By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

NINE year-old Christof Tynes uses an iPad application to communicate with his parents. When he is not using his iPad, he tries to murmur words or points to different objects.

Christof is autistic, and he uses technology to help communicate basic needs to his caregivers. When he wants to eat or use the bathroom, he punches in the phrase 'I want' and the program uses pictures to illustrate the rest.

Murmuring words like 'Dad come' marks significant progress. His parents, family, and teachers are looking forward to the day when he forms complete sentences.

"I give God thanks he said those two words," said his father Basil Tynes Canon at St Barnabas Church.

Like most parents of autistic children, Basil and Sonia Tynes, were taken by surprise with Christof's condition.

"My wife went the full duration of her pregnancy and we figured he would be normal. As he got older we noticed that he wasn't making much progress. He made very little eye contact, and he stopped talking. By the time he was four, he was still wearing pampers. We knew something was wrong because he was not making any progress the way a normal child would," said Canon Tynes.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the social and communication skills of a child. The Tynes' discovery of Christof's, illness came at a time when there was little awareness of autism in the Bahamas.

Despite that, Canon Tynes did all the research he could to make sure he was well aware of the disease.

"We went to see a doctor and the doctor told us it appeared Christof had autism. But we were not fully aware of what the disease was. The doctor also told us that there was no medicine or cure for the disease. We went to see a neurologist who ran several tests on Christof. I did my own research on autism to understand why it was happening," he said.

The Tynes were confronted with their worst fears. The tests conducted by the neurologist showed Christof had autism. This discovery was followed by years of therapy, special education, and controlled home environments.

"We were referred to a behavioural specialist. The behavioral specialist probably helped me much more because this was something new to my wife and I and we needed to know how to deal with it. But I must say unlike some autistic children who may be unruly, Christof has a good behavior. He is a very pleasant child," said Canon Tynes.

Christof attends Blairwood Academy which has been pivotal in his progression, Canon Tynes said. He is learning life skills, computer literacy, and knows multiplication, division, addition and subtraction.

One highlight of Christof's progression was when he served as an altar boy for an entire Sunday morning mass at the church.

"The school makes sure a lot of what Christof learns is reinforced at home. He has been able to do things independently, he started paying close attention in school and we have watched him transformed before our eyes. The good thing is that we have seen him make progress," he said.

While the family is satisfied with Christof's progress, they acknowledge that the journey has been a difficult and expensive one. Over the years they have spent thousands of dollars to ensure the best quality of life for their son.

"The insurance company does not cover anything. At one point we were spending $1000 a week. It is costly and there are a lot of parents in the country who are suffering because they do not have the means."

"This has given me a greater appreciation for what parents of autistic children go through. It is not easy at all having a child who is autistic. But we are grateful to our family, teachers and everyone who has assisted us with Christof," said Canon Tynes.

In an effort raise awareness, Resources and Education for Autism and Related Challenges (REACH) a local autism awareness group, has joined several countries to recognise April as autism awareness month and launch "Light It Up Blue" campaign. Individuals in the community are encouraged to light up their surroundings in blue for the entire month.