Maureen Messersmith knew from the time her son, Zachary, was born nine years ago that he was different. He used to scream all the time, a painful, constant scream.

Doctors said it was a phase, but Zachary did not grow out of it.

Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette Lugenia Bracero, left, and Maureen Messersmith, right, give credit to their two sons Brandon, 5, left, and Jared, 6, right, for inspiring a support group for families with autistic children to be organized. Mrs. Messersmith's son Zachary, 9, center, is also autistic. The group meets at the Sewickley Country Inn at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. Click photo for larger image.

By the time he was almost 5 years old, Mrs. Messersmith, of Coraopolis, was concerned that he was not acting normally. She and her husband, Ernie, were advised to take Zachary to Children's Hospital. A three-hour evaluation ended with the diagnosis that Zachary had Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.

In the time it took for the Messersmiths to arrange the evaluation and secure a hospital appointment for Zachary, Jared was born.

He too, was diagnosed with autism, a form known as Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.

Doctors told the Messersmiths that autism is more prevalent in boys and that couples with one child diagnosed with autism have a high possibility of having subsequent children with autism.

Despite the disorders, Mrs. Messersmith remains active and upbeat.

She recently was appointed to a vacancy on the Cornell school board so she can give back to her community.

"I am blessed to have two children who are both high functioning," she said of Zachary, who is 9, and Jared, 6.

Remaining upbeat has been a challenge. She said that, after her mother died last year, her support system ended.

"I just shut down," she said.

But support came from a very unexpected source, Jared.

Her youngest son attended the Sewickley YMCA summer camp and became friends with Brandon. Jared asked his mom to arrange a play date with his new little friend, so Mrs. Messersmith sent a note through the camp counselor to Brandon's mother, Lugenia Bracerio, of Ambridge.

When Mrs. Messersmith eventually spoke on the telephone with Mrs. Bracerio, she learned that she, too, was the mother of an autistic child, Logan, 3.

The women started the Share and Care Autism Support Group, which meets the second Thursday each month in the Sewickley Country Inn on Route 65.

Mrs. Messersmith, a stay-at-home mom who sells Mary Kay Cosmetics, gets support from her older children, Samatha, 22, and Christopher, 18. Both are Cornell High School graduates.

Professional therapists come to her home to help Zachary with homework and both boys with social issues.

She said the boys both enjoy school, but when they get home, they have meltdowns. Zachary often cries and throws tantrums because he doesn't want to do his homework.

"I hug him and try to settle him down after the fit," she said. "He is exhausted and then he does his homework."

Zachary is into wrestling. She said that, when wrestling is on television, she videotapes the shows so he doesn't miss anything. He gets really angry if he thinks he missed something.

Zachary wants to play basketball and golf. She said he is a good bowler.

She said that Zachary thought about playing football but that he gets overheated quickly and hates the feel of some clothes. He refuses to wear jeans, saying they hurt his skin.

"When Zachary was a baby and before he could talk, I'd give him a bath in warm water and he would scream," she said. "When he got old enough to tell me the warm water hurts I gave him cold baths."

Mrs. Messersmith said autistic children have extra sensory feelings and can be sensitive to sunlight, the roughness of fabrics, and even smells.

Meals often are a challenge. Zachary eats only certain brand chicken nuggets with barbecue sauce. It must be specific brands or he won't eat it.

Zachary is good at math and spelling. She said they used to have math contests and he would be able to add numbers faster than she could. She said that word problems frustrated him.

Jared, on the other hand, is a perfectionist. He likes to color. If he goes out of the lines he will rip up the paper he was coloring and throw it on the floor.

She said the professional support help that comes to her home is working with Jared to take him shopping and trying to teach him that you can leave a store without buying something.

The boys help around the house. Both like to help fold laundry, and Zachary likes to run the vacuum cleaner and unload the dishwasher.

Mrs. Messersmith said now that her boys are in school, she and her husband go out on dates during the day. Typically, it's shopping or out for lunch.

She said she cannot take both boys out alone. And getting a sitter is impossible. She can't leave them with anyone besides their older siblings.

Mrs. Messersmith hopes the autism support group helps parents cope with their children's special needs. She hopes that teenagers can be taught to baby-sit autistic kids.

The support group has about 100 members on its mailing list from Moon, Quaker Valley and the North Hills.

Snacks and beverages are provided at each meeting, which is for parents only. To find out more about the Share and Care Autism Support Group, call Maureen Messersmith at 412-269-0337 or e-mail her at Messersmith5150@comcast.net.