OTTAWA — Even with a diagnosis of autism, Mica Jovanovic remains
a medical mystery to experts who treat and study his condition.
And as autism has emerged as the fastest growing developmental
disability, stirring fears of an epidemic, researchers are
racing to figure out what causes the condition and why it
appears to be affecting so many more children. What’s clear is
that as a baby growing up in suburban Ottawa, Mica was often
sick. By his second birthday, he had suffered 17 ear infections
and been treated with countless rounds of antibiotics. The fluid
buildup in his ears impaired little Mica’s hearing. He also had
swollen adenoid glands, which affected his ability to breathe
and sleep normally. In the first two years of her son’s life,
Anne Jovanovic made sure her son slept in the crook of her arm
so that his head was elevated and he could breathe. Despite her
best efforts, mother and Mica slept fitfully. Other problems
emerged after Mica had adenoid and tonsil surgery. While his
breathing, sleeping and h