Health

(WCCO) Jameson Melzer laughs as he runs around his backyard in River Falls, Wis. The almost-three-year-old doesn't usually act this way. Too often, said his mother Angela Rinehart, he seems lost, disconnected and rigid.

"If we don't stick with the routine, I mean it's a huge meltdown," said Rinehart. "I can laugh about it now, but I don't laugh about it at night."

Rinehart thinks Jameson may have autism. She's done her homework looking at Web sites like Autismspeaks.org. The site now has a video tool that shows typical and autistic behaviors side by side.

In one video, a typical child makes eye contact with the therapist who's playing with him. In the opposite video, the autistic child focuses on the toy and doesn't acknowledge the adult next to him.

Kids with autism struggle in three areas: social skills, language and behavior. Autism has increased dramatically in recent years.

To demonstrate how much more often autism is being diagnosed, consider one school district, the Minneapolis Public Schools. In 1986, Minneapolis reported 24 kids with autism. Last year, the district had 502 kids with autism. The number increased twenty-fold in 20 years.

This isn't a problem isolated to big city schools. Districts across the state report similar gains.

Part of the reason for the increase can be attributed to the definition. Autism Spectrum Disorder is an umbrella term for five developmental disorders.

Classic autism is one of them. Three others are Rett's Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Pervasive Development Disorder (Not Otherwise Specified), also known as PDD.

A fifth disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, was added to the list in 1994. It's a high-functioning type of autism. Imagine a kid who can read at age three, but can't play peek-a-boo.

"We find the earlier that we intervene, the better," said Dr. Shelly Brandl of Fraser. She said though there's no cure for autism, kids at Fraser do learn social skills and coping techniques.

Brandl has advice for parents who think their child may be autistic.

"They can go to their school district, they can go to their pediatrician or they can come to a center like Fraser where there are experts that can provide an evaluation," she said.

Earlier this year, Rinehart asked for help and got it with speech and occupational therapy for Jameson through their county's "Birth to Three" program. During an occupational therapy session, Jameson's therapist was asked if she thought the boy had autism.

"Y'know the eye contact is really hard for him," said Sandy Ball. "A lot of kids with autism have sensory issues, and he's showing some of those signs, too."

However, she can't say for sure whether he has autism.

"I'm not the person that diagnoses," said Ball.

Dr. Raymond Tervo is a person who can diagnose autism. A neuro-developmental pediatrician at Gillette Children's Hospital, he saw Jameson in September.

His early assessment was global developmental delay, meaning Jameson is behind in at least two areas. Tervo also noted symptoms of autism, too. He recommended several tests to pinpoint Jameson's health problems.

"What we're looking at now is getting more opinions from an extended team," he said.

Before Rinehart meets with Tervo again, she'll have 11 appointments related to her son's condition: a physical, an eye exam, psychology visits, even an MRI.

"I want the end to come. I'm waiting for the last appointment. It's been busy and tiring and exhausting. That's for sure," Rinehart said at one of the later appointments.

She was also busy meeting with the school district this fall. She was trying to get autism services from her school district, and she succeeded.

Finally, diagnosis day arrived. This is the day Rinehart will find out if her son will get a medical diagnosis of autism and possibly even more help,

Rinehart didn't expect to be confused by the diagnosis, but she was.

"I'm not seeing your son as autistic," said Tervo.

The psychologist who studied Jameson for him doesn't use the current criteria laid out in the DSM-IV. Instead, she uses an earlier, stricter description of autism.

Tervo did say, "I think he may benefit from services under Autism Spectrum Disorder. I think the plan through the school is a very good one."

So is Jameson on the autism spectrum or not?

"Her son is on the spectrum and where he will be I think remains to be seen," said Tervo.

He wants to see Jameson in another six months to make sure he's getting the right help. For now Jameson is where his mother and doctors think he should be: in a classroom where kids who need extra help get it.

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