The daily life of three siblings with autism
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Dates2016 - Ongoing
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Author
- Location Italy, Italy
This ongoing long term project tells about a family living with 3 siblings with a severe form of Autism Spectrum Disease(ASD).
Autism is a neural development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication.
FACTS: About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder. (CDC, 2014); Prevalence in the United States is estimated at 1 in 68 births. (CDC, 2014) ; More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. (Buescher et al., 2014) ; Prevalence of autism in U.S. children increased by 119.4 percent from 2000 (1 in 150) to 2010 (1 in 68). (CDC, 2014) Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. (CDC, 2008)
No one knows the real causes of this condition and no cures exist. There are several treatments to autism spectrum disorders, such as drug therapy, speech therapy, psycho-motor therapy, psycho- educational therapy, pet therapy, and facilitated communication, but often families are left on their own.
This ongoing long term project tells about a family living with Autism Spectrum Disease(ASD). Emilia and Francesco , after having tried for a child for years, they resorted successfully to artificial insemination (ICSI) and had twins: Luisa and Riccardo. Only nine months after their birth, Emilia became spontaneously pregnant with their third child, Michele.
At two and a half years, Riccardo and Luisa were diagnosed with ASD. Unfortunately, just a year later, Michele was diagnosed with the same.
Emilia and Francesco are trying various treatments: speech therapists who come four times a week, functional gymnastics, psycho-motor swimming therapy, pet therapy, and specific foods since all three follows a special casein and gluten free diet. Emilia and Francesco work hard daily to help their children become self-sufficient, first and foremost. And to make that possible, continuous and repetitive teaching is necessary for everything, on learning paths created specifically for each of the three children.
Although my first photos date back to 2007, the year of birth of Luisa and Riccardo, I began to tell this story intensely in 2016, when the twins were 10 years old and the youngest child was only 9. Now they have 16 and 15 years old. They are becoming adults.
