Sun Sentinel - Palm Beach County | Autism PDD
Foundation raising funds for medical center for patients with autism
A medical center for autistic patientsBR> Jessica Brady, 24, of Margate, has autism and is cared for by her uncle, Don Mandel, at his Margate townhouse. (Sun-Sentinel/ Lou Toman / September 20, 2007)
- By Joel Marino |
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
- September 20, 2007
She dreaded going to the dentist. Her parents didn't think it was unusual — many kids are afraid of the dentist
But Jessica Brady's fear turned to panic whenever she stepped into the
office. She screamed and kicked so hard her parents had to hold her
down."I thought of the pain a lot, and then the bright lights and
noises would bother me," said Brady, now 24 and living in Margate. "I
didn't understand what was going on. I was so afraid."
Brady suffers from autism, a developmental disorder that affects one out of every 150 children in the United States.
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Autistic patients typically have more sensitive hearing and vision then others, so a simple trip to the dentist can turn into a sensory nightmare.
"People with autism or any special needs require a different kind of
medical care. Doctors can't expect to treat them like any other patient
because that just won't do," said Olaf Hampel, CEO of the Fort
Lauderdale-based United Autism Foundation.
Hampel, the former president of local lending company First Southern
Lending Group, hopes to establish a medical center that would treat
special needs children and eventually special needs adults.
"We have doctors out there who are trained to treat autistic patients,
but they're a minority and they're very spread out. I wanted to bring
all these resources together in one place," he said.
Hampel wants the center built in either Miami-Dade or Broward county.
An official timeline for the construction will depend on fundraising.
Hampel wouldn't disclose how much has been raised so far.
The center will house 15 treatment rooms and two surgical rooms at an
approximate cost of million for construction and maintenance.
Special lighting will be used to make patients comfortable. Laser
surgery will be available.
The center will also provide training to dentists who treat special
needs patients, according to Edward Kirsh, a Pembroke Pines endodontist
and University of Miami professor. Kirsh helped develop the idea of the
center and hopes to volunteer there when it opens.
"I would like this center to become not only a treatment facility, but
a place where dentists can learn the strategies and techniques needed
to treat patients with special needs," he said.
Training is crucial due to the challenges that come with treating
autistic children. Many special needs patients often don't tell their
parents, guardians or caregivers that they're feeling ill because they
may not be able to communicate properly, Kirsh said.
South Florida facilities that treat special needs patients include the
Miami Children Hospital's Dan Marino Center in Weston and student
training programs at the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern
University.
The Dan Marino Center, which has been around for nearly a decade,
provides services such as MRIs and speech and language therapy. Adults
are not treated there.
Socorro Palacio, 48, is a Miami resident raising a 13-year-old autistic
daughter. She has been to the Dan Marino Center twice. Though she said
she'll probably stay with the Miami Children's Hospital because she
trusts the pediatricians and their convenient location, she is happy to
see that another medical center will soon be built.
"There are centers for cancer patients, for children with other
diseases, but our children with autism don't have many things like
that," Palacio said. "My daughter is an angel, they're all little
angels from God, and I pray they'll be able to get the medical
attention they deserve."
The United Autism Foundation is raising funds for the center's
construction and maintenance and is looking for a possible land
donation. The foundation already has a staff of two dentists, three
hygienists and 10 dental and clerical assistants signed up to begin
work once the center opens.
Brady wants to one day join the staff as a volunteer. Married and
hoping to pursue an associate's degree in psychology, she has grown up
to live what she calls a full and happy life. However, she recognizes
she has a disorder that will always require special treatment.
"Most organizations have a cut off age of 21, so it's hard to find
resources for adults," she said. "Everything is for children. It's
almost as if they forgot that autistic children grow up to be autistic
adults."
Joel Marino can be reached at 954-356-4844 or jmarino @sun-sentinel.com
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