Harold Monteau: Raising awareness about autism in Indian Country

Autism is not prevalent in Native American Communities, which may be due to the lack of awareness and lack of resources for diagnosis, or even that genetic factors linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may not be prevalent in Native American populations. The age of parents has a statistical significance in ASD, with older parents being more likely to have a child with some form of ASD.

I am not a Doctor, but I am the parent of a very wonderful and loving (and loved) child with ASD and this article is written from that perspective. This is not medical advice. It’s just what I have discovered and experienced as a parent. If you suspect that your child has shown symptoms or you suspect that it may run in your family, consult a Pediatrician or Family Doctor. They can recommend further diagnosis from professionals that specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of symptoms.

ASD is not “retardation” but in extreme cases can cause the child to be almost non-functional, but in most cases the child is “Functionally Autistic” and be of normal intelligence (and sometimes above normal intelligence) while delayed in speech, small motor capability, maturity and experience delays or lack of “social” behavior or skills. There is no cure, at least yet, and treatment is aimed at controlling the behavioral manifestations with medicine taken internally and some “topical” treatments that seem to have positive effects Native Americans may be ahead of the ball on the latter as a consequence of use of “Traditional Remedies” and “Holistic Treatment. Then again, I may be prejudiced.