From the San Francisco Chronicle:Like many college students, Nick Perry (pictured) doesn't always make his bed, or pick up his dirty clothes or wash his dishes.
But no one's complaining; quite the opposite. To his three roommates, to his parents, and to Perry himself, his very presence at San Francisco State University is a feat to be celebrated.
Perry has autism, a disorder diagnosed when he was 5. He was a child who shied from classmates, who would repetitiously turn the lights on and off, who stopped speaking for a time.
Today, reflecting the strides that many youths with the complex disorder can sometimes make, Perry, 21, is gregarious and engaging, his handshake is firm, his eye contact lingers. He's a junior majoring in urban studies - he hopes to turn a lifelong love of maps and public transportation into a career as a city planner.
Perry will be participating today at a special autism symposium at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, where he's been a longtime patient. The symposium, expected to draw up to 500 clinicians, teachers and parents, is designed to showcase new research and treatments.
One focus will be: What happens when children with autism grow up?
That's an important consideration given a seeming explosion in recent years in the number of children classified as having autism, say experts. For decades, the developmental disability was believed to occur in 4 to 5 per 10,000 children. More recently, studies have shown it can occur in up to 1 in 166 children, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As many as 560,000 youths between infancy and age 21 may have the disorder, the agency says.
"When you think of autism, you think of children," said Dr. Carl Feinstein, director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Packard Children's Hospital. "The world seems to lose interest in people with autism when they grow up."
The reasons behind autism's prevalence - its hallmarks are poor communication skills and poor social interaction - are not precisely known, though better tools have made the diagnosis easier, and that explains to some degree the higher rates.
"A lot of the numbers are accounted for by increased awareness and diagnosis," said Feinstein. "The burning question is whether there is an actual increase and what is causing it."There's much speculation.
Some believe autism can be traced to vaccines containing mercury, or to a rise in allergens and environmental toxins, or to older parents having children.
"There's certainly a genetic factor and factors associated with prematurity or brain damage as a baby, but there probably is no one factor," said Feinstein.
Decades ago, those with the disorder often disappeared into large public institutions. Others lived in the community, regarded as "odd."
Eventually, researchers learned that when exposed to an educational system with strong social development, to language therapy, and to appropriate medical and psychiatric care, children with autism spectrum disorder continued to learn as they grew, particularly those with milder impairments.
"In school they can do very well, but you need to provide a structure to help them remember to do their homework, get to class on time," said Dr. Antonio Hardan, an associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic at Packard Children's Hospital.
Nick Perry and his parents marshaled numerous resources - including an individualized education plan and assorted mental health help - when he was in
elementary and high school. Now, with medication, with patience from his friends, and with much love from his family, he's adeptly coping with the challenges of college, including a full academic schedule.
"He's a great guy," said roommate Keith Watson, 18, a freshman sociology major. "At first it was a bit of a struggle living with him, but over time we got used to each
other. He's actually more outgoing than I am - he's been a catalyst for me to meet people. We all bring our own problems to the table and try to figure them out together."
Perry made the transition to college and dorm living in stages: after graduating from high school, he attended Foothill College in Los Altos for three years. Then he moved to San Francisco and the university.
His father admits to trepidation at the outset.
"I was concerned whether he could handle it," said Robert Perry, a graphic designer who lives in Palo Alto. "It was a big change. Now he wants to do more things on his own. You ask 'Can he do that?' But more and more he's proving he can."
Transportation and maps are Nick Perry's particular interest.
"Nick is very fact-driven," said his mother, Virginia. "He can tell you train schedules and bus schedules all over the Bay Area. He found something that he's very passionate about that he's now pursuing in college."
Perry believes he's accomplished a lot so far.
"It's not easy. It is difficult to stay on task, but I think I'm handling it," he said. "I like to learn. I've gotten in the swing of things. The next big transition will be moving from the university, to getting a job and supporting myself. I want to do big things."
