Nann Ogletree and students: instructional assistant at the Auburn University Autism Center, looks on as her students play. LEFT to RIGHT: Cole Jackson, Jakaysha Stephens, Patrick Rowe and Braxton Nichoals.
Autism is a neurological disorder that significantly impacts communication and interpersonal skills and is also characterized by unusual repetitive behaviors.
Research shows autism is a genetic disorder which may have possible environmental triggers. More research is still needed before conclusive results can be made.
According to the Auburn University Autism Center Web site, one in 150 children across the nation is diagnosed with autism.
The disorder usually appears before age 3 and is more prevalent in males.
There is no known single cause of autism and it can affect anyone regardless of racial, ethnic or social factors.
“The term autism has now been replaced by ASD, autism spectrum disorder,” said Robert Simpson, director of the AU Autism Center. “The reason for the change is to acknowledge the fact that not all people with autism are impacted in the same way and with the same severity.”
There are no known treatments or cures for autism.
Each case is unique to each person. What may work for one individual may not work on another.
There is still much research that needs to be done. Only a little is actually known about autism.
Many people with autism suffer from gastrointestinal difficulties sometimes known as “leaky gut.” A very popular treatment is the gluten/casein free diet which eliminates proteins found in grain and dairy foods. This is not always effective in everyone with autism.
Caroline Sprinkle, an instructional teaching assistant, works in one of the preschool programs and works with 3 and 4 year olds.
“It’s hard to put into words how I feel about working with kids with autism because it’s my passion in life,” Sprinkle said. “I think that there is so much I can learn from them.”
Through the center’s involvement with the kinesiology department, she feels the center is spreading autism awareness. Sprinkle also says media awareness is crucial to research.
“Media awareness is great because it sparks an interest in people, and because of that, hopefully more research will be performed,” Sprinkle said.
The AU Autism Center is dedicated to helping children with autism through specialized programs.
Its mission is to provide consultation and diagnostic services, training, research opportunities and be a model demonstration site to exhibit best practice techniques.
Auburn University has the only autism teaching/training program in Alabama. It is a master’s program designed for graduate students in special education, psychology or education. Most of the centers’ graduates are in demand and have multiple job offers by the time they leave, and half of them usually go to Georgia or stay in Alabama.
“We provide direct services to children with autism,” said Jennifer Sellers, assistant director of the AU Autism Center. “In doing that, we have a preschool program that serves 3 to 5 year olds, and we just opened a transition program that serves 17 year olds and older.”
The transition program is statewide and helps people with autism find employment based on their strengths and skills.
The program aims to provide training and tries to match the student’s abilities with the requirements for a particular job.
One step of the program is showing them how to use public transportation by taking them on the Tiger Transit.
The transition program works closely with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services and other service agencies to create an optimal plan tailored to each student.
“Our program focuses on developing communication and encouraging social interaction,” Simpson said. “In our (preschool) program, we have typical peers who don’t have a disability. They serve as role models for the children with autism and motivate appropriate play. The children with autism learn a lot from their non-disabled peers.”
The Autism Center is located in the Dawson building on South Donahue Drive adjacent to Jordan-Hare Stadium.
To learn more about the center’s programs, visit its Web site at www.education.auburn.edu/autismcenter.
