Having Faith
Family of autistic child works to increase awareness of disorder

Two-year-old Faith Miller-Haven plays with her sister Alana Johnson, 12, at their home in Church Rock on Wednesday. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

Six months ago, Faith Miller-Haven of was diagnosed with autism. Her parents, Deniece Miller-Haven and Randy Haven, want to help their daughter overcome this treatable but incurable disease. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]

GALLUP — Two-year-old Faith Haven is a smart toddler, her father Randy says. She can stack her toy blocks 10 high as opposed to some children her age, who can only stack a few.

But her family began to notice some "oddities" in her behavior when she was about 6 months old. She liked to crawl into small, confined spaces and also crunched her hands together and shook them. Deniece Miller-Haven's concern for her daughter reached a high point as Faith turned two years old and had muttered very few words. She was also slow to walk and didn't respond to her parents when they said her name.

To investigate Faith's behavior, Miller-Haven took her daughter to a doctor in Gallup who observed Faith's play for about 45 minutes. The doctor then referred Miller-Haven to the UNM Center for Development and Disabilities, which later diagnosed Faith with moderate autism.

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. The disorder impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others and is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. Today, one in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism.

The Haven family has since worked with the UNM Center for Development and Disabilities and various other organizations to learn how to communicate with Faith. They've also attended seminars about the topic.

The Center for Development and Disabilities, which is located in Albuquerque, is the only clinic statewide that specializes in diagnosing autism.

Maryellen Missik-Tow, a development specialist for the center, said New Mexico families like the Havens are in desperate need of services. Currently, more than 300 New Mexican families are waiting up to three years for appointments at the facility.

She said the long wait is especially alarming because early intervention is critical to gain maximum benefit from existing therapies.

"The needs for New Mexico families are enormous," she said.

In fact, some families are traveling to neighboring states because of the lack of services in New Mexico.

This week, lawmakers will consider several measures in the 2007 legislative session intended to speed diagnosis and improve services for children with autism. Gov. Bill Richardson also announced a plan in October to seek $1 million to train parents and professionals who work with these children. He also proposed $750,000 go toward shortening the UNM Center's waitlist.

Sen. Dede Fledman, D-Albuquerque, plans to seek $7 million to pay for one-on-one therapy for children with autism.

" ... Support of this issue is critical to our mission, 'the full participation of persons with disabilities in our communities'," Missik-Tow wrote in a letter to The Independent. " ... The common message New Mexican parents want heard is the special impact their children have on the community. We must embrace them as a meaningful part of society and help secure the services New Mexican children need to succeed."

Meanwhile, Miller-Haven said she is eager to meet other parents whose children have been diagnosed with autism.

"We really want to learn how to teach and communicate with her (Faith)," Miller-Haven said.

For more information about autism, visit the Web site www.autismspeaks.org.