Parents Respond To Autism Coverage
By Bea Petersen

As the mother of two boys on the autism spectrum, I am grateful for the strides that autism research has made ["The Search for Answers," News, Aug. 14]. But I am not naive enough to believe that it will somehow improve my sons' quality of life. There are too many children on Long Island with autism, and the only way they are going to get better is with intervention.

Unfortunately, it takes a lot of money to support this intervention, and it must be done in a one-to-one setting. School districts can't support this, and there aren't enough autism schools to support Long Island's diagnosed population.

Research is important. We must protect the future of our children. We must not, however, forget the children who have already been diagnosed. They can have a future if we invest in them. Money must also be dedicated to support existing programs and to fund new ones with the same enthusiasm and commitment as research. Test tubes and pipettes didn't give me my sons back. Intervention and dedicated teachers did.

Editor's note: The writer is founder of the EJ Autism Foundation.
East Islip

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