Older Father 55 ish has non-identical Autistic/schizophrenic twins
Autism and Childhood Development
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By Cindy Rich
For 18 months, William and Elizabeth seemed like typical babies. Then the twins parents started noticing problems. Now, at age five, the children have autism.
Something Happened and We Don’t Know Why
There’s a light breeze over Rehoboth Beach as five-year-old Elizabeth Polanin takes her dad’s hand and walks toward the ocean. “That is one big pool, isn’t it, baby?” her father says.
The water comes close, so Elizabeth steps back. She smiles and shakes a hand in the air, a sign she’s excited, then covers her ears as a wave crashes—like many children with autism, she’s sensitive to sounds.
When the water recedes, Elizabeth walks toward it again, making high-pitched sounds and rubbing her hand against the back of her head. “You’re getting brave now!” her father says.
Water is one of Elizabeth’s favorite things. She once took ten baths in a day. She’ll happily sit in her inflatable pool at home in Greenbelt and watch a toy spin in the water.
Her twin brother, William, likes water too. He used to leave the faucet on for hours and watch it flow.
When Elizabeth comes back from the ocean, she jumps into her mother’s lap, accidentally hitting her.
“Don’t hit people,” William tells his sister. “Don’t hurt your William. Don’t hurt your peoples. Don’t hit your peoples.”
Elizabeth doesn’t respond to...
