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April 2006 |
April is National Autism Month!President's message: another type of autism awarenessby Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D.April is Autism Awareness Month and greater awareness is, without a doubt, a good thing. My own experience with autism awareness began when I was an undergraduate at Rutgers University back in 1980. In my junior year I signed up to take a course that, I later discovered, would require me to work one day a week with children with autism at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center. Yet, I knew next to nothing about autism. Why would I? It was only with the publication of DSM-III (APA, 1980) that formal diagnostic criteria for autism were established in the United States (infantile schizophrenia was the “best fit” diagnostic label up to that point). Mass media attention up to that time was minimal consisting mainly of the publication of a few mass market books (e.g, Josh Greenfield’s, “A Child Called Noah“ in 1972) and the 1979 broadcast of “Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love” based on the 1976 book by Barry Neil Kaufman.
A good example of the public understanding of autism at the time can be found in a New York Times article from 1977 (“Queens College Program Is Working with Autism”, 1977, P. 41). In this article, Richard Flaste provided readers with the following description of children with autism; “There they sit, ripping their own bodies with their teeth, or banging their heads against the wall, or looking so withdrawn and robot-like that they can defy empathy”. Later in the article he states, “Parents know that one of the older suspicions about autism is that parents cause it by being too cold…” only later noting that “widespread professional opinion” had discarded that opinion and, instead, viewed autism as a “physiological malady”. Interestingly enough, Flaste opened the article by noting that autism was “one of those disorders about which there is so much uncertainty that one wonders why a single label is used at all” pre-dating the current description of autism as a spectrum disorder. Still, from then until now we have certainly come a long way in terms of autism awareness. Today, the general public is more aware of autism, autism spectrum disorder, and Asperger Syndrome than at any time in human history. As noted in previous edition of The OARacle (April, 2004) 32 percent of adults nationwide know someone with autism. This number was up from 26 percent just 15 months ago in a similar poll conducted by OAR in September 2002. In recent years autism has been featured on the covers of Time (5/06/02) and Newsweek (2/28/05) magazines, has been the focus of extensive reporting on NBC (January 2005) and other networks (e.g. ABC’s Nightline), has defined the protagonist of a best selling 2003 novel (“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon) and is the topic of a continuing series of articles published in the New York Times, to offer just a few examples. This is in addition to the nationwide “Learn the Signs, Act Early” autism awareness campaign launched by the CDC aimed at improving early recognition of at-risk infants thereby allowing for early diagnosis and, subsequently, effective early intervention (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/actearly/). The focus of much of the media attention to autism and the current awareness efforts is on the complexity of the disorder and the significant impact its diagnosis has on a family, their community, the educational and adult services systems and, obviously, the newly diagnosed individual. Notwithstanding recent advances (e.g., Sallows & Graupner, 2005), autism is still generally regarded as a lifelong condition impacting nearly all aspects of human development. Despite the very real and very deep love parents feel for their children with autism, I have yet to meet one parent who told me “I am glad my child has autism. If given a choice, this is what I would I would have chosen for him or her.” So then aren’t the challenges associated with autism a necessary focus for autism awareness? Certainly, but necessary does not mean sufficient. Allow me to digress again to 1980 and my first day at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center (DDDC). After my required, three hour introductory lecture on autism – which has somehow lasted 25 years -- I was assigned to work in the adolescent classroom every Friday for the semester. Knowing a little more about autism than I did just the week before, I still expected to walk into a classroom of teenagers who did not speak, never made eye contact, rocked constantly, and occasionally hit themselves in head for, it was my understanding at the time, no apparent reason. What I saw instead were six teenagers who yes, had autism. I also saw six teenagers who had their own personalities, preferences, dislikes, idiosyncrasies, strengths, challenges and, I chose to believe, hopes and dreams. In the midst of an all encompassing pervasive developmental disability what struck me most were not the disabilities but rather the possibilities. And it is those possibilities, which are present for each and every person with an autism spectrum disorder, which now need to be the focus of the other message of Autism Awareness Month: Autism is a significant, challenging developmental disorder; the impact of which is far reaching. But with appropriate early intervention, evidence-based educational interventions, effective family support practices and a commitment to viewing individuals with autism as life-long learners, the potential exists for lives of competence and lives of quality. People today are generally aware of autism but they are less aware that people with autism, wherever they fall on the spectrum, have the very real potential to live life as independently as possible, to work at a job they like, experience friendship on their own terms, and to enjoy a life which, while challenging, is fulfilling. So while it continues to be important to educate, for example, the business community about the impact of autism and the importance of autism research, it is now equally important to educate them as to why it may make good business sense to hire an adult on the spectrum because in doing so they may find themselves with a valuable and valued employee who, by the way, just happens to have autism. These are not mutually exclusive goals or contradictory messages. The public’s awareness of autism and its impact on the lives of so many engenders support for biomedical research into causation and applied research into effective interventions and evidenced-based practices. For that support to continue, however, we need to produce, and promote, desirable outcomes and in so doing raise the expectations of all concerned… parents, professionals, and community members about what is possible independent of a diagnosis of autism. Through continued autism awareness with regards to both the challenges and the opportunities, and a commitment to solid, applied research designed to inform and guide effective practice we can improve the lives of many. And in so doing, may make autism awareness a little less of a pressing need. References: The effect of brief training on attitudes and interactions of co-workers with autismby Rick Hudson, Rebecca Grau, John BurkeWhile the philosophy of community based employment is to promote community integration and the social skills of persons with disabilities, studies suggest that there is minimal interaction between persons with disabilities in the workplace and their non-disabled co-workers and that when interaction does occur it may be limited and non-social in nature (Belcher & Smith, 1994; McDermott, Martin, & Butkus, 1999; Chadsey-Rusch, Gonzalez, Tines & Johnson, 1989; Parent, Kregel, Metezler & Teardzik, 1992; Test & Wood, 1996; Wehman & Kregel, 1995). Conversely, research also demonstrates that non-disabled co-workers can serve as important resources for persons with disabilities in the workplace. The very proximity of non-disabled employees to their co-workers with disabilities presents the opportunity for them to act as supports for the individual with a disability’s successful employment (Hagner, Butterworth, & Keith, 1995; Patton, de la Garza, & Harmon, 1997; Luft, & Rubin, 1999; Rusch, Johnson & Hughes, 1990). The concept of "natural supports” is most often related to the utilization of co-workers, supervisors and other non-disabled work personnel to act in similar roles as do job coaches for their co-workers with disabilities (Wehman, 2001). Research suggests that workers without disabilities are less likely to advocate for co-workers with disabilities, as the disability becomes more severe. Supported employment agencies are less likely to accept persons with very severe disabilities, such as autism, due to the need for continuing support for these individuals (Datlow-Smith & Belcher, 1994; Ohtake & Chadsey, 1999; Revel, Wehman, Kregel, West, & Rayfield, (1994). Persons with severe disabilities could be further excluded from supported employment services, and subsequently the workforce, because their needs for on-the-job support may be greater than co-workers or supervisors abilities to successfully manage (West, 1992). Since it's inception, the natural support model has been designed to help facilitate successful employment outcomes for individuals with severe disabilities (Wehman, 2001). The opposite may be the case for persons with very severe disabilities, according to Wehman, Revell, and Kregal (1997). They assert that since 1988 there has been very little progress made toward including the very severely disabled and subsequently difficult to place/train individuals in supported employment. According to Wehman, Revell, and Kregal, persons with disabilities such as severe cognitive limitations, autism, cerebral palsy and dual diagnosis have been notably left out of supported employment initiatives due to their significant needs for ongoing support. It is this social aspect of work, and with natural supports as work support in particular, that individuals with autism spectrum disorders may have the most difficulty. Historically, individuals with autism have experienced numerous difficulties in accessing appropriate supported employment services in their communities (Datlow-Smith & Belcher, 1994; Keel, Mesibov & Woods, 1997). This results in a situation in which most supported employment organizations are unable or ill-equipped to provide for the specialized training or long-term supports required for successful employment of persons with autism (Datlow-Smith & Belcher 1994; Keel, Mesibov & Woods, 1997). Current Study Based on the literature, it was hypothesized by the researcher that two significant social barriers exist for persons with autism in their endeavors to secure supported or competitive employment that are not routinely addressed as part of job training; successfully interacting with co-workers and using the needed ongoing supports available through "natural supports." This study endeavored to explore these barriers in three ways. First, the researcher studied the interaction between employees and their co-workers with autism. Second the study sought to determine if specific autism related training could better facilitate these interactions. Through measuring this co-worker attitudes toward individuals with autism the study endeavored to explore if individuals without developmental disabilities in the workplace can be motivated toward improved attitudes toward their co-workers with autism through the provision of training and education on the specifics of autism. The study also endeavored to identify specific factors of the individuals without disabilities that may have affected their perceived level of interaction with persons with autism. Methodology The study occurred over a 12 month time period. During this investigation, two key research questions were addressed: (a) Did training/education increase the observed interactions of employees with their co-workers with autism; and (b) Did training/education influence the reported attitudes of the employees toward their co-workers with autism. In contrast to programs that target the individuals with autism, this study focused on providing a training and educational workshop for the co-workers and examined how this training impacted their interactions and attitudes involving their fellow employees with autism. In regards to the first research question, co-workers of individuals with autism were observationally measured on a pre-post basis with respect to their level of observed interaction with their co-workers with autism. To address the second research question, the co-workers completed a pre and post-training questionnaire with respect to their reported attitude toward their fellow employees with autism. All co-workers employed in worksites randomly assigned to the experimental group participated in a training/education workshop, while the co-workers in the control group only participated in the pre-post assessment, receiving training only after data collection was completed. Subjects Co-workers of Individuals with Autism Persons with Pervasive Developmental Disorders Once volunteers were identified at various jobsites, the sites were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. The individuals with autism and/or their family or guardian were administered the Scales of Independent Behavior – Revised as a means of measuring independent functioning of the individual. Co-workers of individuals with autism were observed in conjunction with the job coach and ranked on the Co-Worker Involvement Index (Revised) on all nine items. This measure was administered to both the control and experimental groups as part of the baseline determination. All subjects were next administered the Attitude Toward Autism measure. The Attitude Toward Autism measure was used in the determination of a pre-treatment baseline. After baseline measurement, the researcher conducting the training/treatment coordinated with job coaches and supervisors/managers in order to schedule the training for those subjects in the experimental group. Training sessions consisted of both a commercially available natural supports training program entitled Training For Work Supports as well as specific training relating to characteristics of persons with autism spectrum disorders. These training sessions were scheduled with supervisors/managers so that subjects received training in the workplace during regularly scheduled shifts. Upon completion of the baseline evaluations/observations and/or subsequent application of the training program treatment a time interval of approximately three weeks was observed. This time interval was based upon a test-retest reliability for the Co-Worker Involvement Index (Revised) in which a correlation of .90 was shown when comparing test and re-test administration of the index on the same subjects with a three week interval. After the three-week time interval had elapsed from the administration of the training program, the subjects were again observed and measured using the Co-Worker Involvement Index (Revised), again being observed by a compatriot who was naive with regard to whether they were observing the control or experimental group and whether or not training had yet occurred. Evaluation Three standardized measures were used in this study: (a) the Co-Worker Involvement Index (Revised), (b) the Attitudes Toward Autism Survey and (c) the Scales of Independent Behavior - Revised. Non-developmentally disabled co-workers of individuals with autism were administered the Co-Worker Involvement Index (Revised) and the Attitudes Toward Autism Survey. Individuals with autism who work alongside non-developmentally disabled co-workers were administered the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (SIB-R), in order to provide information about the severity of their developmental disability. Training/Education of Non-Developmentally Disabled Co-Workers In order to minimize variance in the administration of training, natural supports training consisted of administration of the commercially available natural supports training program entitled Training for Success: Facilitating Natural Supports in the Workplace for Persons with Disabilities. This pre-established training program produced by Training Resources Network (1999), consists of a training video and workbook designed to introduce non-developmentally disabled employees to the concept of natural supports and how to serve as natural supports for individuals with disabilities in the workplace. The workbook and training video focus on the use of task analysis, behavioral prompting, reinforcement and error correction. The video and workbook are used in conjunction with one another and provide instruction on each topic with accompanying examples of a job analysis, behaviorally based cues and rewards and corrections. Following each section is a sample scenario presented on the video with a prompt to pause and work through the scenario in the workbook. These scenarios were worked as a group prior to returning to the video training for demonstrated and recommended solutions. The training specific to autism was based upon curriculum from Kentucky Autism Training Center’s Autism Awareness Training, designed to provide a basic overview of autism and autism spectrum disorders to a general population of individuals. Following all data collection the employment sites having been randomly placed into the control group will be offered the training, though no data will be collected as part of this training. This is believed to be the most ethical procedure for this study and will still allow co-workers of individuals with autism the opportunity to learn more about their co-worker with autism and possibly become a better source of natural support in the workplace. Results and Discussion An analysis of the data indicated that neither training protocol had a statistically significant impact on the behavior of co-workers and, thereby, the social inclusion of employees with autism. One possible consideration as to lack of significant findings in this study may be related to the social skills of the individuals with autism in the workplace. Though a lack of awareness or markedly decreased social skills are a hallmark of the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, it is possible that these individuals with autism possessed a level of social skills that endeared them to their co-worker and thus increased co-worker attitudes/interactions. Autism is a spectrum disorder in which the various diagnostic criteria can occur in a very wide range of presentations and severities. At one end of the ‘spectrum’ are individuals for whom autism is more severe with significant deficits in many areas while at the other extreme are individual’s who possess the diagnostic criteria but for whom these deficits are less severe. Although two individuals may both hold the diagnosis of autism, one may be non-verbal and another very verbal with an advanced vocabulary but with limited initiation and/or ability to sustain communication. Another consideration is that employers who hire individuals with autism may already possess more favorable attitudes toward individuals with disabilities and thus training may have little effect on increasing these already favorable attitudes. In working with a supported employment provider or vocational rehabilitation agency, the employer will be aware of the fact that the employees hired under such a program are individuals with disabilities. Regardless if they are aware of the specific diagnosis the very fact that these employers are willing to hire individuals with known severe disabilities may suggest a tolerance for many of the issues that could accompany such an employee and thus an increased score on an attitudinal survey with regard to the hiring of individuals with autism, even if they remain uninformed of the specifics of autism. Though this study did not specifically seek to assess the attitudes or interactions of supervisors, managers or executives in the businesses participating, it is possible that the attitudes of the organizational leaders were an influence on those of the employees surveyed. An employment site in which supervisors demonstrate a strong commitment to hiring individuals with disabilities may well result in a workplace culture in which tolerance for employees with disabilities is reinforced. A possible direction of future research may be to assess the attitudes of individuals holding supervisory or managerial positions to determine the effect attitudes of these key personnel on those of subordinate employees. The fact that all employers participating in this study have hired an individual with autism to perform some aspect of work in their organization may place these jobsites in an already biased position, they are willing to try working with individual’s with severe disabilities. Therefore there is something already different about these employment sites. This difference may be a more open nature, a commitment to diversity or other qualities that may result in elevated attitudes and interactions with co-workers with disabilities irrespective of training. The very fact that these sites employ persons with autism may mean that they already possess more positive attitudes and increased interactions than would employees of organizations who do not or have not yet hired persons with autism. The control group would ideally be made up of employees at jobsites where no individuals with severe disabilities have yet been hired. A significant change in measured attitudes from this group as a result of training may point to a possible effect upon the work culture that would initiate, influence or increase the hiring of persons with disabilities. If management is open to the hiring of individuals with autism then it is possible that other individuals with disabilities, either currently or previously, have been employed by these worksites. It is possible that these previous or current experiences may have an impact on current attitudes and/or interactions with employees with autism and the willingness of employers to consider participating in this project. If an employer has previous experience working with co-workers with disabilities then that experience may transfer into changes in how these workers interact with co-workers with disabilities. An employee who has worked with someone with a disability may find that their ability to interact with the co-worker is improved and their expectations of social interactions are more realistic and consistent with the individual’s capacities. For these reasons it is possible that previous experience working with individuals with disabilities could result in an increase in co-worker attitudes and/or interactions with employees with autism. The current study did not include this variable, but such prior experience should be measured in future research in this area. Recommendations The findings of this study suggest that presentation of a brief training may not be an effective means of facilitating a change in attitudes and/or interactions of employees with their co-workers with autism. It is recommended that future research in this area focus on the use of other training models that are longer, more intense or experiential rather than academic in approach. It is noted that the brief training program used in this study was primarily an overview of the diagnostic features of autism and various deficits in communication, social skills and sensory issues that accompany this diagnosis. Future research in this area is encouraged to include more practical information regarding how employees can better interact with their co-workers with autism or how they can teach more acceptable social skills in the workplace. References: research update: Research in Attitudes Towards persons with Autismby Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D.The study of attitudes toward persons with disabilities has been part of the psychological and educational research for quite some time now (e.g., Yuker, 1988). Why attitudes are often considered an important subject of research is the underlying assumption that if we can change people's attitudes, we can change people's behavior and, thereby, lower barriers to a more inclusive life. The question, however, is much more complex than that. Attitudes are basically a learned predisposition to behave in a certain way under certain conditions. However, without a better understanding of what set of prior experiences or conditions resulted in this predisposition simply changing one's self reports on attitude may not actually lead to the desired changes in behavior. Like I said, attitudes are complex and their study similarly so. Below are summaries of three recent studies that investigated different aspects of attitude research in support of learners with autism. While the results are somewhat mixed, and none of the studies reviewed look at actual behavior change, it is encouraging that researchers are addressing the topic with the complexity it deserves. ARTICLE ONE: Campbell, J.M., Ferguson, J.E., Herzinger, C.V., Jackson, J.N., & Marino, C.A. (2004). Combined descriptive and explanatory information improves peers' perceptions of autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 25, 321-339. Summary: Campbell and associates investigated the impact of providing descriptive versus descriptive plus explanatory information to typical 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students (N = 576) regarding the behavior of an unfamiliar child with autism. In this study, the students were asked to watch a videotaped portrayal of a young learner with autism (“Robby”). Videotapes were accompanied either by Descriptive Information highlighting similarities between Robby and the viewer or by Descriptive plus Explanatory Information which included a description of autism as biological disorder and explain Robby's unusual behavior in those terms. In a third condition, students watched a videotape of Robby engaging in typical behavior with the same descriptive information provided. After each videotape, viewers were asked respond to three measures (the Adjective Checklist, the Shared Activities Questionnaire and a Similarity Rating Form). The authors provide a more comprehensive description of each instrument in the article. Not surprisingly, children rated the typical boy more favorably than the boy engaged in behaviors typical of autism. However, the Descriptive plus Explanatory condition resulted in improved attitudes in 3rd and 4th graders (but not 5th graders) when compared to the Descriptive condition. In addition, the combined information resulted in improved behavioral intentions across grades. Limitations to these findings discussed by the authors include the fact that a videotape of a young actor was used instead of in vivo exposure to a student with autism and the sample, as large as it was, not as diverse in terms of geography, SES or ethnicity as might be desirable. Still, the findings do support the idea that appropriate, instructional interventions may improve the attitudes of typical peers and thereby, increase the social inclusion of learners with autism. ARTICLE TWO: Beck, A.R., Bock, S., Thompson, J.R., Bowman, L., & Robbins, S., (2006). Is awesome really awesome? How the inclusion of informal terms on an AAC devices influences attitudes toward peers who use AAC. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 27, 56-69. Summary: Increasingly, technology is allowing learners with autism to improve their communicative competence through the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. As with any sophisticated piece of computer hardware, however, the efficacy of AAC devices is often dependent on the input (with what words or phrases the system is programmed) having direct relevance to the desired output (effective communication). With that in mind the authors of this study investigated the extent to which programming an AAC device to allow the user to communicate using more informal, or normative words and phrases (e.g., “Big Time!”) versus programming with more formal language (e.g., “That's right.”) would influence the attitudes of grade school students toward the AAC device user. Participants were 84 children in grades 4 and 5 in a small Midwestern community. Participants were shown a videotape of a potential classmate having a conversation using an AAC device with an adult female. While the adult was visible in the videotape, only the forearm of the child using the device was visible to control for biases which can be associated with age, gender, etc. The conversation in both cases consisted of 37 conversational turns on the topic of “Harry Potter.” Results indicated that while the self-reported attitudes of girls were more positive than those of boys, there was no difference associated with whether the device was programmed with formal versus informal English. As was the case with Campbell, et al., (2004) discussed above, this investigation presented an analog analysis (video versus actual exposure) and, as such, no measure of direct interaction with the AAC device user was possible. As such, the extent to which measurable levels of peer engagement might be different as a function of formal versus informal language on a AAC device remains, for now, a potential topic for future research. ARTICLE THREE: Campbell, J.M., Ferguson, J.E., Herzinger, C.V., Jackson, N., & Marino, C., (2005). Peer's attitudes toward autism differ across sociometric groups: An exploratory investigation. Journal of Physical and Developmental Disabilities, 17, 281-298. Summary: In this study, Campbell and colleagues asked, “Do children from different sociometric groups perceive children with autism differently?” In particular the investigators were interested in differences in attitudes that might be associated with being regarded as a popular (a high status) peer versus being regarded as a typical, rejected, controversial or neglected (low status) peer. They further wanted to know if the provision of explanatory information about an unfamiliar peer affected acceptance ratings between these groups. In all 576 third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete sociometric nominations and, subsequently, viewed the videotapes discussed in the Campbell, et al (2004) study discussed before. A brief summary of the findings indicated that children from different sociometric groups reported different attitudes and behavioral intentions to the child with autism versus the typical child. Second, children from different sociometric groups responded differently to the child with autism when presented with explanatory information. In particular, children in the rejected group reported a greater willingness to share in activities with the child with autism after explanatory information was presented than did average or neglected children. Further investigation is certainly indicated to clarify what role sociometric status may play in defining attitudes toward peers with autism and, if such a relationship is more clearly established, the subsequent development of individualized peer interventions designed to support greater social inclusion for learners with autism. perspective: changing attitudes by demonstrating abilitiesby Dr. Temple Grandin
This month's Perspective columnist is Dr. Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and an Associate Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Facilities she has designed are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. In North America, almost half of the cattle are handled in a center track restrainer system that she designed for meat plants. Curved chute and race systems she has designed for cattle are used worldwide and her writings on the flight zone and other principles of grazing animal behavior have helped many people to reduce stress on their animals during handling. She has also developed an objective scoring system for assessing handling of cattle and pigs at meat plants. This scoring system is being used by many large corporations to improve animal welfare. In addition, Dr. Grandin teaches courses on livestock behavior and facility design at Colorado State Univeristy and consults with the livestock industry on facility design, livestock handling, and animal welfare. She has appeared on television shows such as 20/20, 48 Hours, CNN Larry King Live, PrimeTime Live, the Today Show, and many shows in other countries. She has been featured in People Magazine, the New York Times, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, the New York Times book review, and Discover magazine. Interviews with Dr. Grandin have been broadcast on National Public Radio. She has also authored over 300 articles in both scientific journals and livestock periodicals on animal handling, welfare, and facility design. She is the author of “Thinking in Pictures”, “Livestock Handling and Transport,” and “Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals.” Her book “Animals in Translation” was a New York Times best seller. One of the best ways to promote positive attitudes towards people on the autism spectrum is to emphasize the areas where the person excels. When I first started my career it was the early 1970's when there were no support groups for people with autism. At that time many professionals thought that autism was an emotional disorder. And whether I was in school or in the job market, I quickly learned that I had to sell my work instead of myself. My first part time job was writing a column for an Arizona state farm magazine. The readers and feedlot managers thought I was weird but soon I gained a reputation for writing really good, accurate articles. When I covered the Arizona cattle feeders meeting they knew that my reporting would be unbiased and I would not misquote anybody. I became known throughout Arizona as being really odd, but people respected my ability. The first professional organization that I joined was the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. I remember one day when a group of engineers was avoiding me; but their attitude totally changed after I showed them one of my drawings. They said “you drew that?!” People were impressed by my engineering drawings and photos of finished projects I had designed. When I started my livestock equipment design business it was done freelance. I am still a freelance consultant today. Freelance work avoided a lot of dangerous office politics. I came in, I designed the project, and I left. Selling yourself through Portfolios The materials you put in your portfolio must also be appropriate for the particular customer. A small rancher should not be sent drawings for a giant feedlot. I obtained one of my most important meat industry clients by sending him a portfolio. Today there are five large beef processing plants where I have designed all of the animal handling systems. A well designed portfolio sent to the company president sold all of those projects. The biggest mistake I see in portfolios sent to me is incomplete contact information. If the address is only on the envelope and the envelope gets lost, then the client has no way to answer. You need to send postal addresses, email addresses, and all phone numbers. You have to make it easy for a busy person to contact you. Since most people are afraid to open email attachments from strangers, sometimes it is best to use old fashioned mail unless the client has been contacted in advance and knows that it is safe to open the attachment. A web page is also recommended as a place to show off your portfolio. Portfolios should be in both electronic and paper formats. If you use the mail, send both formats. People are afraid of viruses and will not play strange disks on their computers. Getting in the Backdoor The bottom line is that people respect talent. Even though people in the 1970's thought I was a “weird nerd,” I gained their respect and changed their attitudes when they saw my work. I later used my visual thinking abilities to design livestock facilities. I guess the message in the end is that one's abilities can outshine what others perceive to be his or her disabilities or shortcomings, especially for those of us on the autism spectrum. So let's show the world what we can do. runner profile: 17 year old girl with autism - a seasoned runnerLauren D'Esposito loves to run. Although her mother says she is “too young” to run a full marathon, the seventeen year-old with autism from Teaneck, New Jersey had no problem managing the 8K race in the 2005 RUN FOR AUTISM in Washington, D.C. But even before she participated in the RFA, Lauren made a name for herself as a runner in her hometown. Because of her disorder, Lauren has been attending the Alpine Learning Group (ALG), a school for students with autism in Paramus, New Jersey since 1991. Nevertheless, she set an ALG precedent when she joined the cross country team at Teaneck High when she was 14. She became the first ALG student to compete for a high school varsity team and stayed on for all four years of her eligibility. “The fact that she runs and has autism is pretty amazing,” said Lauren's mother Joanne, who is the Director of Resource Development at the Alpine Learning Group. “It has made her healthier, happier, and included her with her typical peers.” Lauren may have never won first place in any of her races, but she did receive the “The Salute to Champions Award” from her County Executive, Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Department of Human Services Division on Disability Services and the New Jersey General Assembly for her groundbreaking accomplishment. An article in the November 2, 2003 issue the North Jersey Record about Lauren said that she “is becoming a good runner, capable of ascending from one of the team's lesser talents to its best.”
The article also indicated that while she may not have been the fastest runner on the team, she is one of the toughest. Her coach told the Record that Lauren “probably has better endurance than most of the kids on the team.” “People think because people with autism have problems with speech and language that they aren't capable of anything else and they are,” said Mrs. D'Esposito. Even though Lauren's varsity career is now over, she still runs regularly in races throughout New Jersey and New York. She is currently working to overcome an ankle injury so she can participate in the New Jersey Shore half marathon at the end of the month. “[Running] is an outlet for being with her peers,” Mrs. D'Esposito said. Lately, Lauren has been known to take off to New York with a group of runners for a day, which her mother believes is invaluable for someone who has autism. “Nothing else in her life would allow her to do that.” To this day, Lauren remains the only ALG student who was also a varsity athlete. “Hopefully,” said Mrs. D'Esposito, “[Lauren] will stay with [running] the rest of her life.”
profile: cleveland clinic center for autism more than just a schoolLocated inside the Cleveland Clinic, one of the nation's leading hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism is more than just a school for children with autism. It is one of five multi-site research initiatives called the Autism Treatment Network (ATN) along with Massachusetts General Hospital, Columbia University Hospital, the Oregon Health Sciences University of Washington and Baylor University Hospital in Texas. In addition to education, the Cleveland Center provides specially designed services and support to children with autism to help them make the most of life's opportunities. “The program is about deep commitment and utilizing science based practices with kids to produce best outcomes, and creating services where there weren't any,” said Leslie Sinclair, the Cleveland Center's program director. When the Center opened in 2000 the Center only served 6 students. It now serves 72. “We have interface with the biomedical aspect in understanding what's going on with kids in the overall picture.” The faculty and staff include a range of specialists, such as psychologists, speech pathologists, behavior therapists and consulting physicians, all of whom have intensive training and experience. Ms. Sinclair herself is a licensed speech/language pathologist and board-certified behavior analyst. Among her numerous accomplishments in the field, Ms. Sinclair was named National Special Educator of The Year in 2004 by the National Association of Private Schools for Exceptional Students and is a published author and frequent lecturer on autism-related topics. The array of Staff members at the school collaborate to design special programs for each student that caters to his or her individual needs. The Center is the only center-based school program in Ohio that uses applied behavior analysis (ABA) in educational and clinical design and all of its programs rely on current autism findings. As students progress, the program adjusts accordingly to help maximize their overall functionality by the time they finish. Instruction at the center begins from the earliest diagnosis all the way through age 22. In addition to instructing children and young adults with autism, the Center also provides an array of other services that range from autism research to consultation to staff training programs to outreach services. “There are a lot of places that do just research but they don't have 72 children they serve every day,” Ms. Sinclair said. The Center recently raised $5 million to help fund a new $10 million three-story autism facility at the Cleveland Clinic dedicated to treating, evaluating and researching ASDs. “This building will provide state of the art treatment and research in all arenas of autism as well as serve our children with science based treatment everyday,” said an excited Ms. Sinclair. “It's going to be unbelievable!”
Autism Speaks and OAR Combine to Raise Money for Autism ResearchTwo organizations who share an interest in autism research turned an annual charity event into a hugely successful joint benefit for Autism Speaks and OAR. Last year, OAR Board Member and Vice Chairman Madeline Millman and Jackie Merens, the regional representative for Autism Speaks, approached the Spa Committee at the Polo Club of Boca Raton, Florida asking to have the 2006 charity event benefit autism research. They were successful, working tirelessly along with their committee to bring about the event. Their leadership and hard work paid off as the Polo Club Walk for Autism Research raised over $100,000, smashing previous records. The funds will be equally shared by OAR to support applied autism research and Autism Speaks which funds biomedical resesarch. "OAR was honored to be apart of this year's the Polo Club fundraiser,” said Mike Maloney, OAR's Executive Director. “The research missions of each organization complement each other; the donations to this event will support the full range of autism research.”
Despite inclement weather, the event, which was held on February 25, 2006, turned out to be a huge success. Mrs. Millman applauded the team effort of the Club's Spa Committee, the Club's professional staff and the Walk/Run Committee. Donorswho contributed more than $5,000 were offered a naming opportunity in a famous author's next novel. Participating authors included: Maeve Binchy, Stuart Woods and Carolyn See. The donor will be able to pick the title that the author will use for his or her next novel. Instead of outdoor activities, the event took place in the club's ladies card room where winners were selected by a drawing. Each winner received an Award Certificate, Medal, and Spa Gift Certificate. They were as follows: 1st Place Male Runner—Richard Breier; 1st Place Female Runner—Karen Elster; 1st Place Male Walker—Eric Lazarus; 1st Place Female Walker—Karen Beinner; 2nd Place Male Runner—Mike Klein; 2nd Place Female Runner—Caren Gorman; 2nd Place Male Walker—Les Corwin; 2nd Place Female Walker—Sheila Gelman. Of the 34 members of the Polo Club's planning committee for this year's special event, fifteen have children or grandchildren with autism. These parents and grandparents of children with autism in the audience at the event were recognized and applauded. Over 85 raffle prizes and gift certificates were awarded by Susan Kane, the raffle prize subcommittee chair. Special awards were also given out to Ceci and Leo Rosen and Julie Davis for their outstanding fundraising efforts. Jackie Merens thanked the Club and the Committee and awarded Mrs. Millman and Jean Mills, the Director of the Spa and Tennis Center, with framed certificates.
OAR's New Website Just a Click Away…by Sara PelikanThis month OAR launched its new and improved Web site, which proves to be a valuable resource to all members of the autism community. It provides useful information for persons with autism and their families as well as resources for educators, service providers, and research professionals. “Our goal is to provide a friendly and inviting website that is professional, yet easy to use and navigate,” said OAR Executive Director Mike Maloney. “OAR hopes members of the Autism community to use the site as a source of information, news, events and support.”
The Web site provides research based information about the Autism Spectrum across the lifespan. It offers Educators & Service Providers pages that provide useful information for educational success, as well as information on Individualized Education Programs (IEP's). In addition, the Educators & Service Providers section offers the opportunity to download helpful worksheets and other materials. The Web site also has a Family and Friends section dedicated to understanding different types of research, finding research, and participating in research studies. This section includes a user friendly glossary of commonly used research terms. Also, this section provides information on different support methods and support models. OAR's Web site re-design project provides up to date and accessible information about the organization itself. The new OAR Web site makes it easier for people to become more involved in OAR fundraising opportunities and events. The RUN FOR AUTISM section, for example, has a Runner's Page that provides a quick and easy way to register on-line, as well as connect with other runners. This section also features profiles of our running team, as well as tips and support for fundraising and marathon training. The News & Events section also provides information about OAR's annual Applied Autism Research and Intervention Conference. “The Web site is an important resource,” Mr. Maloney said. “OAR is excited about the new Web site and looks forward to better serving the greater autism community.” OAR would like to thank the design team at OmniStudio for all their hard work and dedication. OAR would also like to thank parents for the use of their photos. For more information or questions regarding the Web site redesign project, please contact Sara Pelikan or Geoff Pan at (703) 243-9710 or by email at oar@researchautism.org.
OAR Welcomes New Staff MemberOAR is pleased to announce the addition of Geoff Pan, OAR's newest Development Associate, to its team. Geoff will take on the role of Coordinator the RUN FOR AUTISM as well as manage OAR's Combined Federal Campaign.
Geoff graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Madison in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in Art History. A Madison native, Geoff worked as Development Officer for the Madison Observer before relocating to the Washington, D.C. area. He also spent last summer working as a Development Intern in New York City at the non-profit organization Art21, Inc. His interest in development for small non-profits makes him a good fit for OAR's staff. “I am excited to be a part of the OAR team,” said Pan. “What drew me to OAR is the fact that OAR focuses on funding applied research as opposed to biomedical research; it's a different and unique approach. I look forward to working, learning, and growing here at OAR."
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