THERAPY HELPS BOY FIGHT EFFECTS OF AUTISM

Kannon Qualls has been in intensive therapy for 2 1/2 months, and his mother said the child she always knew was hidden inside his destructive, antisocial behaviors is finally beginning to emerge.

Kannon, age 4, has Asperger syndrome, a high functioning form of autism, said his mother, Raquel Qualls of Cape Girardeau. But since he began a therapy program called applied behavior analysis, Qualls said, Kannon is learning to control the angry outbursts in which he would spit, throw things and try to hurt himself and those around him. In this type of autism, many pathways in the brain shut down. This therapy helps open them back up, Qualls said.

Kannon's extended family has been helping with the therapy and with other kinds of support.

His aunt Tracy Metzger of Jackson and her friend Chris Mitchell of Cape Girardeau are going to run in Kannon's honor in the Chicago marathon today."If they win or place, they are going to give the money to Kannon's care," said Kannon's grandmother and Metzger's mother-in-law, Monica Metzger. The marathon will be broadcast on Fox Sports Network.

Helping with Kannon's therapy are two of Quall's cousins, Kim Baughman, who has a degree in speech pathology, and Lori Vines, an education major at Southeast Missouri State University."We've been fortunate to have people in the family who are willing, able and qualified to help," Qualls said.

Kannon has a type of autism that is difficult to diagnose."He has savant articulation skills," said Qualls. "He can talk like a little professor though he has no clue to what he's saying."Qualls felt she was lucky to have Kannon diagnosed before age 4. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the more likely the child is to respond to therapy. Kannon, like most of those with Asperger autism, has a high IQ and is extremely bright, Qualls said. But he can't filter out the multitude of stimuli that surrounds everyone, meaning his system is easily overloaded. He is socially backward, hyperactive, has a short attention span and is extremely destructive."He can't focus in to learn what's important," Qualls said.

The therapy helps Kannon focus and gives him the skills to keep his behavior under control, and after 2 1/2 months in therapy, Qualls is beginning to see improvements.

Qualls said her son's sensitive hearing, a symptom of the syndrome, has always caused him to scream wildly when he heard music. Now he is starting to sing.

Before the therapy began he would try to destroy books that were read to him. Now he looks at pictures and tries to figure out the story.

Going out to eat would have been a nightmare of thrown food and loud outbursts from Kannon 2 1/2 months ago. Qualls said the family went out to eat recently and Kannon never misbehaved.

A child who sings, looks at pictures and sits quietly in a restaurant are things most parents take for granted, Qualls said. "To me these are huge steps forward," she said.

But the therapy is both expensive and time consuming.

Kannon is in therapy 30 to 40 hours per week. Qualls said she gave up her job to stay home with Kannon, and her husband, Michael, has given up career opportunities to accommodate Kannon's therapy.

Besides Quall's two cousins who help with the therapy, there are two Southeast Missouri State University students, speech therapist Carol Ludwig and the coordinator of his therapy Dr. Debra Rausch, a California doctor who flies in every six weeks to evaluate Kannon and prescribe the next stage of therapy and who Qualls stays in daily contact with.

The therapy averages $35,000 per year, which is being paid for by the Missouri Department of Mental Health and a Department of Early and Special Education program.