You probably think that the title of this piece refers to the brother quarterbacks that are playing in today’s Superbowl. Although this article is purposely football topical, the reference is not of the Kaepernick brothers. The two quarterbacks that I’d like to explore with you on this Superbowl day are legendary sport figures Doug Flutie and Dan Marino.
As an autism-geek, the only statistic I can tell you about Flutie and Marino is that each had a son diagnosed with autism. They are both heroes to me (and Marino remains a hero to me) not for their play on the field but their foundations they have created to support autism research and services.
Each of these men started foundations to build awareness and help raise money for those who could not afford the best of care like they were able to provide their respective sons. What is interesting about the two cases is that both sons were diagnosed early and given the best treatment possible and the outcomes were very different. Dan Marino’s son “recovered” from autism and Doug Flutie’s son remains non-verbal and severely challenged.
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Referring to a previously diagnosed autistic person as “recovered” is controversial in the autism community. Many believe that recovery is impossible and those children who become indistinguishable from their typical peers after intensive therapy were misdiagnosed. I was familiar with the Dan Marino story as well as a few local stories of recovery so I’ve been a believer that recovery is possible for a lucky few. Last month, a study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry reported that a small percentage of children do recover. (see link to NYT article)
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What the NYT article doesn’t talk about are the Doug Flutie cases where the parents do everything imaginable but little progress is made. Why do some children not respond to autism intervention therapies?
My autism experience is probably what the majority of autism families experience. Henry has made slow steady progress with a intense treatment plan that continues to this day. This week Henry asked if we are watching the Superbowl. I can’t tell you how surprised and excited I was that Henry had an interest in something outside his usual diversions. It shows he is still making progress. This year I will be watching the Superbowl with my son. I better find out who is playing.
