Disorder; others include Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified, Autism and Rhett’s Disorder. In general, people on the spectrum have problems with language, social interaction and sensory deficits. Autism is a neurological disorder whose cause still is not known. A child is diagnosed with this disorder on the basis of behavioral criteria. Some common signs of autism would be lack of language, no eye contact, lack of engagement with their family and/or peers, eye blinking, hand flapping, repeated spinning and many other symptoms.

Children with milder, higher functioning autism or Asperger’s Disorder mostly have deficits in social skills, and language problems are often tied to difficulties with social communication. They often have a sophisticated vocabulary, as well as very specific and intense interests.

Even as recently as 10 years ago, parents with children with autism were told their children would have to be institutionalized. For many parents, this just was not an acceptable solution. So is there hope for today’s autistic children to become effective and valuable citizens? Yes! The key is early intervention. The earlier a child can be identified, diagnosed, and begin receiving treatment, the more this treatment can positively affect the chemistry of the child’s brain. This has significant impact on the path that child’s life will take.

There are many different treatment options that families have to choose from as they decide what is right for their child. These include alternatives ranging from speech and occupational therapy to applied behavior analysis to nutritional vitamins, diets and supplements.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA), which is backed by encouraging scientific evidence, is one of the most promising of these alternatives. ABA is based on using consequences to affect the outcome of a behavior. There are various methods and techniques used under the applied behavior analysis umbrella. These can include social stories, discrete trial teaching and incidental teaching. ABA has proven to be effective with all populations and age ranges, including people suffering from mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness and other conditions. Hope is here.

A new autism center has opened in the area on Brown’s Bridge Road. The North Georgia Autism Center, Inc., was founded last year by Jessica Pugh. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Jessica has a master’s degree in Psychology from Auburn University with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis and Developmental Disabilities. She has worked for a number of different agencies throughout the Southeast and has now moved back home to North Georgia.

The North Georgia Autism Center, Inc. provides a variety of services including working one-on-one with the child and providing training classes for parents and professionals, as well as offering social skills classes, consultations and school consultations.

To learn more, contact the Center at 5285 Lake Pointe Center Dr., Suite C, Cumming, GA 30041, call 770-844-8624, or visit on-line at www.northgeorgiaautismcenter.com.