Year of the Air Force Family celebration officially ends this month

  • Published
  • By Valerie Mullett
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  A year ago, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz and Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley established the Year of the Air Force Family campaign to "highlight the many successful programs already in place and to inform Airmen and their families of the development of new programs, unveiling them throughout the year."

Perhaps a more important item to highlight is how diverse this Air Force family is, and will always be, and to point out that not all families are the same or have the same challenges.

Many of them - and the numbers continue to rise - are faced with the challenges of having family members with special needs.

One of those special needs can be autism and it affects one out of 116 children born today with boys being affected four times more often than girls, according to the National Autism Association's website at www.nationalautismassociation.org.

Autism is one of a group of serious developmental problems called autism spectrum disorders that appear in early childhood - usually before the age of 3. Though symptoms and severity vary, all autism disorders affect a child's ability to communicate and interact with others, according to the MayoClinic.com

There are some specific indicators parents can look for in their child:
  • Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
  • Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.) by 12 months of age
  • Does not say single words by 16 months of age
  •  Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than repeating what someone says to him or her) by 24 months of age
  •  Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age
While there is no cure for autism, intensive, early treatment can make a big difference in the lives of many children with the disorder, the MayoClinc.com site further stated.
From one mother of twin, autistic boys, here are some helpful coping tools she has learned and would like to share:
  •  Get enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program through the Airman and Family Readiness Center and/or Mental Health clinic. It will open the doors to other services.
  • Some bases may have a special needs coordinator that can help find resources.
  • Many school districts have an autism specialist or advocate that can help.
  • Getting the student's Individual Education Plan right is hugely important.
  •  Some communities have independent agencies that can link clients and services.
"The biggest thing to remember is that there is hope and there is help," said Elaine Frankhouser.