When Barbara Firestone met a child with autism during her freshman year in college, she discovered her true calling.
"I was so struck by the fact that I couldn't reach out to him, but more struck by what that experience must have been like for him - to be isolated from the world," Firestone said at an event Friday evening to promote autism awareness, as well as her book, Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge.
In 1975, Firestone founded The Help Group, a California-based nonprofit organization that serves children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other special needs.
Through its six specialized day schools, The Help Group educates over 1,300 students, according to the Web site.
Only four students comprised the organization's first class, but Firestone said their families helped to inspire the book, which highlights the lives of 38 families confronting the challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
"From the very beginning when I met those four parents, I was in absolute awe of their dedication to their kids," Firestone said.
The purpose of the book is to offer support, hope, and information to other parents, especially as they notice the early warning signs of autism, Firestone said.
"When your child is born, you have all these hopes and dreams for them," she said. "So part of you wants to say, 'I don't want to deal with this.'"
Firestone said the pediatrician usually feeds the parents' early denial.
"In 90 percent of the cases, the pediatrician will say, 'Your child will grow out of it, don't worry about it, we'll look at this again in a year,'" she said.
Autism can be detected as early as 18 months, but most children are not diagnosed until age three or four, Firestone said.
And the delay in diagnosis is not helpful for anyone.
"If children are identified early, there are positive outcomes," she said. "We need to do all we can to accelerate this process."
It was with that incentive that Firestone set out to write Heroes. Parents shared their stories out of a wish that others had done it for them, Firestone said.
The 38 narratives are organized into four categories: dignity, hope, opportunity and love - a list that the author has coined "the birthrights of all children."
"This really is a gift from parents to other parents . and to anyone who cares about autism," Firestone said of the book. "It's a lifeline of hope and support."
Penn alumna Kira Branch, who is currently working on a study on living with autism, said she found the event worthwhile.
"I thought it was great," she said. "[The presentation] really touched me, and I look forward to reading the book."
