4/21/2009 1:29:00 PM
WJBC Staff

   

April 21, 2009

This is Mike Williams for WJBC's Forum;

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to participate as a Team Captain in the Family Respite Weekend for autistic children at Easter Seals' Timberpointe through the McLean County Diversity Project. Timberpointe is located at Lake Bloomington, which is an awesome setting surrounded by trees, walking trails, cabins, out buildings for activities, and of course the Lake. It was a great get away for the autistic children and a well deserved break for the parents of these special children.

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.

The McLean County Diversity Project focus this year is children with disabilities in which our own community will be the classroom, as we study various topics related to disabilities. For example, a paraplegic business owner and his family designed a training session where participants were confined to a wheelchair and navigated the streets and businesses in downtown Bloomington.

The Project has partnered with not only individuals, but with several agencies as well to offer other interactive trainings. Partners include Hammitt Schools, Easter Seals, Life-Cil, The Autism Society of McLean County, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The training this weekend is in preparation for our summer trip to Easter Seals' Summer Camp in Colorado. Our participants gained invaluable insight and firsthand experience with autism and how to care for the children.

Autism spectrum has a wide range from mild to extreme. In some extreme cases the children aren't able to communicate, nonetheless our participants were able to bond and connect to one another. But more importantly our participants walked away with a new found appreciation for and a since of advocacy for people with disabilities.

In the Struggle, this is Mike Williams for WJBC's forum.