Tuesday, January 31, 2012

University's program puts autistic students on path to independence - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

University's program puts autistic students on path to independence - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

University's program puts autistic students on path to independence

Photos
click to enlarge

Social skills develop
Jasmine Goldband | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

click to enlarge

Kenneth Schiff
Jasmine Goldband | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Photo Gallery

About the writer

Mike Wereschagin is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer and can be reached at 412-320-7900, via e-mail or on Twitter.

ile

Subscribe to our publications

Nick Pusateri drapes himself across a couch in a bunker-like room in the basement of his apartment building

at Mercyhurst University in Erie.

His arms, legs and shoulders bend around one another as if hinged on extra joints. His neatly cropped,

reddish-brown hair lies forward, toward his square-rimmed glasses. Pusateri, 22, stares into the

Greek mythology book, his face impassive, and his voracious mind begins to feast.

When he was 2, doctors diagnosed Pusateri of Sewickley with autism, a spectrum of disorders

characterized by social impairment and communication problems. He's not intellectually impaired;

his professors say he's among their brightest students. He just lacks an intuitive understanding of

the unconscious gestures, invisible boundaries and tiny signals that weave into our social fabric.

But he's learning.

Schools such as Mercyhurst are developing programs to prepare an exploding population of

autistic students such as Pusateri to enter the work force and contribute their sometimes

astonishing intellectual abilities.

"We've never seen something that he wanted to master that he couldn't," said Pusateri's

mother, Dr. Dorothy Pusateri, an internist.

Nick Pusateri memorized the code on his library card at 13, once drew a detailed map of Sewickley --

including architectural and historical highlights -- from memory, taught himself the history of the

Mormon church and scored higher than 600 on the math section of his SAT college entrance exam

without ever taking an algebra class. The average score for male students in 2008 was 533.

"He intuitively figured out the answers" as he worked his way through the test, said Dianne Rogers,

director of Mercyhurst's Learning Differences program.

The Asperger Initiative at Mercyhurst -- Asperger's syndrome is a high-function disorder on the

autism spectrum -- began in 2008, and is among the country's most comprehensive. Young Pusateri,

a senior majoring in history and anthropology, has a 3.48 grade-point average and is on track to

become one of its first graduates this year.

Pusateri chose history, he said, because he's "pretty much interested in every subject imaginable,"

and history seemed to cover the broadest range.

He speaks with a uniform cadence and inflection, regardless of the subject, and when he stands still,

it's usually turned to the side, his spine and legs relaxed into an "S" shape.

When Mercyhurst faculty began planning the program about seven years ago,

"there was really no model. We had to ... create one," Rogers said.

"We didn't want it to be like a clinic. We wanted it to be a real college experience," she said.

Some students in the program are hypersensitive to sound, touch, lights, taste

. Loud noises can feel like a dentist's drill nicking a nerve.

The thought of social interaction can paralyze them. Some students pace in front of a

professor's door for an hour, repeatedly rehearsing a simple conversation.

Two roommates at Mercyhurst spent two months living together without saying a

word to each other inside their apartment.

Pusateri avoided the personal connections other people forge in college.

He doesn't make close friends and isn't romantically involved. He said

he probably won't keep in touch with anyone after he leaves Mercyhurst.

That's just how he is, he said.

"You get over the fact that your kid doesn't have friends, because you

realize he's just very happy the way he is. It's been a gift that

he's content," Dorothy Pusateri said.

Mercyhurst's program begins with a summer course called

Foundations, where high school students, usually in the summer

after their junior year, take college courses and live on campus.

By the program's fourth summer, word spread, and the response

was overwhelming.

"With a $400 advertising budget ... we had 200 inquiries,"

but only enough funding for 25 slots, Rogers said.

In the years since, administrators have dialed back the supervision afte

r finding the students were more capable --

and wanted more independence -- than they initially thought.

Push for social education

The number of adults diagnosed with autism in Pennsylvania is

expected to rise from fewer than 4,000 in 2010 to nearly

20,000 by 2020, according to a state study released in 2009.

That's attributed to a rapid increase in the

number of diagnoses, beginning about 20 years ago,

thanks to a greater understanding of autism.

The first wave of that population is reaching adulthood. The number of autistic students registered

with the University of Pittsburgh's Office of Disability Resources and Services rose from one or

two five years ago to about 50 now, said director Lynette Van Slyke.

If they don't learn social skills, most people with autism flounder, according to a study

the state Department of Public Welfare released Thursday. It found more than

two-thirds of adults with autism are unemployed, and just 6 percent are employed full time.

Because of their lost productivity and the cost of adult care, the lifetime "societal cost" of

a person with autism is $3.2 million, according to a 2007 study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Dorothy Pusateri argues it's much cheaper provide social education for people with autism.

Because of how his mind works, her son "is incapable of being manipulative or deceitful.

He doesn't aspire to take away your job, my job or anybody else's job," she said.

"Make him a tax-paying member of society rather than someone who's dependent

on someone else for the rest of their life."

An 'opportunity to shine'

Programs that utilize an autistic person's academic prowess can allow them to blossom.

In such settings, their abilities define them rather than their autism, and that allows

them to interact with peers with less fear of being ostracized, Mercyhurst's Rogers said.

"When they're in high school, they're bullied, picked on. When they have the opportunity

to shine intellectually, it does translate into social skills," Rogers said.

In Nick Pusateri's classes, professors say he draws on his voluminous reading and

connects events and facts in ways that sometimes send his teachers back to the books

once class is over. He rarely hesitates to answer a question because he harbors

no fear of how he'll sound to his peers, said Chris Magoc, chairman of the history department.

Mercyhurst's program, which costs about $4,000 a year above tuition, includes social tutoring

and the option of not having a roommate, but pushes students toward self-sufficiency.

Students, with varying levels of monitoring, become responsible for their own food and

medication -- often for the first time -- and must adhere to the same code of conduct

as every other student.

Pusateri spent an uncomfortable seven weeks living in a tent in the New Mexico

desert on an archaeology dig -- something his parents could scarcely imagine was

possible a few years ago. The experience helped him settle on library sciences as a

career, and he has been accepted into every graduate program to which he's applied,

including Drexel University and Indiana University, in Bloomington, Ind., his top choices.

It's a fitting pursuit, his mother said. Nick Pusateri made weekly trips to the local library

when he was growing up and stayed in the campus library so late so often during

his first two years at Mercyhurst that library staff often checked the building for

him before locking up at night.

"He lives with two other guys on the spectrum. He does his own cooking,

his own laundry, his own shopping," Dorothy Pusateri said. "If you'd have said,

when he was a freshman or sophomore in high school, 'Can he do that?'

I would've said, 'Nope. That's not in the realm of possibility.' "

Looking forward

Nick Pusateri worked as a mentor this summer at Mercyhurst's Foundations program --

the same one he attended as a prospective student. He worked with the newcomers

through their outbursts, awkwardness and uncertainty.

"It was kind of like a reflection. I saw myself," he said.

Pusateri's parents, Dorothy and David, take pride in their son's independence,

but the old worries return. Graduate school will require more of Nick, and

will take him farther from home. But for the first time, the young man's parents

are not the only ones looking ahead.

"I care more about my future than when I started out," Nick Pusateri said.

He struggles to say how that happened.

"It's really hard to describe as a basic pattern, or a route of progression.

It's very difficult to put this in perspective," he said.

Dorothy Pusateri concentrates on what's next.

"Your heart is in your throat." She hopes for the best, and listens to the voice telling her: "Just let him go."

Pittsburgh Newspaper Group

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Internships- getting your "foot in the door"


About.com












From Penny Loretto, your Guide to Internships
2012 About.com Readers' Choice Awards begin on January 18 at midnight. This is a great opportunity for you to vote on the best of the best internships and more...
Please be sure to nominate your favorites for best internships and internship sites for finding internships. Voting will begin on February 22 and winners will be announced on March 30.

Finding the Right Internship for You
Trying to find the right internship for the summer? First of all, you will have to identify what is the right internship for you. Are you looking to get experience working... Read more

Setting Goals for Finding a Summer Internship
As we enter 2012, I am just sitting down to write my personal and professional goals for the New Year. Each year I find that my personal goals are pretty... Read more

Internships Abroad
There are numerous special abroad programs that are available only to undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates. The best time to seek an international work experience is while you are still a student or recently graduated. When looking for an internship abroad be prepared to ...http://internships.about.com/od/internshipresources/index.htm">Read more

Internship Success
Successful internships depend on many things including clear expectations of both the intern and the employer; excellent communication, interpersonal, organization, and time management skills; as well as ...Read more








Internships Ads




Featured Articles
Intern Stories
Scholarships, Fellowships & Grants
Internship Blogs
Internships 101
Finding an internship





More from About.com




Living with Depression
By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, you can not only live with depression, but live well. More>






9 Symptoms of Depression
If you have experienced five or more of these symptoms within the same two week period, this could be indicative of an episode of depression. More>





This newsletter is written by:
Penny Loretto
Internships Guide
Email Me | My Blog | My Forum

Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics


You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Internships newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here.

About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy

Contact Information:
249 West 17th Street
New York, NY, 10011

© 2012 About.com



Must Reads
Finding a Summer Internship
Internship Resume Template
Top Internship Strategies
Internship Best Tips
Summer Internships


Advertisement

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Choosing a Therapist

Aspergers Newsletter Header Image

Volume 63

Hi, I'm Craig Kendall, the author of The Asperger's Syndrome Survival Guide. In today's issue we will discuss...

Picking a Therapist for your Asperger's loved one

Selecting a therapist for your loved one is not easy. Some are excellent and some never seem to help your loved one.

My personal experience is that my wife and I had to go through several therapists before we finally found one that truly helped my son. Once we found her, though, there was nearly immediate improvement. Of course it was little things, but she was able to really connect with our son.

For guidelines and steps for selecting a therapist click on the link below.

Click here to view this newsletter


Thriving in Adulthood with Asperger's Syndrome Book Image
Learn how to...

Make and keep friends

Building relationships

Get and KEEP a job

Minimize depression and add meaning to your life

Understand therapy options and much more.
This book is not only for adults who have Asperger's but also for their loved ones

Click Here to Order

==> Please feel free to email this free newsletter to friends and family<===

To make it easy, all you have to do is click on the "Email a Copy" link below. Just click on the link and your email system will open all ready to send a copy. Just ...
  1. Enter their email address
  2. Enter their name at the beginning of the email
  3. Enter your name at the end of the email

Thank you,
Craig Kendall, Author