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Written by Greg Bird
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Friday, 10 April 2009 |
To a casual observer Caleb Chambers seems a typical third grader. He enjoys playing video games, watching cartoons and hanging out with his friends.
to a casual observer Caleb Chambers seems a typical third grader. He enjoys playing video games, watching cartoons and hanging out with his friends.
But Caleb isn’t like the other children his age. He can sometimes be withdrawn and emotional, the only signs that he is one of 1.5 million people with autism.
Caleb is one of a growing number of children diagnosed with autism, a brain development disorder that affects his communication and ability to interact with others.
But this plucky student isn’t letting autism slow him down.
Caleb is a straight A student, a member of the Pine Knot Elementary Wrestling team who has won a state championship and an avid video game player.
It is estimated that autism affects one in every 150 children and the numbers have been steadily growing as medical research becomes more attuned to the disorder and diagnostic techniques evolve. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and more than 1.5 million people may have some form of autism; and that number is growing.
Autism is considered a “spectrum disorder” that affects different people in different ways. The spectrum is large, going from practically no verbal communication to children like Caleb, who are considered “high functioning.” A high functioning autistic child has a average to high IQ and adequate vocabulary, but their comprehension level may still be behind their peers and they may exhibit less emotional content in their speech.
The United Nations designated April 2nd as World Autism Day in an effort to raise awareness of the condition and inform people of the warning signs of the condition.
According to the Autism Society of America the characteristic signs of autism usually become apparent between the ages of 2 and 6 years old. Warning signs include no babbling or gesturing by 12 months of age, not speaking single words by 16 months, or two word phrases by 24 months.
Exhibiting these signs does not necessarily mean a child has autism, but it is recommended that the child be evaluated by trained medical technicians.
The ASA states: “People with autism also process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits: Insistence on sameness; resistance to change, difficulty in expressing needs; using gestures or pointing instead of words, repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language, laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason; showing distress for reasons not apparent to others, preference to being alone; aloof manner, tantrums, difficulty in mixing with others, not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled, little or no eye contact, unresponsive to normal teaching methods, sustained odd play, spinning objects, obsessive attachment to objects, apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain, no real fears of danger, noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity, uneven gross/fine motor skills, and non-responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing tests are in normal range.”
Caleb’s mother, Amber, first noticed something wasn’t right when he was two years old. “He wasn’t speaking, even single syllable words, he was withdrawn and easily upset.”
At that time he was evaluated and diagnosed with developmental delay, and began a rigorous therapy program; four days a week with the First Steps program at Adanta.
In preschool Caleb continued his treatment, receiving speech, physical, developmental and occupational therapy.
It wasn’t until Caleb entered kindergarten at age five when was finally diagnosed with autism.
“He was in special education, but he was making straight A’s,” his mother said. “They took him out of special education and I was happy for him.”
“But I was noticing he was still having some speech problems and was awkward and backwards. I spoke with my pediatrician and they sent us to the Weiskoph Center.”
Caleb underwent a six-hour evaluation at the Weisskoph Child Evaluation Center at the University of Louisville where he was diagnosed as a High Functioning Autistic.
His mother said the treatment Caleb received at such a young age has helped him adjust to a normal life.
“Early intervention is so crucial,” she said. “He is doing so great with everything. He has never made under an A in his whole life.”
His mother and older sister, Kendra, serve a vital support role for Caleb. They encourage him to participate in outside activities and help him with his therapy. Kendra would help Caleb with his speech therapy when he was younger by going over vocabulary terms with him.
“I have two wonderful children,” Amber said. “She has been so much help to me and Caleb.
It was also Kendra who got Caleb interested in wrestling. When he was just in Kindergarten, Caleb would accompany his sister to practice and learned to love the sport.
“I like it because it is physical,” Caleb says of the sport. The young grappler already has two second place state finishes and won his division in 2007 when the McCreary County Elementary Wrestling Team won the overall state title.
Caleb’s favorite class in school is math, and he plans to use his skills in the future, with dreams of becoming a video game designer.
Having a child with autism can be a challenge for any family, but the Chambers’ are proof that it is possible.
“I want people to know that it is not the end of the world,” Amber said. “He’s just amazing. I’m proud of him no matter what. I hope he grows up and has a family of his own.”
While many autistic children need constant care and may never achieve full independence, Caleb doesn’t believe that his autism is a hindrance.
“It makes me smart and it makes me special,” he proudly says.
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