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May 2006 |
Transition from school to vacationFeature: Preparing Your Child For Summer Campby Jill Hudson, M.S., CCLSWith the end of the school year rapidly approaching, all thoughts turn to summer. It’s the time of year when we kick back, take time to relax (or at least slow down), and enjoy outdoor activities. As I reflect back on my summers as a child, one activity in particular stands out above all others -- going to camp.
Camp provides opportunity for outdoor adventure, physical challenge, a change from the typical daily routine of the school-year as well as a shared experience with others. Children from a variety of backgrounds put aside their differences as they gather to participate in a common arena, making friends and building skills that will last their lifetime. Camp provides an avenue for children to group and build community around their special interests while participating in lively activities that they enjoy. They are also exposed to social interaction and team building skills, and communication often increases as they share and learn about their interests and the experiences of others. Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can benefit from and thrive in camp environments. When well supported, children with ASD are able to fully participate and integrate into the camp experience. Whether attending a camp specifically for children with ASD or participating in general camp settings such as for sports, church or academics, your child can be successful. Questions to Ask Prior to the start of camp, parents of children with ASD should familiarize themselves with the environment where they intend to send their child. It is best to contact the director to make sure both you and he are mutually aware of the details that will make camp a success for your camper. It is important to include questions such as:
Take time to explain the strengths and needs of your child. Provide information about stress triggers, calming activities and how best to handle an outburst or meltdown. If your child has a limited diet, needs assistance when toileting or showering, or tends to wander off if unsupervised, mention these as well and see how the camp director responds. Detail what adaptations would be most beneficial, and ask how best to incorporate them within their camp structure. You might suggest adding:
The more information shared and gathered prior to camp, the more prepared the camp, the staff, and your child will be for the experience. Preparing your camper at home Before your child leaves for camp, give him information about what to expect. Draft a short social narrative detailing activities and anything new with which he might not be familiar, such as sharing a cabin bathroom with seven other campers or rules for participating in activities around a camp fire. After the routine has been reviewed, ask questions to help him predict what to do if a particular scenario were to occur. Practicing relevant situations will allow your child to think through an interaction and determine a variety of solutions in a calm state of mind. He then will be more prepared to refer to these potential solutions when an actual event occurs. If you are packing for overnight camp, place one entire set of clothes in a large plastic bag – complete with shorts, shirt, socks and underwear. The child will then be able to better organize his suitcase and morning routine by simply choosing one bag of clothes for the day. It is a good idea to pack a few extra sets of clothes for the week. Packing a transitional object is beneficial as well. This is an item that your camper cherishes and reminds him of home or provides comfort. This item should be carefully selected because it will be entering the camp setting. Do not choose something that will devastate the child if it is broken, soiled or lost. Tossing in a few photographs that could be hung bedside the bunk or making a list of friends and family that will be thinking of him during the week could be enough. Be sure to check with the camp director to ensure that the item selected by your camper is allowed at camp. Some camps do not allow electronics such as portable video games or CD players at camp, and therefore they will be confiscated. This is not the result we want for your child! Enjoy the camp experience After thoroughly talking with the camp director and preparing your child for what to expect, relax and enjoy your week as well. Your child is ready to enter a wonderful experience full of adaptations and supports to allow him to thrive and encourage him to participate in a group with other children with similar interests. You will see a difference in your child after he has participated in a camp experience! Jill Hudson, M.S., CCLS, is the author of Cabins, Canoes and Campfires: Guidelines for Establishing a Summer Camp for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (AAPC, 2005). research update: Safety and Safety Skills Instructionby Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D.With increasing numbers of learners being provided services in less restrictive and community-based services, the safety of those learners, from both physical and sexual abuse, becomes of paramount concern to all involved. To date, however, little empirical research has examined the efficacy of safety instruction with learners on the spectrum. In this month’s research review, the topic of safety and safety-skills instruction is addressed from the point of view of the family, within the mental health system, and the professionals charged with offering evidence-base instruction in support of developing safety skills and awareness across environments.
ARTICLE ONE: Mandell, D.S., Waltrath, C.M., Manteuffel, B., Sgro, G., & Pinto-Martin, J.A., (2005). The prevalence and correlates of abuse among children with autism served in comprehensive community-based mental health settings. Child Abuse and Neglect, 29, 1359-1372. Summary: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may, generally through the display of challenging behavior, find themselves involved with their community mental health systems. Acknowledging a growing awareness that individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities are at increased risk of physical and sexual abuse, Mandell and colleagues set off to identify the prevalence and correlates of physical and sexual abuse among such individuals who were referred to this system from 1997-2000. The authors note that while there is little empirical evidence to document just “why” learners on the spectrum are at risk, hypotheses include their long term dependence on caregivers, high rates of compliance to instruction, lack of knowledge about sexuality or dangerous situations and limited communication skills. By examining the records and interviewing caregivers of 156 individuals with an ASD who were referred to community mental health systems nationwide the authors determined that “almost one in five had experienced physical abuse and one in six had experienced sexual abuse.” Further, those who were abused were more likely to engage in a variety of “acting out” behaviors including elopement, aggression, sexualized behavior or attempted suicide. Mandell and colleagues note that these findings, while sadly not surprising, point to the need for better assessments of past abuse for learners receiving community mental health services, research into context variables that may help predict abusive situations and research attention specifically directed at effective provision of sexuality and sexual safety instruction for learners with ASD. Absent such an effort, it seems, we are leaving individuals on the spectrum more vulnerable to abuse than need be. ARTICLE TWO: Ivey, J., (2004). What do parents expect: A study of likelihood and importance issues for children with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19, 27-33 Summary: Julie Ivey undertook an investigation into the expectations of parents of children with autism with particular attention to the importance and likelihood of future outcomes. To accomplish this Ivey surveyed 25 parents (primarily mothers) about their expectations of specific outcomes for their child in adulthood. Outcomes and expectations were then ranked as a function of parental ratings of “importance” (i.e., how critical is this) and “likelihood” (i.e., do they think this will actually happen). Of relevance to this discussion is that parents in this sample ranked as highly important that their children were safe from harm. However, the author notes that parents also “rated the likelihood of this happening significantly lower.” So while the hope is there, expectations of achieving this outcome are very low. Although there are some limitations to the generalizability of this outcome (e.g., small sample size, limited geographic area, etc.) and the study, therefore, requires replication on a larger scale, the reported outcomes do indicate the parents have some very real concerns regarding how best to ensure the physical safety of their child in adulthood and very low expectations of that being accomplished. This should, in effect, be regarded as a strong call for good research in this area. ARTICLE THREE: Taylor, B.A., Hughes, C.E., Richard, E., Hoch, H., Coello, A.R., (2004). Teaching teenagers with autism to seek assistance when lost. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 79-82. Summary: Taylor and colleagues choose to address the issue of personal safety and learners with autism by investigating the efficacy of an instructional protocol designed to teach adolescent learners to seek help when lost. The students who participated in the study were three adolescents (two females; one male) with a previously established diagnosis of autism enrolled in the Alpine Learning Group in New Jersey. Following baseline, students were taught to respond to a vibrating pager by giving a familiar person (in the school context) a card that stated the person’s name, a statement that he or she was lost and a request to call or page the person’s teacher. Step II in this process involved a similar process but outside of the school and in the community, which was subsequently generalized to an alone condition and the card being given to an unfamiliar adult. Subsequently, all participants learned to produce the card in response to the vibrating pager in both environments and, importantly, were able to do so with their parents. The authors note that the “results of this study are promising and suggest possible strategies for ensuring the public safety of individuals with autism.” Further, the potential for technological advances to help support the independence and safety of learners on the spectrum is noted here and, with the possible exception of augmented communication systems, remains a topic with, unfortunately, limited research.
With more and more learners with ASDs being served in community-based settings and with the general goal of greater independence for all learners, the issue of personal safety and freedom from abuse becomes a critical one. This is a complex topic (which may be one reason why there has been a lack of research attention) and one that is not easy to research. For example, in the Taylor, et al., (2004) study, students were taught to respond to a signal and react as if they were lost. However, as the authors note there is more to being lost than just that; there is the recognition of being lost absent the vibrating prompt, the ability to discriminate as to whom, and whom not, to give the card, and so on. If we are to effectively address the concerns of families regarding the safety of their sons and daughters and give our students and adult clients the skills they need in order to be as free from potential abuse as possible, this is a topic in critical need of more research. perspective: Summer Living! Let's Have a Blast!by Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D.
The 'Perspective' column provides readers of The OARacle a firsthand account on a range of topics related to autism from someone affected by a developmental disorder. This month's features an article about Summer Living with Autism by Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D., originally published in the May 2005 issue of The OARacle. Just as summertime is filled with fabulous opportunities for growth and enlightenment, it is also stuffed with any number of sensory overload possibilities. I heard it said that back in the days before pesticides and citronella, screen doors and sticky fly traps, people went stark raving mad over bugs. I live in the woods and I believe the bugs in my homestead drive me mad several times a day. As a matter of fact, while writing this, I squashed a mosquito. Nasty things. A bug like that is just the kind of thing that can make a person plagued by sensory integration dysfunction freak out. First comes the bug, then the sting, then the itch, then the scratch, then the bleeding sores, then the infections, then the trips to the doctor for tubes of cream, then… Must I go on or do you get the point? I imagine you do. But imagine also, a summer sensory system challenged not just by bugs, but by sunburn (and more lotions and creams to avoid or appease the burn), screaming lawnmowers, competing radios, barking dogs chasing noisy neighbors, splashing swimmers, dewy mornings, humid afternoons, evenings scented by a smorgasbord of grilling meats and rotting vegetable gardens, the bright sun that stays in the sky beyond its welcome and too many tastes that should be treats were it not for the weather melting them or molding them before their time. What to do, what to do? For starters, I recommend trying to control as much of your tumultuous summer sensations as you can. Get a Venus Fly Trap for your child’s room. Bag up extra ice so foods and drinks that are meant to be frozen or cold can be kept on the chill. Indulge in insulated cups and glasses. Find sunglasses that your child actually enjoys wearing. Purchase prescription sunglasses, if you can’t find the little flip down shades that cover clear lenses, for him or her. Encourage your child to experiment with earplugs and ear phones early in the spring so that by summertime, they can plug up or plug in and block out much of the summer racket. Don’t go outside during prime grilling hours, but if you must, try one of my favorite tricks for avoiding the “smellies” — dab a touch of an acceptable scent (I use peppermint) on a bandana that can be discretely used as a mask to cover most smells. Just advise your children that they tell others a nasty cold or allergies are plaguing their system and the bandana is there to catch the dribbles. Go to the pools, playgrounds and parks on off hours or build your own refuge in your backyard or — better yet — inside your home where you can really control the sensory environment. All I’m really recommending is that you follow bits of common sense in order to avoid too many sensory sensations. Avoid what you can and practice getting used to, and preparing for, what you can’t. When all is said and done, summer time can be a time filled with fun and relaxation, and yes, even enlightenment and growth. I’ll tackle those topics another time! Until then, watch out for those bugs! Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D., is an internationally-known speaker and writer on Asperger Syndrome and a researcher who specializes in the fields of psycholinguistics and learning style differences. She is the author of Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger's Syndrome and Asperger Syndrome in the Family: Redefining Normal as well as the editor of Asperger Syndrome in the Adolescent Years: Living with the Ups, the Downs and Things in Between. For more information about Dr. Holliday, please visit her website at http://www.aspie.com. 2006 Conference Features All-Star LineupOAR is pleased to announce that schedule and speakers for its fourth annual Applied Autism Research and Intervention Conference are set and registration is now open. A two-day forum on current autism research and evidence based intervention, the Conference has become the centerpiece of the OAR’s annual community education campaign since the Conference was established in 2003. This interactive forum allows OAR to offer parents, educators, professionals, and other members of the autism community useful, accurate and up-to-date information on the current state of applied autism research. “This conference brings together some of the premier researchers and practitioners in the field to talk about one critical thing: the current state of applied research in autism,” said OAR President Dr. Peter Gerhardt. “It will be another high-quality conference.” This year’s Conference will begin on Friday, October 27th, with a keynote speech from Dr. Gina Green entitled Autism Intervention: the Quality of the Evidence. With over 30 years of experience working in the field of developmental disabilities, Dr. Green has published widely on a variety of related topics. Attendees will then choose to sit in on lectures that focus on one of two tracks – Research or Research to Practice. These lectures include a presentation by Dr. Bridget Taylor, who has specialized in the education and treatment of children with autism for the past 20 years. Dr. Taylor currently serves as the Executive Director of the Alpine Learning Group in Paramus, NJ and will present on Promoting Independence for Maximum Success. Presentations the following day will also be divided into two tracks: Academic Instruction for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Evidence-based Practice in Speech and Language Intervention. Dr. Howard Goldstein will open the program day with his keynote talk on Evidence-based Interventions in Speech and Language Programming for Learners with ASDs. The conference schedule includes: Dr. Judy Reaven’s discussion of anxiety intervention in individuals with autism spectrum disorders Dr. Jim Mulick’s presentation on the biological basis of learning, Dr. Mary Jane Weiss’ comments on current research on social skills, and Dr. Glen Dunlap’s remarks on behavior supports. Other presenters include John Bernard, GRASP’s Michael Carley, M.F.A., Joanne Gerenser, Ph.D., and Anne Holmes, M.S., CCC, BCAB. The complete schedule and list of speakers, will be posted on OAR Web site (www.researchautism.org) by June 15th. OAR invites you to join us this fall for presentations and workshops by top autism professionals, leading researchers and experts on various subjects related to education and intervention across the lifespan. For more information on the Conference, please contact Sara Pelikan at (703) 243-9717 or by email at spelikan@researchautism.org. Resource: Autism Spectrum & Law Enforcement Trainingby Dennis DebbaudtFor many of us, autism spectrum risk and safety management is a daily concern. We now know that with the increase in autism diagnoses, there is also a corresponding increase of autism-related contacts with law enforcement, community safety and juvenile and criminal justice organizations and professionals. Across the nation, autism advocacy organizations are increasingly addressing the educational needs of police and law enforcement professionals, first and initial responders such as fire rescue, paramedics, 911 dispatch operators, hospital, criminal justice professionals including prosecutors, defense attorney, judges and
magistrates, correctional, probation and parole professionals. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and many other U.S. law enforcement agencies are currently providing autism training and educational materials for their work forces. While there is much, much more to be done, the strides the autism community has made in developing national, regional and local partnerships with law enforcement, emergency response and criminal justice agencies are a step in the right direction. Below are excerpts from the Autism & Law Enforcement Roll Call Briefing Video Script and Appendix (Debbaudt & Legacy, 2004): Some Common Reasons for Autism Related Contacts or 911 Calls:
De-escalation:
Interview:
U.S. research indicates that persons with developmental disabilities, including autism, will have up to seven times more contacts with law enforcement than a member of the general population (Curry et al., 1993). These contacts can be public safety emergencies or criminal justice situations. High on the list of risks are children and adults who bolt and flee from our homes, parents and care providers. As with Alzheimer's families, autism families face constant pressure to secure their home's doors and windows. We erect fences, consult with security companies, sleep in shifts, and fear the scrutiny of neighbors, law enforcement and social service professionals all the while looking for answers from professionals about our children's wandering. Persons with autism often lack a fear of real danger. When mixed with a propensity to wander, the two are a deadly combination. Autism wanderers commonly drown, are found in road ways, on train tracks, attempt to enter homes and dwellings, have been frozen to death, have disappeared, and have been sexually abused and murdered. The autism community worldwide is keenly aware of life threatening autism-based wandering and is taking steps to address it.
In the U.S., some law enforcement, fire rescue, and emergency 911 call centers are willing and able to proactively place this information into their data base. When a call comes in for response to Alzheimer’s, autism, or medically fragile families who participate--911 dispatchers can alert the first responder before they arrive with key information that was provided. Although not every system or agency is able to provide this service, it is certainly worthy of inquiry.
This approach may be a good way to avoid problems down the road and will let your neighbors:
School-based awareness Sharing autism recognition, risk and safety information with all district employees is crucial. It is essential to include transportation, maintenance, cafeteria, and secretarial staff in briefings and training on issues such as school safety, threat assessment, information gathering, and crisis intervention procedures. Safety and risk life skills education for students on the spectrum A professional investigator and journalist for 28 years, Dennis Debbaudt turned his attention to autism spectrum disorders in 1987 after his son was diagnosed with autism. In the 1980's, Dennis wrote for the Detroit News and worked with network television current affairs programs in the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom. He's since authored numerous articles and books including Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals: Recognizing and Reducing Risk Situations for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders for Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London UK (2002) and Contact with Individuals with Autism: Effective Resolutions with Darla Rothman for the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (2001) reprinted in Sheriff Magazine (2002). In 1999, Mr. Debbaudt was instrumental in the development of the state of Maryland's Police and Correctional Training Commissions curriculum “Why Law Enforcement Needs to Recognize Autism” and consulted to ABC News 20/20 for a segment about false confession and autism. Dennis' new Autism & Law Enforcement Roll Call Briefing Video was released in 2004 and reviewed in the March, 2005 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2005/mar2005/march05leb.htm#page10. References: Debbaudt, D. and Legacy, D. (2004) Autism & Law Enforcement Role Call Briefing Video. Debbaudt Legacy Productions, Port St. Lucie, Florida. (video and booklet) Research: Teaching the Imitation and Spontaneous Use of Gestures Using a Naturalistic Behavioral Intervention in Young Children with Autismby Brooke Ingersoll, Ph.D.The OAR Funded Research Report provides updates on the status of OAR funded research through the publication of the different studies’ interim and final reports. This month’s report was submitted by Dr. Brooke Ingersoll and examines the effectiveness of imitation intervention in helping children with autism improve their social skills. This project was conducted by the Principal Investigator (P.I.), Brooke Ingersoll, PhD, with the assistance of five undergraduate research assistants from Lewis and Clark College. This study was designed to determine whether an experimental naturalistic imitation intervention could be used to teach imitation of descriptive gestures to young children with autism during play. It also examined whether the intervention resulted in increases in the children’s spontaneous use of descriptive gestures. Further, the question of whether the intervention led to socially valid changes in the children’s use of social-communication skills that could be identified by naïve observers was examined. This study used a multiple-baseline design across five boys with autism ranging in age from 34 to 49 months. Baseline ranged from 2 to 6 weeks, followed by 10 weeks of treatment. Once a week towards the end of treatment, generalization probes, which were identical to baseline and included novel toys, therapist, and setting, were conducted. Participants returned for a one-month follow-up and received three generalization sessions. The first 10 minutes of each day of baseline, treatment, follow-up and all generalization probes were videotaped and scored for total gesture imitation, combined gesture imitation, total spontaneous gesture use, and combined spontaneous gesture use. In addition, the Motor Imitation Scale (Stone et al., 1997) and (2) Structured Laboratory Observation (SLO) with the parent were administered at pre and post. Lastly, the social validity of the intervention was assessed through subjective ratings by naïve viewers of the children’s behavior before and during treatment (Schreibman, Koegel, Mills & Burke, 1981). Two groups of 18 college students viewed one of two tapes containing a videotaped sample of all the participants during a randomly selected baseline session and randomly selected generalization session taken during treatment. One tape consisted of three of the children at during baseline and two children during treatment and the other tape consisted of the same children in opposite points of treatment. The participants completed a brief questionnaire about the children’s imitation, language, play, and social behavior using a 5-point rating scale after viewing each 2-minute segment. All participants increased their imitation of total descriptive gestures and combined descriptive gestures in the treatment setting and on a structured imitation assessment. Gains generalized to novel materials, a therapist, and a setting. One-month follow-up data indicated that all children maintained their gains in gesture imitation and combined imitations. In addition, all participants exhibited increases in their spontaneous use of total descriptive gestures which generalized to some untrained contexts. For two children the gains were small, while for three children the gains were robust and included combined spontaneous gesture use. All children increased their gesture imitation from pre to post on the structured imitation assessment. Gains in gesture imitation and spontaneous use did not, however, generalize to use with the parents during the SLO. Finally, naïve observers rated the children significantly better during treatment than baseline in all categories (imitates gestures, uses gestures appropriately, shows interest in adult, imitates actions with objects, plays with toys appropriately, and uses language appropriately). These results provide support for the effectiveness of a naturalistic intervention for teaching gesture imitation and offer a new and potentially important treatment option for young children who are not yet imitating or using descriptive gestures. This study advances the state of knowledge regarding autism intervention in that it demonstrates that imitation of descriptive gestures can be targeted using a naturalistic approach. Previous research has used a structured behavioral approach; thus our findings suggest that imitation can be taught within ongoing interactions. In addition, our findings suggest that teaching children with autism to imitate gestures within natural interactions results in increases in spontaneous gesture use. Further, the findings suggest that this intervention also leads to more global gains in social-communication skills including language and thus increasing gesture imitation in young children with autism may improve communicative competence. Despite the promising results, evidence for generalization to interactions with the parents has been much more limited, particularly for gesture imitation. One potential explanation for this failure to generalize is that parents may not be aware of their own gesture use. Further, their gestures may be too subtle for initial acquisition by the child, a possibility that we observed during our parent-child interaction observation in which the parents did not model many gestures and those they modeled were very subtle. We believe that an important modification would be to include a brief parent training component on the importance of gesture use, appropriate gestures to model, how to encourage children to imitate, and how to reinforce gesture use. Therefore, an important next step in this research is to assess the effect of teaching parents to implement the intervention with their children with autism. We conducted a small study examining the effectiveness of teaching parents to use the experimental intervention to teach their children to imitate with objects. We included one parent-child dyad in which the mother was taught to target object and gesture imitation. Our findings suggest that this is an effective intervention and that teaching parents to target gesture imitation resulted in generalization to the family’s home. This study has been accepted for publication in Research in Developmental Disabilities. The results of this study are relevant for individuals with autism to the extent that they provide support for a novel intervention that is successful for teaching the imitation and spontaneous use of descriptive gestures, an important skill that has received little attention in intervention literature. The intervention resulted both in improvements in the targeted behavior (gesture imitation) but also resulted in spontaneous use of gesture, which generalized to a novel setting, therapist, and materials. In addition, the children were rated as exhibiting more appropriate gesture, social, play, and language skills during treatment, suggesting that the intervention resulted in global changes in social-communication skills that were evident to naïve observers in a brief observation. These findings suggest that the experimental intervention offers a simple, yet highly effective approach for targeting needed skills in young children with autism. For parents, the results are relevant because they provide support for an effective intervention that targets skills that parents consider to be very important: social-communication. Our findings showed that the gains were limited with parents motivated us to conduct a follow-up study using parent training. These results suggest that parents can learn to use the intervention and that it results in positive gains in imitation skills in their children with autism. Parents in the follow-up study rated the intervention as easy and enjoyable to use as well as effective for increasing a variety of social-communication skills in their children. This finding suggests that the intervention would be highly appropriate for parent training. For teachers, the findings are relevant because they offer a new and potentially promising intervention option for targeting gesture imitation skills in young children with autism. Based on these and previous findings, it is recommended that early intervention programs use Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) to target both gesture and object imitation skills in their young students with autism. This recommendation would provide a better treatment option for early intervention programs for children with autism. The findings of this study suggest two future directions for research. First, the need to conduct a larger study of the experimental intervention targeting both object and gesture imitation, which uses standardized assessments and randomized control trials. Along these lines, determining whether certain behavioral characteristics can predict which children respond best to the intervention and whether changes in imitation as a result of the intervention lead to gains in other social-communication skills, including language, play, and social interaction. Second, interest in comparing the effectiveness of this intervention to Discrete Trial Training (DTT), a traditional structured imitation training procedure that is commonly used in early intervention programs to determine whether one intervention leads to greater gains in imitation skills and/or more improvement overall in social communication than the other. Full Report available here for download (pdf) Salute: Camp DeterminationThis year, Camp Determination in Linwood, Kansas will provide children with autism between ages eight and eighteen with a memorable sleepover camp experience for the tenth consecutive summer. Organized and overseen by the Autism Asperger Resource Center (AARC) of Kansas City, the camp is one of few in the United States designed specially for children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. “The goal of the camp is for children to have a typical camp experience that teaches them social skills and lets them have a good time,” said Dr. Sue Ann Kline, Executive Director of AARC. For two one-week sessions in June and July, campers at Camp Determination participate in many traditional activities such as horseback riding, fishing, swimming, archery, hiking, canoeing, and challenge courses. In addition to these activities, sensory, and social development activities designed to match the unique strengths and needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders are also included. Dr. Kline says the camp purposefully keeps a one-to-one staff/camper ratio to ensure that each child receives the attention necessary to thrive in the camp environment.
“Staff members are enthusiastic and passionate which makes for a positive experience,” said Dr. Kline. She also noted that many staff members are undergraduate and graduate students at the neighboring University of Kansas who are studying for careers in the field. The camp also incorporates “peer models,” neurotypical children who serve as role models, to help enhance the social development of those with autism. Peer models are often the same age as the campers and participate in daily activities as though they are campers as well. But in addition to their participation, they also assist campers with special needs in developing their social and behavioral skills. “Instead of focusing on [campers’] disabilities,” said Dr. Kline, “we focus on their abilities.” Dr. Kline also noted that the close individual attention provided enables the camp to accept children with different levels of severity. But regardless of age or severity, says Dr. Kline, self-esteem and social confidence are boosted at camp due to the relaxed and accepting environment. Campers almost always form meaningful friendships with one another. “While school, by definition is stressful, in a week [campers] can be successful here,” Dr. Kline said. More information about Camp Determination is available on the web at http://www.kumc.edu/aarc/camp2006.html. runner profile: Maggie Hesselby Geoff PanAs someone who dabbles in running, Maggie Hessel wanted to do something personally meaningful with her running. Mrs. Hessel decided to dedicate her Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run to raise money for autism research. She set her goals high, wanting to finish the race in less than 70 minutes and to raise at least $5,000 for autism research.
Mrs. Hessel’s commitment to autism research runs deep —Maggie’s twin sons, Christian and Cole, were both diagnosed with autism. Because of this connection, she figured running for autism would be the perfect fit. “Families who have children with autism face many obstacles: financial, marital, and the emotional toll when you question the future for your children,” said Hessel. Maggie Hessel marked the first RUN FOR AUTISM runner in the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. The ten mile distance pushed her physical limits. “In my mid 30’s, I would run several races and it was easy,” said Hessel. “This time it was not so easy and I had to find to energy... I knew that I had a positive, strong
force behind me pledging their support and love to help Christian and Cole. And when you’ve got that, it’s easy to put one foot in front of the other.” With that inspiration, she carried on through months of hard training. The result was finishing the race with a time of 69:08, placing her third in her age group. Mrs. Hessel’s passion and determination inspired many. She managed to raise over $6,000 surpassing her goal of $5,000. “It was my honor and privilege to be able to mobilize hearts and support to raise money for autism research,” said Hessel. OAR is grateful to Mrs. Hessel for her outstanding performance both on the course and off. RUN FOR AUTISM : World Class Athlete to Lead RUN FOR AUTISMDoug Marocco has proudly represented the United States and Marine Corps at high-level athletic competitions around the world both in uniform and in running gear. On May 1, this World Class athlete set his sights on a new goal, the cause of autism, as OAR’s first Director of the RUN FOR AUTISM.
“The growth of the RUN FOR AUTISM has been incredible,” said Mike Maloney, OAR’s Executive Director. “Our runners put so much into training and raising money for autism research, we want to ensure OAR gives them the best support we can. In Doug Marocco, we have a man who has the skills to lead our program and the experience to guide our runners as they take on the challenges of distance running.” Marocco’s list of achievements is noteworthy. He has medaled at the ITU Triathlon Worlds and Pan-American Championships as a member of the Team USA. In addition, he is a four-time Military Triathlon National Champion, and former United States Amateur Triathlon National Champion. He has competed in over 250 races including such prestigious events as the Hawaii Ironman, Military World Championships and ITU World Championships with 42 wins overall. Marocco has been honored as a former Timmie Award recipient, Armed Forces Athlete of the Year and was twice named Marine Corps Athlete of the Year for his accomplishments in triathlon and running. Most recently, he was one of five athletes chosen to represent the Department of Defense and appeared on a commemorative box of Cheerios and in 2004 upon his retirement, was presented the first ever Marine Corps Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the All-Marine Sports Program. “This job allows me to direct my passion for running, fitness, and health toward a higher purpose,” said Marocco. “One of OAR’s ultimate goals is to change lives. This job gives me the opportunity to help people who run change their lives through improved health and help children and adults with autism by raising funds for autism research. It’s the job of a lifetime for me.” He says his immediate goal is to build the teams for The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon®, October 22, and the Marine Corps Marathon™ a week later on October 29. As an official charity partner with both races, OAR has highly-prized, guaranteed entries. With the races expected to close to public registration within the next 30 days, Marocco expects the rush of runners who were closed out to begin soon. “We’re ready, and I can’t wait to get started,” he said. “OAR has a reputation for taking care of its runners all the way through the Finish Line, and I will make sure it continues. We have training support for those who need it, an outstanding fundraising support package, and a team in place to make Race Day special for the runners and their personal supporters. In the future we hope to add additional events and fitness related sports such as triathlon and swimming to increase autism awareness and financial contributions.”
RUN FOR AUTISM: Call for RunnersOAR is actively recruiting participants for its 2006 RUN FOR AUTISM program. The majority of runners participate in either The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon® or the Marine Corps Marathon™(MCM). OAR is also a charity partner in the Chicago Distance Classic to be held August 13. OAR welcomes walkers, runners and participants in any event of any distance. The main focus is on the October events, Chicago, October 22, and the MCM a week later. The MCM also includes a 10K race. With the registration for the MCM expected to close in mid-May and Chicago in early June, the rush of runners seeking entries will begin. OAR offers its runners a training program through DCFIT/USAFIT and the Chicago Area Runners Association, as well as an excellent fundraising support package. Now, with Doug Marocco on board, OAR has its own distance running coach to lend personalized assistance to its runners. To sign up for any of OAR’s major races, please visit the Web site. For more information or to discuss other running or fundraising events, please contact Doug Marocco or Geoff Pan at OAR. |
