Prayer alters autism diagnosis
By Ruth Schenk | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Miracles aren’t meant to be hidden, but in the telling there’s always the risk no one will believe it.
Years ago, Susan Steitz saw a miracle unfold in her family. This one was documented by baffled specialists at the University of Louisville. There’s no doubt in Susan’s mind that
what happened was a dramatic and profound answer to her prayers.
Twelve years ago, Susan and her husband Andrew Steitz weren’t sure what was ahead for their family. Their son, Christopher, then 3 years old, was diagnosed with autism, a
neurological developmental disability that usually appears before age 3.
There is no cure, but autism is treatable. In the United States, one in 110 children are diagnosed with it each year with a rapid rise in the number of children diagnosed in the last
15 years. According to the National Autism Association, environmental triggers may affect these children.
Susan tried to understand what happened.
“I used to have a tumor on my pituitary gland,” she said. “I was taking some medication before I realized that I was pregnant with Christopher and stopped taking immediately
when I found out because there were risks to the baby. But one of the most serious health side effects were central nervous system disorders."
Symptoms of autism were subtle. Christopher led them to what he wanted, wandered off, had difficulty with simple coordination such as giving a thumbs up and repeated phrases
instead of answering questions.
Committed to helping Christopher, the family set up occupational therapy, speech therapy and applied behavior analysis so he could learn fine motor skills. Susan prayed beside
Christopher’s bed every night.
The regimen to help Christopher became prayer and therapy, prayer and therapy, prayer and therapy. That began to change the Steitzes as much as Christopher.
“We weren’t going to church then,” Susan said. “We didn’t realize at the time we named Christopher it meant ‘Christ bearer.’ That’s what our son has been to us. He is the reason
we sought a relationship with Christ.”
For kindergarten, Christopher attended Summit Academy, a nonprofit school in Louisville for children with learning differences. Two years after he was diagnosed, Andrew and
Susan took their son back to the University of Louisville for a follow-up evaluation with the same specialists who diagnosed him.
They told Christopher’s parents that they had never seen such dramatic change in a child.
He went to Christian Academy for first grade and has been there ever since.
Christopher had no signs of autism.
“No one who knows Christopher would ever guess that piece of his history,” Susan said.
He plays trumpet in the marching band, has good grades and has played soccer and football. He also is in a C-Group with High School Ministry.
Whatever plagued Christopher during his early years, autism is no more. Susan says her son is a walking miracle.