Increase in Autism Among Young Children Topic of New Lecture Series

There has been a steady increase in the number of autistic children in the past few years. In light of the increase, the SSU Psychology department is proud to announce an extensive lecture series to provide "support" and "insight" into the increasing prevalence of autism.

The Collaborative Autism Training and Support Program provide the lectures and workshops to the SSU community. The seminar series is offered every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Student Union MultiPurpose room. The registration fee is $5 for each lecture or workshop.

The lecture series begins Aug. 29 and runs through Nov. 29, the course covers issues such as "autism's impact on families, early intervention strategies, ways to support children's developing abilities, supporting autistic adults in the community, an overview of autism theories and intervention, and careers in the autism field."

Funding for this program comes directly from the California Department of Developmental Services and via joint initiatives and grant money from the North Bay Regional Center and Sonoma State University.

According to Betty Beavers, who is the Director of Special Education of Sonoma County, 30% of preschoolers now fall under the autism "spectrum", ranging from very autistic to simply showing a few signs of autism. This percentage has grown 24% within the last few years. For older youths, six years and older whoa re in special ed day classes, 17% of the students fell on the autism spectrum. The spectrum ranges from "severe autism up to more functional children and those with Asperger's syndrome."

According to the M.I.N.D. Institute's latest statewide epidemiology study, "the unprecedented increase in autism in California is real and cannot be explained away by artificial factors, such as misclassification and criteria changes."

According to pediatric epidemiologist and the lead investigator on the study, Robert Byrd of UC Davis, "speculation about the increase in autism in California has led some to try to explain it away as a statistical issue or with other factors that artificially inflated the numbers,"

According to the State Department, "between January 4 and April 4, 2006, the California State Department of Developmental Services reported that 757 new children were added to the support services system of regional centers that provide services for children with autism and other developmental disabilities."

For the first time, SSU is launching a service-learning course in which students learn to work with autistic children from all areas of the spectrum. This is accomplished through lectures, discussions, reflection, and fieldwork.

According to the Psychology department, "The goal is for students to understand the etiology, implications and treatment of autism spectrum disorders in the context of home, school, and the community. Topics include history and research on autism, impact on the family, assessment and intervention procedures, collaborative program planning, and how to implement effective interventions."

The first lecture begins on Aug. 29 and s titled "The Family Perspective. Parents share their experiences & answer questions about any aspect of parenting, or working with, a child with autism; plus the effect of a child with autism on the family." Participants include Ronnie Echavarria, Patricia Gibson, Trisha Laugle, Mary Ann Malinak, Christine Williamson, and parents of children diagnosed on the autism spectrum who participated in the program last fall.

For more information on the program please direct all inquiries to Dr. Lorna Catford at (707) 664-2402 or Dr. Richard Ruge of the North Bay Regional Center at (707) 569-2017. For detailed schedules of lectures, visit http://www.sonoma.edu/psychology/autism.