Children with autism spectrum disorders see the world differently

Annalysa Smyth has a smile that can melt your heart in an instant.

Within a few minutes of meeting her, she'll tell you about her horse named Spirit, how much she loves the first grade and all three "Shrek" movies or how she can identify a song by the first couple of notes.

She seems like any other 7-year-old who likes to chat, but Annalysa sees the world differently than most of her classmates at Central Elementary School. She has Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.

Annalysa's father, Doug, decided to shed some light on autism during National Autism Awareness Month in April by illuminating his house on Tabor Road with blue lights, and posting a "Light it up Blue" sign next to the street.

It's not a huge demonstration, but a celebration for Annalysa and others who have autism, he said.

According to the Autism Society of North Carolina, the N.C. Public School Statistical profile reported that the number of students on the autism spectrum in public schools outpaced overall student population growth by 14 percent.

Autism affects 1 in every 110 children, making it the second most common developmental disability, which includes Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Annalysa is different, Smyth said, but not in a negative way.

"She sees life through a different set of eyes," he said.

Annalysa doesn't differentiate between happy and sad, Smyth said. It is all the same to her.

Some of her behavior has raised eyebrows when they've been out in public, Smyth said, but they've learned that there are some behaviors she can control and some that she can't.

"I've learned more and more as she's gone through her special education," Smyth said. "A lot of people meet her and think she is a normal child."

Having a child with autism can be a balancing act. Annalysa, for example, needs medication to help her concentrate on her schoolwork. That same medication also diminishes her appetite, which has resulted in weight loss.

The staff at Central Elementary, particularly Annalysa's teachers, have gone out of their way to understand the complexities of her condition, while developing a workable school plan.

Smyth said he was surprised at the resources the school district put into helping Annalysa.

"There is not an expectation that she would move from the exceptional child program," Smyth said.

Kris Earl,assistant director of the Iredell-Statesville Schools' exceptional children program, said the school district uses the guidelines set by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to set up curriculum plans. IDEA ensures children with disabilities nationwide receive proper services, according to U.S. Department of Education.

The school district also has outside specialists who train district employees and work with the children. Teachers and the autism specialists on staff are also sent to N.C. Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children (TEACCH) training at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

The autism specialist on staff works with children who have been identified as autistic, and help the staff work with those who have not.

Mooresville resident Doreen Easton's son also has Asperger's syndrome. Like Smyth, she's witnessed the amount of focus her son Frank can put into a project, and how he will take the dissenting part of an argument and try to explain it.

Easton, the president of the Autism Society of Iredell County, said each autistic child is different, kind of like pieces in a puzzle. She said she knew her son was different when they moved to Iredell County from New York, and read the encyclopedia out loud for 10 hours.

The Autism Society of Iredell County is trying to get the word out to educate the school systems, the police departments and the community about the condition.

One of the group's ongoing projects is to provide programs for the Mooresville Police Department.

One of her biggest fears is Frank, who is now 20, being hit with a Taser gun if he runs from the police.

"It takes a lot of work to work with these kids," she said. "Their behavior can be socially inappropriate. Once they get on a subject, they will talk to anyone about it."

She used flash cards to help Frank understand when a topic was inappropriate or if she was done talking about something.

Easton said her son has come a long way, and is looking forward to taking classes at Mitchell Community College soon. She believes he would love to work with computers one day.

What works the best is early detection, Easton said.

"They want to be functioning members of society," she said.