Severe Autism Awareness: An Interview with Isaac

April is Autism Awareness Month. 

Severe autism takes many forms, but lets be honest, it makes many people uncomfortable. It is not well understood by the general public. Even families that have been living with severe autism for decades and can tell you exactly how it affects their family member, are almost as clueless as everyone else as to its cause and how to treat it effectively. Sometimes there is a reluctance to speak about it because it contradicts the rosy picture that is painted by advocates for people with autism who are not intellectually disabled and have average or above average abilities. It is as if using the autism label for people who are not performing at this level will reflect badly on people who are. 

In this video, Irene Tanzman introduces her son. She projects their affection for each other, but without needing to wear rose-colored glasses to see severe autism clearly.

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An Interview with Isaac, Diagnosed with Severe Autism

Apr 1, 2022

Irene Tanzman

This is my interview with my son, Isaac, an adult diagnosed with severe autism. I filmed this video in April 2022, Autism Awareness Month. Most often, the autism you hear about is not the type of autism that my son and many others have. It seems to me that Autism Awareness for this type of autism seems at its lowest point since my son was diagnosed. The kind of autism that the public is aware of is not the autism that Isaac has. Individuals like Isaac need quality disability specific programming and instruction to lead productive and fulfilling lives. They need therapies such as behavioral, speech, and occupational therapies. This type of help is nearly impossible to obtain. While Isaac is quite loveable and endearing, the idea that he will work in competitive employment is not realistic. He needs the type of services that the National Council on Severe Autism advocates for. Please be aware that this type of autism exists, and that people like this need help and services. Thank you for watching my video.

Visit my website at: https://irenetanzman.com/ . 

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/itanzman . 

Visit the National Council on Severe Autism: https://www.ncsautism.org/