Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008 - (Page 47)

A twist on healthy snacking A call to arms Third-generation Lehigh alumna Pam Timen Kattouf ’88 knows what hard work and determination can do. When her son, Justin, was diagnosed with autism at age 2, the doctor told Kattouf that he would never speak and that he did not and could not feel affection. Now, the little boy tells his mother he loves her. if I was given a death sentence for him,” she says. “I looked at him to arms. It’s a fight. It’s a battle for life, for your kid’s future.” When she first heard the diagnosis, Kattouf was crushed. “I felt as differently. Then I had an epiphany: This wasn’t the end. It was a call Tom Timen says that his grandson Justin needs daily attention. path. The political science major had already earned her master’s degree in elementary education, but before Justin turned 3, she Kattouf lectures on autism spectrum disorders as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. After Justin’s diagnosis, Kattouf’s career veered from its previous returned to school to become certified as an ABA therapist. Today, Autism awareness comes in a pretzel bag. In April, Scott Carpenter ’86, president of The Bachman Company, directed the creation of the Puzzle Pretzel. The salty snack resembles a puzzle piece, an emblem of the autistic community. The Bachman Company, owned by Carpenter’s father-inlaw, Joseph Welch ’65, donates 5 percent of every purchase of the Puzzle Pretzel to Autism Speaks. “It was a creative way to raise awareness,” Carpenter says. “It was a fun experience. The whole company here was educated on the disease and condition.” Although he has not tallied the amount of money raised yet, Carpenter says the Puzzle Pretzel has sold well. “We’ll continue to sell as long as people show interest in the product,” he says. “Hopefully forever—or, better, they’ll find a cure and it’ll be obsolete.” The pretzel was not the company’s first campaign for Autism Speaks. Last year, The Bachman Company sold nearly one million packages of cheese curls, tortilla chips, and pretzels with stickers featuring one of four autism facts and directing people to the Autism Speaks Web site. Carpenter became an advocate for autism nine years ago, when his 12-year-old daughter, Kelly, was diagnosed. At the time, very few autism resources existed. “It was a devastating diagnosis. It knocks you off your feet. Your goals and aspiration for your child need to be adjusted,” Carpenter says. “I wish we had something available like Autism Speaks at the time.” older brother Steven, 8, who is “Justin’s best teacher,” his mother Every member of the Kattouf family assists Justin, including his father’s friends, Howard Benedek ’58 and Dick Liroff ’58. says. Kattouf’s father, Tom Timen ’58, and his wife were also trained Kattouf’s children. in methods to care for children with autism and frequently babysit for In 2004, Kattouf, along with other parents of autistic children, to speak and interact with other people. Kattouf hopes that one day, her son’s ailment will be imperceptible. “He’s not where I want him to be, but—are you kidding me? He Through classes and his mother’s attention, Justin has learned founded the Garden Academy in West Orange, N.J. The school to people with autism from 3 to 21 years old. Although Garden teaches language and social skills as well as positive behaviors Academy receives some funding from Autism Speaks, it also relies on fund-raisers—frequently attended by Kattouf’s former Delta Gamma sisters and her classmate, Bryan Kleppe ’88, as well as her will get there,” she says. “My message is a message of hope. He will continue to thrive and make wonderful strides.” The developmental disorder has not been cured, but those with autism are learning to thrive. LU Kattouf’s message is echoed throughout the autistic community. fall 2008 47

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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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