Intimately seated around a small rectangular table, parents recognized the compassion shown for their autistic children by U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.

Prior to his scheduled speech about his father and the Nuremberg Trials, Senator Dodd took an hour for a “last-minute” meeting to speak to the group of fewer than 20 parents whose children have been diagnosed with various forms of autism.

“He is Mr. Child Health Care,” said Kris Moorman of Ames, who was responsible for putting the meeting together and who also initially introduced Dodd to the group. She identified him as the chief spokesperson and huge proponent for several acts to aid research in the area of autism, including the Combating Autism Act.

Following the introductions of the parents and a grandmother of autistic children, Dodd talked about time he has spent with other parents of autistic children that has given him a greater understanding of the complexities surrounding the disease.

“Because [the issue of autism] is so confounding from beginning to end, autism tends to be a big question mark,” Dodd said.

He also addressed possible causes of autism. He mentioned thimerosol, an ingredient in many vaccines and concerns surrounding a possible connection between the ingredient and the disorder.

Dodd then opened up a discussion with the parents. A common problem that many parents mentioned was the large deficiency of facilities, doctors, and educators to provide their children with the care they needed. Furthermore, some said, any treatments available are extremely expensive and only partially covered by insurance companies.

Melinda Debner, whose daughter has been diagnosed with autism, was baffled by the extremes she had to go to in order to help her daughter.

“We’ve dug our heels in looking for an underlying cause,” Debner said. “We have gone everywhere to find a doctor who understands.”

The route Debner and her family took was beneficial in helping her daughter overcome autism. She claims her daughter’s teachers have a hard time believing she was ever diagnosed.

Other families, however, aren’t so lucky. Due to inadequate research funding for autism, little progress has been made. Although bills supported by Dodd provide further funding for research, it does not deal with the education aspect that several parents said was an important aspect of treatment.

Dodd said, however, there is hope.

“I keep on my desk a toy given to me by an autistic child,” Dodd said. “I want to learn more about autism – there is tremendous opportunity.”