Dr Teri Rouse Sponsors 2015 Light it Up Blue for Autism

(Newswire.net — March 27, 2015) New York, NY — The CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) sponsored the 3rd annual Light It Up Blue event at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia PA.

Dr Teri Rouse, the faculty advisor for CEC, worked with student leaders Amanda Hutchinson, Michelle Masucci, Judy Sima and Sarah Ganassa to kick off the 2015 Light It Up Blue for Autism event and brought Deb Pollack , Director of Programs & Services of Pennsylvania at Autism Speaks to the event to address students and faculty.

Five school clubs also participated by providing information and support for individuals with autism and other challenges living in the Philadelphia area.

 

Dr Rouse and the CEC at Chestnut Hill College work throughout the year on various projects that benefit individuals with various levels of autism, as well as other conditions that affect an individual’s ability or style of learning.

April is Light it Up Blue! Autism Awareness Month. The eighth annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2, 2015. Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events. How will you celebrate? 

Last year, many of our national landmarks were lit up with blue lights from NY to Washington State, such as the Empire State Building and many Major League Baseball stadiums. This is expected to continue and enlarge as the light shines on the individuals affected with autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The organization that began Light it up Blue is Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Their longtime friend Bernie Marcus donated $25 million to help financially launch the organization. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

 

Autism Speaks aims to bring the autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to our concerns and take action to address this urgent global health crisis. It is our firm belief that, working together, we will find the missing pieces of the puzzle.Their trademark symbol for autism awareness is their blue puzzle piece.

 

Launched in 2008, Autism Speaks U is a program designed to support college students in their awareness, advocacy and fundraising efforts for Autism Speaks. It is an exciting and collaborative way for students to get involved with Autism Speaks and support their local autism community.

 

Since its inaugural event at Penn State in 2006, Autism Speaks U events and student-organized Walk teams  have raised over $7 million.

 

Autism Speaks staff and volunteers support students in their efforts, while connecting them with other college students across the country.

 

Autism is a developmental disability that can potentially have multiple symptoms and varying degrees to which it affects people. Having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is fairly common and there are several types, such as Asperger’s and Rett’s syndromes. Autism spectrum disorders affect about 1 in 68 children born in the United States. Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism.

Children with autism do not follow the typical patterns of child development. Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Children with autism typically have visual ways of communicating and learning.

Signs of autism often appear early in development when there are obvious delays in language skills and social interactions.

Symptoms include problems with verbal and nonverbal communication and social difficulties. 

Children with autism often respond well to highly structured education programs.

Dr Teri Rouse is working to help develop programs that will assist the next generation of teachers to be better equipped to assist children with autism and other disabilities in the more inclusive classrooms that are developing across the nation. She recently returned from a week long educational junket to Finland and Switzerland where she met with school and prison officials to get first hand information on how these countries handle education as well as children and adults with special educational needs and disabilities.

She can be contacted through her web site at: http://drterirouse.com/