Plainfield family learns to live with autism

PLAINFIELD -- The Smith family has not one, not two, but three autistic children, which creates some unique problems for a stay-at-home mom.

Sharon Smith's full-time job is taking care of 7-year-old Quinn, 5-year-old Noah, and 3-year-old Adriana, who have all been diagnosed with various forms of autism. She and her husband, Joe, live in Plainfield.

"It's always a scene when we go into public," Smith said. "Adriana likes to scream. They are happy screams, but other people don't know that."

According to information from the Autism Society of America, autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The disorder affects the functioning of the brain and has been estimated to occur in as many as two to six out of every 1,000 people.

Smith said her two youngest children were first diagnosed as autistic.

"They don't just play with toys and they don't take naps," Smith said. "Adriana will sleep in six-hour spurts, but then she will jump up and be wide awake. Quinn was only recently diagnosed with Asperger's. He's very smart and always has areas where he will excel, but socially, he has problems."

Asperger's disorder is characterized by severe and sustained impairment in social interaction, Smith explained.

The two younger children, she said, can't speak like other children their age.

"That's another thing that makes it hard in public," Smith said. "They look normal, but then act out. I'm sure people think I'm crazy when I have to wrestle my children out of McDonald's."

She said a trip to the library can be traumatic, but a ride in the car is very relaxing.

"They'll sit in their seats and eat fries," she said. "They do just fine -- then we tried going to the library for story time."

Smith said she stayed with her children throughout the program but they still ended up disturbing the other patrons.

The Smith children are almost always dressed in T-shirts identifying them as autistic, Smith said, adding that Noah's shirts generally have his name and address on them, as he has been known to escape from the backyard and wander away.

"The symbol for autism is puzzle pieces," Smith said. "I have shirts for them that say 'Jesus makes all the pieces fit.' People who know about autism will recognize the symbol."

Smith said her faith and her church, the Fleming Garden Christian Church on the west side of Indianapolis, have helped the family through many trials.

"I try to get my helpers from my church," Smith said. "Especially if they're raising money for mission trips. But since we go to church on the west side, many of them are from that area."

She said she generally has a "mother's helper," normally a teen-age girl, on hand throughout the day.

"They help me keep track of them (the children) and to keep the house together," she said. "They (the children) can pretty much destroy the house. I have to vacuum at least two or three times a day."

She also has an adult helper who comes to help clean and watch the children so she can escape for a few hours a week.

"That's when I come down here to work," she said.

In the basement of her home is a children's clothing shop where people can come and shop without worrying about their children running around a store. It's sports a playroom filled with toys, chairs, couches a television, and a VCR.

"This is how I pay for my helpers," Smith said. "I sell just enough to pay for them and I give myself something to do. People with autistic or hyper children can come here to do their Christmas shopping and they won't have to worry about their kids."

Smith says she'd like to connect with other families with autistic children and to start a support group. She may be reached by calling 839-9933 or by e-mailing to sharonweb@indy.rr.com. She also has a website at SHARONSWEB.COM.

brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com