Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008 - (Page 46)

Help in the Lehigh Valley Children in the Lehigh Valley with severe autism and other mental or emotional disturbances may attend the Centennial School of Lehigh University’s department of school psychology. The school accepts first-through 12th-grade children referred for behaviors that are considered too disruptive for traditional classrooms. Michael George, the school’s director, and his staff teach their students appropriate behavior by rewarding correct actions. “When they leave here, that doesn’t mean that they are not autistic, but they are not doing these behaviors that are so noxious in a public school,” George says. confuse the pronouns “I” and “you.” His 4-year-old brother, Philip, does not have autism but exhibits several autistic traits. He never switches his pronouns, but struggles to pronounce words correctly. “To fight for the child I in fact had” Treatment, like the disorder, must be tailored to the individual, Rosenblatt says. When he sees an autistic child, Rosenblatt will abilities before prescribing treatment. examine his behavior, language and motor skills, and his cognitive One of the most effective treatments, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy, blends psychological and educational techniques to teach basic life skills. Therapy—especially if it is administered before a child’s fourth birthday—can dramatically alter an autistic child’s future. Through mutation that causes the disorder,” Rosenblatt says. “Autism early intervention, many autistic children have been able to enter autistic. mainstream schools, and a few even have lost their classification as “In studies, intensive early intervention services showed clear Speaks (a nonprofit advocacy organization) has funded studies that have uncovered a number of genes with mutations linked with autism spectrum symptoms on almost every single chromosome.” and its effects range from mild to very severe, specialists consider it to be a “spectrum disorder” rather than one discrete syndrome, psychology at Lehigh University. such as Down syndrome, says Christine Cole, professor of school “A major characteristic of autism is its heterogeneity. It’s Because autism may arise from a number of different causes advantages,” Rosenblatt says. “Somehow, a child’s brain is stronger.” stimulated to establish new pathways or to make healthy pathways Through a myriad of therapies, Nigel has learned to use pronouns properly and has developed many other skills. Today, his mother says, the active 7-year-old is barely distinguishable from other children his age. “He’s doing very, very well, but is still autistic,” Luke says. distinguished by a pattern of symptoms, rather than one single creates a number of challenges for professionals involved in diagnosis and intervention efforts,” Cole says. symptom, and it presents itself differently in every person. This “Once upon a time, I held a perfect baby in my arms. The loss of evaluating effective methods for assisting individuals with pervasive developmental disorders, such as autism. She should know. Her research focuses on developing and interactions, communication, and behavior, she says. Other Those with autism usually exhibit impairments in their social common characteristics of autism include preoccupations with to changes in routine. narrow topics, hypersensitivity to sound or light, and aversions “Impairments typically affect both the quantity of interactions—individuals may speak less to other people—and the quality of interactions—they may interact in an unusual way,” Cole says. “I felt as if I was given a death sentence for him,” Kattouf says. “I looked at him differently. Then I had an epiphany: This wasn’t the end. It was a call to arms. It’s a fight. It’s a battle for life, for your kid’s future.” that idealized child was a horrible experience. But with guidance and help from others, I woke up from that nightmare, to fight muster.” for the child I in fact had, with every resource I could personally have a vocabulary rivaling a Webster’s Dictionary, but they use the words strangely. Nigel will occasionally refer to himself in the third person or For example, some people with autism do not speak at all. Others 46 LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008

Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008 Contents From the President's Desk Mailbox On Campus Research Arts & Culture Sports Cover Story: The Dalai Lama at Lehigh Heart of a Champion Around the World in 80 Years Fighting for Children wth Autism Keepers of the Flame From the Publisher's Desk Alumni News The Last Word

Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008

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