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A Spectrum of Possibility
Professionals and Families Gather to Listen to “Voices of Autism”
By Deanna Duff | Photo by Daniel Sheehan
A construction-paper tree (above) unfurled with emotion at 海角网鈥檚 Voices of Autism conference. The vibrant, oversized poster invited visitors to express their thoughts on brightly colored notes.
鈥淚 love a person with autism!鈥� read one note hanging from the branches. Another: 鈥淎m I a bad parent?鈥� Still another: 鈥淚t is in our differences that love resides.鈥�
厂笔鲍鈥檚 School of Psychology, Family, and Community hosted the daylong event to coincide with April鈥檚 National Autism Awareness Month. Autism Spectrum Disorders are developmental disorders that can impact behavioral, cognitive, communication, and social skills. In the U.S., one in 68 children is diagnosed with ASD. The conference, free and open to the public, included a resource fair with more than 25 vendors, lectures by clinicians and researchers, as well as a panel discussion featuring young adults living with autism.
鈥淭here is much greater awareness now than there was 20 years ago,鈥� says Bev Wilson, professor of clinical psychology and director of the University鈥檚 Initiative for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 鈥淏efore, most 海角网 either didn鈥檛 know what autism was or had very stereotypical ideas. We really want to continue providing information to the public.鈥�
The conference focused on resources and research to improve the adaptive functioning — the skills of daily living and interaction — of children with ASD. More than 175 海角网 attended with some traveling from as far as California.
鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 limit 海角网. Everyone has the ability to contribute, a spiritual nature, and capacity for faith. We are all full human beings.鈥�
Ellen Geib, a third-year graduate student in clinical psychology, has two siblings with ASD, and her family鈥檚 journey was all the more challenging because they lived in an area without abundant resources. She understands first-hand the importance both of 厂笔鲍鈥檚 clinical research and the effort to apply it at a grassroots level.
鈥淎SD is a growing community and one that really wants to collaborate,鈥� Geib says. 鈥淪PU providing opportunities to do that and reaching out is a good step forward.鈥�
Part of the conference鈥檚 purpose, particularly via the panel discussion, was to celebrate the diverse ways in which ASD individuals lead successful, fulfilling lives.
鈥淟iving with autism throughout my life, it鈥檚 given me some challenges and some benefits as well,鈥� said Nick Eveland, a 21-year-old with ASD who works at Everett Community College and spoke at the panel discussion.
鈥淚 question things other 海角网 think is normal and can look at it from another whole perspective,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 kind of think in musical notes. To help me remember details about 海角网, my mind comes up with little beats. Whenever I look or think about them, the melody plays in my head.鈥�
Such stories resonated personally and professionally. Claire Fischer, a speech-language pathologist at Valley Medical Center鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Therapy Clinic, was enthusiastic to learn more about ASD in order to better help her patients.
鈥淲e all want to make a difference in the work we鈥檙e doing, but it can become easy to be limited by only what you experience and see everyday,鈥� Fischer says. 鈥淭here is a lot to be said for this type of event and having panel discussions to hear 海角网 sharing their stories.鈥�
The hope is to make the conference an annual event and continue building on the success of finding common ground and shared experiences. 鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 limit 海角网. Everyone has the ability to contribute, a spiritual nature, and capacity for faith. We are all full human beings,鈥� Wilson says.