Noreen Hyslop photo Owen Statler spends time at home with his best friend, Ceasar. Owen is the five-year-old son of Mike and Nora Statler of Bloomfield and exhibits behavior typical of young children with Asperger's Syndrome, which is known to be on the autism spectrum. April has been designated as Autism Awareness Month.

Little Owen Statler, who lives in rural Bloomfield with his parents and an older sister, begins his day like most five-year-olds; sometimes a little resistant in getting up, but following the routine of brushing his teeth and eating breakfast and getting dressed as most other preschoolers do.

An outsider would not readily witness anything out of the ordinary in Owen's routine or more notably, his habits and behaviors. He might require a little more assistance in dressing than most and he might be a little picky about his breakfast foods, but the differences go deeper than what meets the eye.

Owen Statler exhibits symptoms of Asperger's, a developmental disorder that is referred to by physicians and therapists as being "on the autistic spectrum."

The characteristics of children with Asperger's are as varied as the children themselves. They possess a wide range of behaviors that to many would appear to be no more than behaviors typical of a spoiled child. There are tantrums, often referred to as "meltdowns," at the most unexpected of times and for seemingly the most trivial of reasons. There are what might be termed, "quirky" obsessions with objects that to most children would hold no attraction at all. A young child with Asperger's, for instance, may exhibit such a fixation on a packet of Kool-aid or a quarter or a small toy that he or she might carry it around for days at a stretch. While there seem to be more questions than answers when dealing with Asperger's, scientists have established that an Asperger's child is not the product of bad parenting. In fact, there appears to be a genetic component, evidenced by the syndrome running in families.

To say that Asperger's Syndrome children exhibit odd behaviors is an understatement. Loud noises often present a problem for the child with Aspergers. Many parents of children with the syndrome run a vacuum or drill only when the child is not at home. And while many children affected with the syndrome exhibit a passion for moving elements, such as trains, to get caught at a crossing can result in a total emotional "meltdown" for an Asperger's youngster, given the noise level. Social immaturity is also evident and while there are many treatment approaches still in the developmental stages, great gains have been noted with the help of occupational and developmental therapies.

Nora Statler, Owen's mother, knows well the characteristics and the behaviors that come into play when dealing with a child who exhibits Asperger tendencies. Although developmental delays are not always typical, Owen did not walk until he was 16 months old and at two, he was barely uttering one word at a time. While she recognized there were problems, Nora justified the delays by telling herself and others, "Children develop at different levels," and "He'll catch up and be fine."

A visit to her pediatrician when Owen was two, though, caused concern.

"The doctor rather abruptly said that something wasn't right with Owen, and indicated that we were likely dealing with autism or Aspergers. She gave me some resources to contact for further information, but I left that appointment very let down by the lack of explanation."

Nora Statler soon became a mother on a mission. Through a series of phone calls and hours upon hours of research, Owen eventually began receiving occupational therapy to help him compensate for some fine motor deficiencies and he was provided with speech therapy that helped tremendously with his ability to vocalize and enunciate.

Eventually, Owen was evaluated at Columbia's Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, where at the age of four, it was determined he exhibited behaviors associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with oppositional tendencies. Still, a number of behaviors observed pointed to Aspergers.

Asperger's is much more common in males than females and is a disorder affecting two-way social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication and a reluctance to accept change, according to experts on the subject. Often an Asperger's child will exhibit narrow areas of interest and typically they will exhibit better than average rote memory skills, such as facts and figures, dates and times.

While it is not a debilitating syndrome, children with Aspergers appear more anxious than most and are unable to cope with any form of criticism and imperfection, experts say. They often have an unusual gain or stance and appear what some would call, "clumsy." Asperger children often have excellent language skills, but oddly at the same time they offer limited language content. They often use their language in odd ways and they tend to take all words literally. They are very structured children and prefer routines to spontaneity.

More is learned daily about autistic spectrum disorders like Asperger's. Children who years ago were often institutionalized are now receiving services that effectively enable them to function successfully and comfortably in today's society.

To achieve those goals, though, Nora Statler stresses the need for parents of children who exhibit symptoms of autism to "act as their own child's advocate."

"So many people are misinformed regarding a diagnosis and the steps necessary to achieve a diagnosis," she explains. "If a parent suspects that there is a problem with their child's development, they should follow those instincts and find resources that will get them some answers and some concrete solutions. There is no cure, as such, for autism, but there are therapies and there is help for children and for parents of children affected by autism."

"Don't listen to someone who says that a child has to be seven years old before an evaluation can be done," Statler says. "To wait that long is only wasting years during which a child can be receiving the proper therapies that will better allow them to develop socially and emotionally."

Nora Statler heads up a support group for parents of children with special needs. She also serves on the Regional Advisory Council for the Division of Retardation and Mental Disabilities, having been named recently for a three-year term in that capacity. She can be reached at 573-568-2635.