New program helps families with autism

There is new hope for families with autistic children in Southeast Missouri.

Eighteen years ago, my son Taylor was diagnosed with autism. His mother and I were told that his mental and emotional capacities would always be extremely limited and he would probably need to be institutionalized. From that moment we set out to prove that prognosis wrong and do what we could to give our son a full and meaningful life. When we started, we were on our own.

Over the years, Taylor has been blessed to work with many outstanding therapists, caregivers, educators, local business owners, friends and family. All of these people helped Taylor to grow, experience a full childhood and maximize his talents.

Many autistic children have special gifts. In Taylor's case that meant certain mathematical skills and artistic ability. With customized services and the help from those around him, Taylor developed and cultivated his talents. He is now a student at the California Institute of Arts and loving every minute of it. Taylor is not at CalArts because his autism lessened or went away, but because he worked hard and overcame much of his autism.

Choreographing Taylor's life and the special services he received taught me a great deal about what is available and what is lacking in services for individuals with autism. It also taught me about the tremendous potential inside many autistic individuals. That led me to work toward establishing the Tailor Institute.

The Tailor Institute is a not-for-profit organization charged with advancing the systems of care and services we found successful in working with my son. The Tailor Institute will perform valuable research and provide autism training to parents, physicians, therapists and educators. The goal is to "tailor" services to meet the needs of specific individuals.

It may be hard to believe, but the Tailor Institute has developed a program that has never been attempted anywhere -- ever. We're proud of what is about to be undertaken. Yet one thing is certain: Something like this could not come into being without considerable time, effort and financial resources. Eighteen months ago, I met with state Rep. Jason Crowell and state Sen. Peter Kinder to map out the concept of the Tailor Institute. I asked for their help. To their everlasting credit, they advanced the concept and did the legwork to make it happen.

Last year the Missouri General Assembly passed legislation authorizing $200,000 in the state mental health budget for a Southeast Missouri provider to implement the additional services that the Tailor Institute will provide. This funding is above and beyond any other funding in place for autism services in Missouri. This is a new concept with new funding.

Because the idea has such broad appeal, it moved forward without getting entangled in partisan politics. Former Secretary of State Bekki Cook spent considerable time and effort increasing awareness and enthusiasm where it was needed in Jefferson City. My thanks to Crowell, Kinder, Cook and the rest of our legislative leaders in Southeast Missouri for their efforts in helping to make the Tailor Institute a reality.

Two Friday's ago, Gov. Bob Holden released the funds that will allow this project to move forward. In addition to this great news, Crowell and Kinder secured $200,000 in the fiscal year 2005 budget to further the work of the Tailor Institute. We hope to begin contracting with providers by September and to begin providing individualized services to autistic clients by the end of the year.

I am delighted to be represented by visionaries who can see the potential that exists in all people. Their forward-thinking leadership will pay off in an increased quality of life for many individuals with autism. That alone would be worth the state's investment, but the investment will quite literally pay off when some of these autistic individuals become independent, taxpaying members of society.

David Crowe is a Cape Girardeau orthodontist.