CNN: Looking for hope in ashes (ASD boy looses toys in wildfire)

[Guest guest]

Part 1 (make sure you read follow-up next)

Looking for hope in the ashes

By Madison Park

CNN

(CNN) -- Seven-year-old Reyes sank his hands deep into his

jeans pocket as anxiety wrinkled his face. He swallowed hard, twisted

and turned nervously.

" It could be very hot, " warned his dad, Augustine Reyes.

whimpered softly as he and his parents approached what was

left of their house, one of more than than 500 structures razed by

wildfires raging in Los Angeles County. Their Sylmar home of the last

10 years was no more.

The Reyeses were anguished about explaining the loss to their son.

Any 7-year-old would find such loss devastating, but is even

more fragile. He has autism.

" You ready? " his father asked extending his hand. nodded and

put his tiny hand in his father's palm. They headed to the house.

Watch say goodbye to his home »

Children with autism are focused on a daily routine with fixed habits

and familiar surroundings. Although their traits and abilities vary

depending on the individual, changes to their daily routine can be

very disruptive, shattering their feeling of security and triggering

unexpected behavior, experts say.

" Many of them expect to see the same things every day, to have things

the same every day, to expect when they come home from school to see

the same house they usually see, " said Dr. Paparella, a

professor of child psychiatry at UCLA.

" For a child [with autism] to see something completely different, to

see a house no longer there, it can be extremely traumatic. "

The child may not understand the situation and have breakdowns. When

Hurricane Katrina struck, many displaced families were left wondering

how to explain the changes to their children with autism, said Lynda

Geller, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the New

York University's School of Medicine.

" For the child, it's a loss of understanding of the world, " she

said. " Kids like that have extreme aversion to any changes. It knocks

their socks off to have everything different. "

The child may throw more tantrums or flap his or her arms more

frequently, to show stress and anxiety, experts say.

When the Reyeses' home burned down, their first concern was how

would react.

On Tuesday, they brought to the site of their home to see if

any of his cherished Hot Wheels cars survived the fire. And maybe,

they hoped, seeing the house would help their son understand.

" One of the first things he asks is, 'Are we coming home today?' "

said Jan Reyes, 's mother. " Now that he sees this, maybe it

will bring closure for him. "

As they drove to their house, instead of trees and a neighborhood,

they saw a valley of metal and ash.

Pulling on heavy-duty gloves and strapping on masks, and his

parents shuffled through the debris searching for one of the boy's

treasures -- his Power Wheels, a beloved blanket he always sleeps

with or maybe his tricycle.

A favorite toy is like " a familiar anchor in the world " " for a child

with autism, Geller said. It can comfort the child when their world

is in flux.

" We're going to try and find your cars, OK? " said his mother.

nodded.

Shards of glass and pieces of their home crackled underneath their

footsteps. Pieces of an air conditioner, the skeleton of a jukebox,

molten bed frames, Christmas ornaments jutted from the ground.

" There's nothing here. There's nothing here, " Augustine Reyes said,

holding a gutted time capsule that once held 's baby tooth,

their family photos and baby photos.

" I guess everything's gone. "

" Every time I turn around I find another memory -- Christmas plates, "

said his wife, Jan Reyes, stopping to wipe back tears.

Since being forced to leave their home a few days ago, the Reyeses

have noticed behaving more anxiously than usual.

" He's been very nervous, very clingy, " his mother said. " I don't know

why. He thinks Mom and Dad are going to leave him. "

When returned to his house Tuesday, he was pensive, focused

on his quest to find his Hot Wheels. His shoulders drooped and he

shuffled around the debris.

" He's doing a lot better than his mom or dad, believe it or not, "

's mother said. " Time will tell. He's never seen anything

like this.

" I think we're going to have to talk to him for a long time to get

him to accept the reality. I don't think it's hit him yet. "

The family found 's tricycle in the rubble. The tires had

melted, the frame rusty and burned, but intact. asked if

they could get new tires. And made another discovery: a

small metal square. Hoisting the square, said, " That was

from one of my cars. "

Mattel, the company that makes Hot Wheels has offered to donate new

toys for . His mother called the offer, " equivalent to us

winning the lottery. "

After an afternoon of searching, the family loaded the tricycle in

the back of the pickup truck. They walked hand in hand from the front

steps to where their door would have been and looked at the debris

where their house once stood.

" We've been blessed. We'll get over this. ... Won't we? " said

Augustine Reyes, pulling close.

" Um, yeah, " said and leaned into his father's shoulders.

" Now that he sees this, I hope this brings closure to him and my

wife, " said Augustine Reyes.

" There was a lot of happy memories in this house. We just had to come

here to say goodbye. "

All AboutAutism • Fires • Los Angeles

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/11/18/autism.california.fire

/index.html