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HALTON TRANSMISSION dentistoakville.com 905-842-6030 www.carstaroakville.com SNA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2010 ontario's top newspaper - 2005-2008 559 SPEERS ROAD, UNIT #3 (905) 842-0725 Colouring contest 905-8457579 905-847 -2595 2212 Wyecroft Rd. 547 Trafalgar Rd. A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 50 No. 127 "Using Communication To Build Better Communities" THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012 40 pages $1.00 (plus tax) Trying to piece together the autism puzzle Somewhere in Ontario, a child would rather line up his toy cars than navigate them through an invisible maze. Somewhere in Ontario, a mother looks at her child and instinctively wonders. A doctor tells a father they should wait and see. Somewhere in Ontario, the diagnosis is confirmed -- autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Approximately one in every 100 children lives with autism, a neurodevelopmental spectrum disorder that impedes a person's ability to communicate and make friends. Statistics indicate about one per cent of the population is on the spectrum. In Hamilton, some 5,000 individuals are caught in its fog. The cause of the disorder remains unknown, but researchers believe the secret is in the genes. With no cure for autism, families By Catherine O'Hara and Julie Slack, writers Eric Riehl, photographer METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Little Max Carefoot was just a tot when his mom Katrina and dad Scott suspected their son's development was lagging compared to that of his peers. The blond-haired boy with beautiful doe eyes wasn't talking, didn't respond to his name and didn't offer eye con- affected by the disorder have turned to a variety of therapies that have proven successful in alleviating its wide-ranging symptoms. But accessing help is easier said than done. Navigating Through the Fog, a four-part Metroland series on the spectrum disorder, attempts to piece together the puzzle of autism. tact. The Carefoots struggled with the notion something was impeding Max's development. Doctors weren't sympathetic. They wouldn't entertain autism spectrum disorder as a possibility. "Our doctor was telling us milestones go six months either way. I'm going through my autism checklist saying, `Hey, look buddy, he meets all the criteria,'" said the Oakville mom. "We just weren't taken serious(ly) as See Families page 3 ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog lifting the fog: Little Max Carefoot, 6, of Oakville, laughs while interacting during therapy with Wendy Kranz from blueballoon Health Service in Burlington. The Carefoots, along with other families from across Halton, are featured in a special fourpart series on autism called Navigating Through The Fog.