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PAGE 14' Wi'TB Y FREE PRESS; WEDNESDAY; EF, MBR20, 989 Imagine is anainlcmagofTeC ada Centre, for Philanthropy to, increase j Canadians' awareness and contribution to .ail charitable and volunteer organizations. We support- their goals and are contributing space for the Imagine ads on this and other pages. To bring -the campaign dloser to home, the Whitby Free Press is runrnng a senies of profiles of Î the needs and activities of local organzations. Cail us if your orgamization could u1.se a, boost. Auti,stic cildrenhVIEa lotpOfeetiaI By Trudie Z avadovica The filmn 'Rain Man' bas tou- ched the hearts of many and has brought to the forefront aware- ness and insight into the world of the autistic. But long before the film, thou- sands of Rymond Babbits have been locked in a world aIl their own -- misunderstood and mis- placed. The Durham Chapter of the Ontario Society of Autistic Citi- zens is doing what it can to acquaint people witb the world of autism. Although statistics are not available for Durhama Region, the Durham chapter services about 30 families. ' Afairly rare disorder, 10 to 12 of every 10,000 are autistic. The Durham Chapter of the. Ontario Society of Autstic Citi- zens was incorporated in 1972. It shares similar challenges with, and lends shoulders and support to families with autistic mem- bers. "Most 0of for Our part of t Durham Chapter of the Ontario Society of Autistie Citizens Purpose: To educate the public about the needs of autistie children, to provide support and encouragement to autistic people and their families. Membership: 30 familles Fundraising: Service clubs for specific needs, annual golf tournament. Contact: Ted Dionne - President, 723-4582. sehool. She and Johnatban own Busy Bees -- a laundering com- ,pany. "'Bridgitte is a high needs child," says. ber mother Marilyn. our emphasis is "My top priorities are for Bridgitte. Sh. will neyer be in- chilren o be dependent, but she does have a chilren o be lot of potential. Sh. wants to be fi able to contribute, to b. able to -he community" help. "Most of our emphasis is for our children to be part of the community,» says Irene Phelps, treasurer of the chapter and a member for the past 10 years. Her 12 year-old son Johnathan was diagnosed as autistic at age 4.. They work hard to achieve th4eoaused to run segregated camp programs?" says Phelps. "Now we , utilize students (through government SEED pro- grams) to assist autistic kids in regular camp programs. We try topu one child in per camp Thatuway they have n ormal role models and the focus is flot on the autistic cbild but on the camp as a whole. "We try to educate the public that our cbildren have indivdual needs and can and must be part cfour community; not just by ~aying Uip service to them, but by aàlowin them to b. in our pre- s"nce. Bridgitte Bayer is 14 and a tistic. She is no longer in "Our children need to feel successful. Bridgitte knows when she's been contributing. It gives them some substance to their lives.» Bridgitte doesn't speak, but she does communicate. Years ago she was diagnosed as autistic. Her parents were told she would neyer talk or do anything for herself. Today she does plenty for her- self. She is learnng to do laun- dry, and she is doing very well. Marilyn is sure that the more Bridgitte interacts in society, the more she will learn. And that isolation will just tea.cb ber to be dependent. aTlie most important tbing is that the. aùtistic are part of the comrnunity,» ays Phelps. "They also enrich otber's lives.» «We are seif-sufficient and lead by example. We practice wbat we- preach an4 are proud of that fact." CDY HUNT is busy ironing napkin using an ion machine at Busy Bee Laundir and Repair:Sèrvices. - r.. 'r. photo BRIDGITT BAYER (left) learns how lyn. to do laundry from her mother Mari» Fr..1%-e photo T he treo aoeernc SseM ByTrudie Zavadovics The odds were 10,000 te 1 against Michael Crowder ever, graduating fr-om Durham College. He knew bis colors, could count to 10, and, at 9 months oîd, could taflk in sentences. Then, for two and a baîf years, ho stoppe talldng altogether - aborbdin a worîd of bis own. He is autistic. In 1987, against horrendous odds, Crowder graduated from Durham College with a diploma in business administration and marketing. Ho got tbrough most cf bis socondary and post secondary education without anyono, tea- chers orpeers, knowing ho was autistic -- be wanted it that way. "I was like everyone else; there was no favoritism." Striving te b. one of the crowd is one of many ways* Crowder proves te b. unique. He is a pioneer, an inspiration to,autistic people everywbere. Keenly in tune with those traits that render him autistic, the personable, articulate 23- year-old talks about the problems h. faced going througb school. "How w. cope with stress is a life problem. Most people ,want te, meet a problem head on. W. don't. I had te push myself te do things. I had te push myslfin unfanuiar areas. Wx1 hMy background, te get al ~e way through high school and gkduate pèst secondary -- tbat's à lot of pusb. "I knew ir would b. difflicuit and rd have té pusb mysoîf in areas of social disordér and communication problems. and I still fight it today. "Not alwvays am Ilin tuticb with my probloms. If it was a Wýrblem, it was something that 'rd te b. dealt with and triggeed no, emotional response. "Empathy iE very diýuIt.1 It becomes more a sma4Fs and lcnowledge of the Perso4, more than knowing bow tfiey will feel." Autistic people can eitber suppress their feelings or be volatile. "Not having emotional restrictions -inside, sometimies I amn less besitant about what I say. That cari qet me in botb bot and cold water.. Barry Bracken, a chairman in the business division, taught Crowder. He was surprised to hear Crowder is autistic. I can't remembet specific problems. He had some difficulty relating to peers and hé had soute cifficulty academically, He was kind of a loner." Crowder bas douibts as to wbetber keeping silent about bis autism was best for him. I agree witb integration but the teachers sbould -know. They could b. nindful of pole 1ke me wbo bave to hv things demonstrated." Bracken, too, would like to have known. I think it would be helpful to disclose at least to teachers and to the scbool. People migbt make ail inds of wrong assuxnptions of tbem. That can b. barmful. If tbey make it known, thon we cari be of help." As: Crowder points out, "Antism is not usually ini the spotligbt. Theo attention given te. it is, long overdue -__1k. a bandage for an amputation, too When at 10-montbs-old, Crowder stpped tallang altogother, bis mother, Jarietto, knew thoro' was something torribly wrong. Sh. took hlm to experts. Ho was diagnosed as deaf, mentally retarded, a child schizopbrenic, and finally, autistic. "My world was sbattered. 'i'he prognosis was that b. would either be a very. slow lanr end up' f Smith ai,~ institute for the m7enta ly handicaped which is now closed. I took hlm to the Clark Institute. There they used positive reinforcement as a means of therapy and Michael responded. Mter five montbs ho began speaking again. At first ho was juat ropeatingtbings, but on. day ho said, 'Tero's mnommy" and I was there. It was a major breaktbrougb.U The Geneva Centre in Toronto bas been treating autistic children for 12 years. Their working definition of autism is: a severe, lifielong developmental disorder, witb characteristics and symptoms which cari b. confusing and often puzzling. Tb. condition is diffic ult to explin and understand, particularly smnce it occurs so rarely -- 10-12 for every 10,000 people. A diagnoeis of autism requires SRE PAGE 15 AUTISM AND ASSOCIATED LEARNINU PROBLEMS A - Social Interaction *marked lack of(awareness or others -absent or abnormal seeling of comfort -absent or impafred imitation' -absent or ebnormal social play -grogs impainnent ln abllity to, make poer rriendships 13 -Verbal and Non-verbal Communication -no mode of communication -abnormal non-verbal communication -absenceof imaginitive activity -abnônnalîtles in produetion cf speeh -abnonnalities in content ofsp-eh impalrmen< in the ablity to Initiate or sustain a conversa 14on -sterootyped body movements -persistant preoccupation wlth parts Oo bjects -distress over changes -inisistence on foUlowing routines -restricted range of interests *According to the Cleneva Centre a total of slght positive Items must be present (at hast two froso A and at leut one trom B and C), and sgso orenset must b c e than 36 months. .,' iâ.