Parents of kids with autism have a bit of a reputation for being mad scientists. There is some truth to that as many of them have their autistic kids on special diets, unusual vitamins, various medications...some give their kids pure oxygen, float them in water tanks, make them listen to all sorts of "programmed" music on headphones...sometimes I feel like I've seen it all.

It's because they don't know what the cause is, and they're desperate...they don't know what to do. Lots of other neuro-developmental disorders have clear causes: Down's, PKU, Fragile X, Angelman Syndrome, Rett's Disorder. But the specific genes for autism are not clear yet, and many, many different ones are being discovered and implicated. Research so far indicates that a huge percentage of autism cases are genetic. So we search, we hope, we pray, we read, and we dream of a cure.

We try to stop ourselves from paying too much attention to the science. After the initial diagnosis, we read, read, read until our spouses pull us off the computer and say, "It is what it IS Kari...you're driving yourself crazy...let it go." So we learn to take long breaks from the science and try not to "dream" about a cure. We live our lives, do our jobs, and love our funny kids.

But guess what? In the past 5 years, AMAZING things have happened in the field of genetic research of autism! No surprise considering that the human genome has just recently been discovered and mapped. Think about how many people are desperate to find cures to diseases and disorders that are turning out to be genetic!

When I talk about a cure for autism, friends and family generally smile sadly and knowingly and say, "Yes, let's hope for a miracle." Well, it's not going to be a miracle, and it's happening AS WE SPEAK!! MARK MY WORDS. There will be an extremely effective medicine available for autism in the next 5 years.

"The year 2007 saw the publication of several studies that documented successful treatment of disease symptoms in mouse models with 3 different autistic-like neuro-developmental disorders. Most significantly, 2 of the 3 (Fragile X and Rett's Disorder) were REVERSED IN ADULT MICE who had been genetically altered and had regressed into the most severe stages of the disorders." THEY CURED AUTISM IN ADULT MICE, PEOPLE.

Sometimes I have this dream. In the dream, I wake up in the morning and Tommy is standing beside the bed. He smiles at me, looks right into my eyes and says,"Mom, you can stop worrying!! I can talk! Listen, I'm speaking in sentences!! It's gonna be OK." and best of all, he says the words I've been waiting almost 6 years to hear..."I love you, Mommy."

So, if every once in awhile on some dark and stormy night, you find me at the computer with big heavy black glasses on, my hair sticking out all over, and tears in my eyes reading about the latest research on autism cures, please, don't scold me. Don't think I'm nuts..

Just let me dream, and be a mad scientist for just a little while.