The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

AS-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 KARFNSr' B TT TT 7 (905) 878-2881 Now's the time to educate about autism Still a general lack of understanding about the condition, says rnotlter of auistic boy By Stephanie Hounseil CANADIAN C HAMPION STAFF Mitoniatii Tracy Reigef kilo\\,,-s xxa fiaiý isfke ici base judgtîieiitaf pîeople sîfettî take in fîci sonsî apparent terriper tanîruitis anîd xvoîdeî wfîaî kind of a tîtotiier she is. It bappens iii the mnail, ini restacurats, ti the hospttaf. But xx'lat ifiose people duin't fiiov is îlî.î fîve s ear-tîid Cittncir is atîsîîc 1-lis occasitîually aggressîx'e beitaviottir diiesu t sietît frciin a desîre iii get xx fai fie wauts, but frotu a desîte lu ctritnuiiicatc anîd au ox'erwbeliitg setîse cof frustratioin wb.et be catît seeni ti do tuai. \Vitf A1îrif betng Acîtîsin Xxacîs Munîb, ils Ttacx"s quesi iii fîip edcc,î ltocal residenîs about autîsîn. Forîutiatey, pîeople seetît tu be far tmtre aware ibaî t iey xveîe fixe toi f0 years agti, but - as thte abtîve incidents suggest ifiere's still a lcong wxay lui gît Afier a few years tif lîecoîîîîîg îucredîibiy cipset wfîeîî peuple confrîîuted fier abolit Contur's bebavîtîni, Tracy caite up wîîb a unique scolution. Aims to edueate Site now takes ont ber wafieî and fîands the individual an 'autisut awareness carci. On une sf de are tbe words: -My ciifd's bebaviour may seeni surprîsîng to y'utt Oit the otber are facis albout autisîn. "It raises awareîîess anîd 1 don t bave to get into a big verbal explanatiori," she saîd. Accordîng to Autisni Onîtario, autîsm ix a neurologîcal disorder ibat imnpacts typîcaf brarn developient in tbe areas of coimmuni- cation and social interaction. Recetît research bas found till ini 165 peuple hase auîîsm, says the Autîstît Ontario website. lu Ontarioi, there arc abtout 70,000 petople wiîb the discîrdet - sotiîe iîgli hutte tîîîîîîîg, sortie ntitl Tracy and ber fîusbauci Andrew, futexe sutietfiug, wasîî t rîgbî xiii titeir stot qîtîte eaîly ou. Ftor tue first s ear tif bis fife, ex'eryting secîned f'ine. Btut scioni afti, tfîîugs seeîîîed (u change, Tracy said - cuîîîîîîcîîî cf acîtistît. xx'lere cbildreîî wbî apîpear tî dex'efup tîtît îîîaiiy eau rcgress. [bete x'as a reaf facis tif ctîîîîîîuîîîcatîtîî -vocal anîd oîfierwixe - and eye contact. toniior dîdît t respcîud atyinore wîeîî lis nitane wxas caffeci i tiifsii pri, 11il., iii.' u lit Nit wat ifi sigwlîs ibe dicit pi( k HI) ()ilitiuî repei- ix e haxtour tlier xx tiîs of aut 'iîî ac c rdiiig to Atisin O)ntario, are lituticd social tuteract titou, bax'iug seniîstix'ties lt te fixe setises, a fack, of spontaneous play and atixitts or con- fusion. Flic Reigeis tccvdthe officital diagnosis, xxheu Cono \vait ,s tWvo ven o35tfld Tfhe cfoctoi wvas iess' tbfait tipiitiitic f le ttfd the parenîts Cono otittt d ses ere autistit and ifiat fie tf profiahis niexer speak. \fetyouii chîfd is fîrsî diagtttsecf its dex'astatitîg bec ,use yiuL (fot'[ kntîîx vi ft the Future fiolds,- Tracs said. ,)fie antd A\îdî w hefî,evec ifiai carintîîer- s crotin woufd ci kex li ýiiiitot, s t.e'fîp- ment. inforiruNI,î fhe vaitittg fisis li- gttx eruitienI funcfed Iutenive Beflaiîut ai initervetion (IBIU are loîng. Su die Reigefs dec idicî ii do ,îff iee cituit on tlieit tiwt aîs ifiey xaiîed Amis herself wfîh knowledge Tracy read esers btokl sie coufd ficf omn the subject antd atterideci every worksitup site coul d -There's nu tinie for waîîiîîg, Tracy said. She and bier liuxfiaud bireci a private tuer- apîsî andc aisti enritiiec C utntîr iii ciaxcare wbeu fie wxas iwoti i lief1i wîîh uts soîcial iterac tioun. Adaptiîîg Ici daycaîe wasn't easy for Cittnor. He screained and crieci, andt xii did Tracy, site admîuted. "But we knewm as liard as il was, il wax the bestinîîg for iiî Alter abolit a veat, Ctîînur was accepîîed ftot gcîsernîneîttfuîîded IBI fîased tlîerapîy, anduc he locirisîteci Xlilicugfi ptectple tifteit assumite ics ssiti autîsru dîti shîowx aîî, criotitît, Ti-a", expfaîîîed tuai in Ctîiiur case, fie sitifîfs needecl ic fie tauglît. Titis pasi sutiinet, Cono cluttîfi a tmile- sîtîte weî be tît icifs itîtîtî ti tue fîrt si te - sxiitticit fîcat îîg i t is il tua fie fus ec fier. C tîttîtr fias ctîrne a lonig xx as fie sjîeaks iii 10) ic f 2-wvîrci sentîenccs andci s fe,îîîîîîg iii read. lie stîciafîzes \xx'tii tter lods anîd is cfassîfîed as lîas'îîg îîîld ii itîtdert e - liii severe - autisîn. lYes. Cittitor fias acîtixtî, fîct autîsut GRAi-AM 'AINE / CANADIAN CHAMPION APPLE 0F HER EYE: Tracy Reigel gives five-yeaî-old son Connut a hug as he hoid hîs camera. doext base litîtt,' lits îîîîîî saîd. ie's cîîîîîîîuîîg tcî devefîp lis fatîguage skiffs, alîttugli tiiete wtlf fie a pcit 'wbeî fie plateatis, Tracy xaîd. lwo claxs a week, be gtiex to liavi iîtîrue V'illage Pubîlic Scfîîîîî, wfîere fies iin seiotr kîtîdergai teti x file tue tfeî tfîree fie gtîes iti tfierapx' -Cîîîîîîr ix a iieîergetîc, hiappy icîvaffe ktid," Tracy saîd. Site itee s fier xlii is xx fiere fie ix iîîclay becatîse tif the earf itntetrventiotn atnd tue wxay fies worfsec sti litardti the sariocis teat- itietits. Aitttîtgit chbalfenges afîîcucl, tucres ai xi a lot tif goîîd, Tracy explatiied. -Contitr fias tauglît tue a lot. Hes tauglit tue to appreciate the uitile tbings lit ifh." Sbe added il's aixo brougbî tbeir haîîîily cioxer togetber. Ctîîîors sîxter, eigbt-year- tîid Asfliiegb. ix greai xx'îtb lier fittie brtîer anîd litax adapteci viefi Tracy said, addîug, lix beexi cice tue tiîtrtey- fracy fitifes faîttifies iii sititlar situaionîîs wîli fie eîctîuîaged bN Cotntiors xiory. fI want fparetnts ttî fstîw thai autistît isu't thc endc tif' tue wîîrfd. 1 reîîîeîîîler wfîeî Coltî-î was ciîagîîtsecl say'iîg ti îîy fîcî- bandtî, 'I chut t waîîi fity tir pieople sayting tues te xci surry, fiecatîse tliet ex îîcîîbîg tcî bc sorî n aîbout.' 1 secîîf ii chîange Coiiîiîit fie's fît tii.ti s Sti itici jtiy. Fotr motre infotrmtiontu titi acîtîsii, sisit xs'wwautixîîîîîîtaî it.in Sicphtîîi fIctîttisixe cani bc i-caclîcd ii 7WCQGECG OT ATNSUI Laurier Plaza Cogeco Cable 5 /j 500 Laurier Avenue C[J1/1i9I4Milton, ON L91 4R3 Channel 14 905-878-9306