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HALTON TRANSMISSION 559 SPEERS ROAD, UNIT #3 (905) 842-0725 dentistoakville.com 905-842-6030 www.carstaroakville.com SNA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2010 ontario's top newspaper - 2005-2008 Beaver Trails 905-8457579 905-847 -2595 2212 Wyecroft Rd. 547 Trafalgar Rd. A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 50 No. 133 "Using Communication To Build Better Communities" THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 40 pages $1.00 (plus tax) Unlocking autism mystery with diet, programs Somewhere in Ontario, a child would rather line up his toy cars than navigate them through an invisible maze. Somewhere in Ontario, a mother looks at her child and instinctively wonders. A doctor tells a father they should wait and see. Somewhere in Ontario, the diagnosis is confirmed -- autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Approximately one in every 100 children lives with autism, a neurodevelopmental spectrum disorder that impedes a person's ability to communicate and make friends. Statistics indicate about one per cent of the population is on the spectrum. In Hamilton, some 5,000 individuals are caught in its fog. The cause of the disorder remains unknown, but researchers believe the secret is in the genes. By Catherine O'Hara and Julie Slack, writers Eric Riehl, photographer METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Autism spectrum disorder is shrouded in mystery. Scientists have uncovered genetic links associated with the condition, which affects one in roughly 100 individuals living in the community; yet, no definite cause has been identified. With no cure for autism, families affected by the disorder have turned to a variety of therapies that have proven successful in alleviating its wide-ranging symptoms. But accessing help is easier said than done. This is the third of a four-part Metroland series, Navigating Through the Fog, that attempts to piece together the puzzle of autism. Despite the fog that envelops autism, interesting trends have emerged. These developments have allowed medical professionals to take different approaches when attempting to quell the disorder's symptoms, which manifest themselves physiologically and developmentally. For the parents, caregivers and those living with autism, headlines like "Baby communication gives See Cost page 14 ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog A MODEL approach: Julia Davidson, who has autism, participates in white clay therapy with Cathy Dodge Smith, director of the Oakville Success Centre, the first of its kind in Canada, using the Davis Autism approach. Dodge Smith opened her centre to The Oakville Beaver for its four-part series Navigating Through The Fog.