Help for parents of children with Autism

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - Parents of children with Autism were given access to many different resources to help their children during the 22nd Annual Conference put on by Community Resources for People with Autism at the Log Cabin in Holyoke Tuesday morning.

Speaker, V. Mark Durand, who is an Autism Spectrum Disorders expert, told parents that there is hope for giving their children a normal life.

"You think you are a bad parent or you think people are judging you because your child is acting out or do you think because of the disorder your child can't change?  What we know very clearly is parents can help their children and their children can change significantly.  When you do behavioral interventions, it changes the way your brain works and instead of taking a pill that has very specific effects and maybe really bad side effects, you can teach someone to be more social, behaviorally, and it changes your social brain," said Durand who is also a member of the Professional Advisory Board for the Autism Society of America. 

Tone Flavin's daughter, Hannah has Autism.

Although she is now thriving because of different forms of therapy, including art, it was a difficult time when Hannah was first born.

"She was incredibly agitated., more than the norm and sensitive to touch and I was unable to calm her down.  I still get emotional talking about it. It was difficult because you tend to interpret it as a rejection which it was not,"said Flavin.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new information recently that shows 1 in 88 children will be diagnosed with Autism.

For more information about the disorder, click here .