Many surprised to find they must be their own advocates
By Melissa Kossler Dutton
Associated Press
When Dan Hackett started college, he didn't make the grades he knew he could.
Hackett, who has Asperger's syndrome, found at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh that some of his symptoms were holding him back. He had difficulty organizing his time and managing assignments.
"I always knew I could do better," said Hackett.
His parents tried to help, but he wasn't comfortable with them intervening at college. He was relieved to discover Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities, a group that helps college students like him.
After contracting with AHEADD, Hackett's grade-point average increased from 1.5 to 3.6.
"They kept me on track," said the now 21-year-old political science major. "They helped me manage my time."
colleges reach out
Many students with Asperger's or other autism-like disorders face new challenges in a college setting. The syndrome hampers communication and social skills, so along with difficulties staying on top of their studies, these students may struggle with making friends and living more independently. They also may be more reluctant to ask for help.
It's a problem colleges and universities are "very aware" of as the first big wave of children diagnosed with autism-related disorders moves beyond high school, said Gwendolyn Dungy, executive director of NASPA, a Washington-based organization of student affairs administrators.
"We've been very interested in it and finding out how ready colleges are for these students," she said. "We want to establish a climate for success."
While higher education institutions usually make accommodations for students with disabilities, the law does not require them to provide the extent of services that students receive in kindergarten through 12th grade.
College students must become their own advocates, a change that can take them and their families by surprise, said Donna Martinez, executive director of George Washington University's Heath Resource Center, an online clearinghouse for students with disabilities.
"It's night and day" from high school, she said.
Colleges are trying to educate faculty and staff about autism-related disorders and gauge how much services will cost, said Dungy. Most colleges already provide services to students with disabilities or special needs.
expanded definition
For decades, only children with severe language and social impairments received the autism diagnosis. In the 1990s, the autism umbrella expanded, and autism is now shorthand for a group of milder, related conditions, known as "autism spectrum disorders."
One in 166 children is now diagnosed with autism, compared to 1 in 2,500 a decade ago.
There has been a corresponding surge in special education services for autistic children in elementary and high schools. Now, some of these students are headed to college.
One college that has added services for such students is Marshall University, home to the West Virginia Autism Training Center. Through its College Program for Students with Asperger's Syndrome, graduate students help autistic students manage class assignments and develop social and living skills.
Students pay $3,200 per semester to enroll in Marshall's program. Advisers may speak with them several times a day, have weekly contact with their professors and help find them social activities. They might give guidance on dorm living or cafeteria food.
"Most classes are 50 minutes long, two to three times a day," noted program coordinator Marc Ellison. "The rest of the time, you're navigating the college community. My advice to students is to realize the least amount of time you spend in college is in the classroom."
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Special education struggles in school
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - - Young people dealing with Autism or Asperger Syndrome often face an uphill battle in the classroom. One family's struggle with schooling and takes a look at how schools handle the challenge of teaching these special students.
When Tim Miller started coming home from school in sixth grade telling his parents horror stories, they didn't know what to think.
John Miller, Tim's Father, said, "Our son was coming home and telling us the school was trying to kill him - with his communication deficits at the time he didn't know how to say he was being restrained."
John Miller says his son, who has Asperger Syndrome or a higher functioning form of autism, was being put in prone restraints when he acted out in class. Although he admits Tim, then 12, had behavioral issues, he believes the school went too far.
Tim Miller, teen with Asperger Syndrome, said, "I remember they just grabbed me and put me into the room or whatever and I remember they had the mat and just threw me to the ground."
John Miller, Tim's Father, said, "Every time they restrained my son, they were stepping outside of their training."
Summit Educational Resources CEO Dr. Stephen Anderson says in general restraints are a last resort.
Dr. Stephen Anderson, Summit Educational Resources CEO, said, "Restraint is the emergency procedure, it's the back up, it's the thing you may have to do if all else fails and there's a risk to the individual or others."
But the Millers say the restraints were just part of their problem with the Allegany-Limestone Central School District.
John Miller, Tim's Father, said, "Crucial in this whole thing are the denied services. Allegany-Limestone Central Schools I believe intentionally mis-classified my son for six years."
Miller says if Tim had been classified as autistic when he was diagnosed, he would have received the social, behavioral, and educational services he needs.
But Dr. Anderson says that may not be the case in public schools.
Dr. Stephen Anderson, Summit Educational Resources CEO, said, "If a kid is achieving academically, I'm not sure what their responsibility is after that, we'd all like them to embrace and do more, but their resources are limited as well."
He says it's a difficult balance for schools to meet the needs of children with autism or Asperger Syndrome while not disrupting the education of other children.
Dr. Stephen Anderson, Summit Educational Resources CEO, said, "I don't think school districts have ever seen this with the frequency that they're starting to see it now because they're keeping kids with more challenging behaviors within the context."
Both the Allegany-Limestone Superintendent and the school's attorney would not comment because of privacy issues and because Tim Miller's case is currently in litigation.
An impartial hearing on the matter was overturned, and it is now headed to federal court.
When Tim Miller started coming home from school in sixth grade telling his parents horror stories, they didn't know what to think.
John Miller, Tim's Father, said, "Our son was coming home and telling us the school was trying to kill him - with his communication deficits at the time he didn't know how to say he was being restrained."
John Miller says his son, who has Asperger Syndrome or a higher functioning form of autism, was being put in prone restraints when he acted out in class. Although he admits Tim, then 12, had behavioral issues, he believes the school went too far.
Tim Miller, teen with Asperger Syndrome, said, "I remember they just grabbed me and put me into the room or whatever and I remember they had the mat and just threw me to the ground."
John Miller, Tim's Father, said, "Every time they restrained my son, they were stepping outside of their training."
Summit Educational Resources CEO Dr. Stephen Anderson says in general restraints are a last resort.
Dr. Stephen Anderson, Summit Educational Resources CEO, said, "Restraint is the emergency procedure, it's the back up, it's the thing you may have to do if all else fails and there's a risk to the individual or others."
But the Millers say the restraints were just part of their problem with the Allegany-Limestone Central School District.
John Miller, Tim's Father, said, "Crucial in this whole thing are the denied services. Allegany-Limestone Central Schools I believe intentionally mis-classified my son for six years."
Miller says if Tim had been classified as autistic when he was diagnosed, he would have received the social, behavioral, and educational services he needs.
But Dr. Anderson says that may not be the case in public schools.
Dr. Stephen Anderson, Summit Educational Resources CEO, said, "If a kid is achieving academically, I'm not sure what their responsibility is after that, we'd all like them to embrace and do more, but their resources are limited as well."
He says it's a difficult balance for schools to meet the needs of children with autism or Asperger Syndrome while not disrupting the education of other children.
Dr. Stephen Anderson, Summit Educational Resources CEO, said, "I don't think school districts have ever seen this with the frequency that they're starting to see it now because they're keeping kids with more challenging behaviors within the context."
Both the Allegany-Limestone Superintendent and the school's attorney would not comment because of privacy issues and because Tim Miller's case is currently in litigation.
An impartial hearing on the matter was overturned, and it is now headed to federal court.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Swimmer trying to conquer Lake Ontario
By JORDAN PRESS, SUN MEDIA
The Toronto Sun
In early May, Jay Serdula dreamed that he was swimming across Lake Ontario, each stroke bringing him closer to the Toronto shoreline.
He could see the CN Tower looming larger. His body felt fresh and he was feeling good about making it ashore.
Yesterday that dream came true for the Kingston resident. Setting out from Niagara-on-the-Lake at 10 a.m., he is trying to swim across Lake Ontario to raise money and awareness for Asperger's syndrome, a disorder on the mild end of the autism spectrum that makes it difficult for people to adapt to new things.
He is scheduled to end his swim at Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park today between 3-6 p.m.
Serdula, 36, was born with Asperger's. He has prepared two years for this moment, and it's the preparation, he said, that should help him finish the swim.
"Inexperienced athletes are nervous; they focus on results. Experienced athletes focus on preparation," said Serdula, a research assistant in the chemical engineering department at Royal Military College.
"Just prepare," he said, "and the results will follow."
Serdula has been swimming since he was 7 years old. When he started competing in triathlons in 1990, his swims covered sometimes more than 2 km. The swimming portion was not his strongest leg of the event.
Serdula decided to take on Lake Ontario two years ago after following then 15-year-old Jenna Lambert's marathon swim to raise money and awareness for cerebral palsy and the Penguins swim team.
He wanted to do the same, to challenge himself and, after some coaxing from friends, he undertook the task.
On Saturday, two days before he headed to Niagara-on-the-Lake to start his swim, Serdula looked calm. On a walk near his west-end home, he sauntered along at an easy pace, talking matter-of-factly about what he had to do.
The water will bring with it cold, waves and darkness. All are things he will have to avoid focusing on to make a successful crossing, he said.
To counter those concerns, he has decided to keep feeding breaks short and spread out at specific intervals during the swim. Serdula said he figures to be fine for the first 10 hours in the water, it's the remaining hours that he expects will require him to summon more energy and therefore more food to eat.
He intends to swim freestyle -- or front crawl -- for the majority of the swim, switching to breast stroke every so often to give his shoulders a rest.
He said at night he will focus on the boat with his swim master and volunteers, who will guide the way through the darkness.
Although he tends to focus on things due to his Asperger's, Serdula said marathon swimmer Vicki Keith advised him that he should focus on the swim and not on the temperature of the water. Serdula started corresponding with Keith last summer. The veteran swimmer gave Serdula tips on speed training and indoor workouts throughout the year and now she has helped with mental preparation.
Last year, Serdula twice tried to swim for a 24-hour period. On one attempt at a friend's cottage, he said, he stayed in the water for 19 hours." I knew I could have gone on longer," Serdula said. "I knew I was ready."
The Toronto Sun
In early May, Jay Serdula dreamed that he was swimming across Lake Ontario, each stroke bringing him closer to the Toronto shoreline.
He could see the CN Tower looming larger. His body felt fresh and he was feeling good about making it ashore.
Yesterday that dream came true for the Kingston resident. Setting out from Niagara-on-the-Lake at 10 a.m., he is trying to swim across Lake Ontario to raise money and awareness for Asperger's syndrome, a disorder on the mild end of the autism spectrum that makes it difficult for people to adapt to new things.
He is scheduled to end his swim at Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park today between 3-6 p.m.
Serdula, 36, was born with Asperger's. He has prepared two years for this moment, and it's the preparation, he said, that should help him finish the swim.
"Inexperienced athletes are nervous; they focus on results. Experienced athletes focus on preparation," said Serdula, a research assistant in the chemical engineering department at Royal Military College.
"Just prepare," he said, "and the results will follow."
Serdula has been swimming since he was 7 years old. When he started competing in triathlons in 1990, his swims covered sometimes more than 2 km. The swimming portion was not his strongest leg of the event.
Serdula decided to take on Lake Ontario two years ago after following then 15-year-old Jenna Lambert's marathon swim to raise money and awareness for cerebral palsy and the Penguins swim team.
He wanted to do the same, to challenge himself and, after some coaxing from friends, he undertook the task.
On Saturday, two days before he headed to Niagara-on-the-Lake to start his swim, Serdula looked calm. On a walk near his west-end home, he sauntered along at an easy pace, talking matter-of-factly about what he had to do.
The water will bring with it cold, waves and darkness. All are things he will have to avoid focusing on to make a successful crossing, he said.
To counter those concerns, he has decided to keep feeding breaks short and spread out at specific intervals during the swim. Serdula said he figures to be fine for the first 10 hours in the water, it's the remaining hours that he expects will require him to summon more energy and therefore more food to eat.
He intends to swim freestyle -- or front crawl -- for the majority of the swim, switching to breast stroke every so often to give his shoulders a rest.
He said at night he will focus on the boat with his swim master and volunteers, who will guide the way through the darkness.
Although he tends to focus on things due to his Asperger's, Serdula said marathon swimmer Vicki Keith advised him that he should focus on the swim and not on the temperature of the water. Serdula started corresponding with Keith last summer. The veteran swimmer gave Serdula tips on speed training and indoor workouts throughout the year and now she has helped with mental preparation.
Last year, Serdula twice tried to swim for a 24-hour period. On one attempt at a friend's cottage, he said, he stayed in the water for 19 hours." I knew I could have gone on longer," Serdula said. "I knew I was ready."
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Running for a friend
By Scott O'Connell/GateHouse News Service
MetroWest Daily News
Posted Jul 26, 2008 @ 10:53 PM
WESTBOROUGH —
As a captain of the Westborough High School boys cross country team, Matt Gitkind is used to running to finish number one.
But in the 36th annual Falmouth Road Race on Aug. 10, Gitkind will be aiming for a much higher number: 750, the amount in dollars he must raise for his race sponsor, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. More importantly, he will be trying to bring attention to a cause that is as personal to him as it is to the charity's founder, former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie, whose son has the disorder.
For the past several years, Gitkind has helped his friend Evan McNamara, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, live with his condition. During the summer, Gitkind gets together with McNamara to cook, play sports, study or just talk.
"We've lived up the street from each other our entire lives," said Gitkind, who is one year younger than McNamara. "We play a lot of basketball, video games - just hanging out, pretty much."
But Gitkind is also helping his friend prepare for a future on his own, assisting McNamara with "ADLs" - Activities of Daily Living, such as cooking.
"It's pretty organized," he said. "I'll come down from 10 to 3. I'll bring baking stuff. Evan will crack the eggs, he'll mix the stuff."
"It's something I can do when I'm living alone," McNamara said. Gitkind also helps him with schoolwork - "It really helped me pass (the MCAS)."
McNamara, who has attended school outside the Westborough district since second grade (he was diagnosed at age 4), will join Gitkind at Westborough High when the two enter their senior year in the fall.
Gitkind began working with McNamara in late 2005, after his older brother, who had also helped McNamara, left for college.
"I wanted to still hang out with Evan, so I took his spot," he said. The two were already friends, he said, and had much in common: "We talk a lot about movies, we both love 'The Simpsons' and 'Family Guy' ... I feel we have a really good connection."
But working more closely with McNamara has given Gitkind a better understanding of his friend's life with Asperger's.
"It kind of has given me a different view of autism," he said. "I feel like a lot of people don't always have a full understanding of it. A lot of people don't know what it's like to live your whole life with a disability."
Asperger's Syndrome primarily affects communication and behavior, but generally with a lower level of severity than other types of autism. Sometimes people may not even recognize the affliction in someone who has it, mistaking it simply for odd behavior.
"It can affect social life, things like that," said McNamara, who nonetheless added that he has run into few people who have misunderstood him.
But the realities of Asperger's can create challenges for families, and Gitkind noted that McNamara's mother, for example, "has a lot of problems with transportation - it can get expensive."
That's where charities like the Flutie Foundation step in - "(They) help with things like that," Gitkind said.
Gitkind got hooked up with the foundation last year, after he had run in the Falmouth Road Race the previous three years with members of his family, but was having a hard time getting an entry number.
"It's really difficult to get one for Falmouth, but organizations help," he said. Gitkind learned that the Flutie Foundation was putting a team together to run, and decided to join.
"I thought, 'This is perfect,' " he said.
"I have so much fun hanging out with Evan, I just felt I should give something back to the entire community of people and families affected by autism."
That year, he raised $1,000 for the foundation, which helps create awareness of autism and raise money for families and research.
This year he'll be running with a similar goal in mind.
"It's a really great cause," he said. "I just hope that we can raise more awareness."
MetroWest Daily News
Posted Jul 26, 2008 @ 10:53 PM
WESTBOROUGH —
As a captain of the Westborough High School boys cross country team, Matt Gitkind is used to running to finish number one.
But in the 36th annual Falmouth Road Race on Aug. 10, Gitkind will be aiming for a much higher number: 750, the amount in dollars he must raise for his race sponsor, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. More importantly, he will be trying to bring attention to a cause that is as personal to him as it is to the charity's founder, former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie, whose son has the disorder.
For the past several years, Gitkind has helped his friend Evan McNamara, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, live with his condition. During the summer, Gitkind gets together with McNamara to cook, play sports, study or just talk.
"We've lived up the street from each other our entire lives," said Gitkind, who is one year younger than McNamara. "We play a lot of basketball, video games - just hanging out, pretty much."
But Gitkind is also helping his friend prepare for a future on his own, assisting McNamara with "ADLs" - Activities of Daily Living, such as cooking.
"It's pretty organized," he said. "I'll come down from 10 to 3. I'll bring baking stuff. Evan will crack the eggs, he'll mix the stuff."
"It's something I can do when I'm living alone," McNamara said. Gitkind also helps him with schoolwork - "It really helped me pass (the MCAS)."
McNamara, who has attended school outside the Westborough district since second grade (he was diagnosed at age 4), will join Gitkind at Westborough High when the two enter their senior year in the fall.
Gitkind began working with McNamara in late 2005, after his older brother, who had also helped McNamara, left for college.
"I wanted to still hang out with Evan, so I took his spot," he said. The two were already friends, he said, and had much in common: "We talk a lot about movies, we both love 'The Simpsons' and 'Family Guy' ... I feel we have a really good connection."
But working more closely with McNamara has given Gitkind a better understanding of his friend's life with Asperger's.
"It kind of has given me a different view of autism," he said. "I feel like a lot of people don't always have a full understanding of it. A lot of people don't know what it's like to live your whole life with a disability."
Asperger's Syndrome primarily affects communication and behavior, but generally with a lower level of severity than other types of autism. Sometimes people may not even recognize the affliction in someone who has it, mistaking it simply for odd behavior.
"It can affect social life, things like that," said McNamara, who nonetheless added that he has run into few people who have misunderstood him.
But the realities of Asperger's can create challenges for families, and Gitkind noted that McNamara's mother, for example, "has a lot of problems with transportation - it can get expensive."
That's where charities like the Flutie Foundation step in - "(They) help with things like that," Gitkind said.
Gitkind got hooked up with the foundation last year, after he had run in the Falmouth Road Race the previous three years with members of his family, but was having a hard time getting an entry number.
"It's really difficult to get one for Falmouth, but organizations help," he said. Gitkind learned that the Flutie Foundation was putting a team together to run, and decided to join.
"I thought, 'This is perfect,' " he said.
"I have so much fun hanging out with Evan, I just felt I should give something back to the entire community of people and families affected by autism."
That year, he raised $1,000 for the foundation, which helps create awareness of autism and raise money for families and research.
This year he'll be running with a similar goal in mind.
"It's a really great cause," he said. "I just hope that we can raise more awareness."
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