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Thursday, January 26, 1989 / University Daily Kansan
The autistic person Dealing with rare disease takes patience, understanding
by Brett Brenner Kansan staff writer
The movie "Rainman," starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, has focused the spotlight of attention on the plight of autistic people.
people.
Rich Simpson, professor of special education at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said that although Hoffman's portrayal of Raymond, an autistic man, was realistic, it applied to only a small percentage of the autistic community.
Simpson said that autism is rare. The rate of autism in the United States is 4-5 in 10,000.
The chineses man in black handicapped is roughly 1-2 in 10,000.
Ben Huber, Overland Park junior, has a 17-year-old brother with autism.
"He's pretty severely handicapped." Huber said. "He understands what you say, but never answers in more than two words."
The savant characteristics, or flashes of extraordinary intelligence, such as mathematical skill, demonstrated by Raymond in "Bainman." are very simpe, Sirmson said.
There is no known cause for the disease, which researchers think is a biological or neurological problem instead of a psychological disorder.
"The disease is not caused by poor parenting, as was once believed." Simpson said.
The symptoms of autism are not all in cases. About 50 percent of all people with
autism can't speak, and few have the intelligence to form rational thoughts.
gone to harm. Those with the ability to think are often hampered by language and social disabilities.
Social disorders include self-stimulation, such as flapping arms or rocking back and forth. Autistic people do these things to structure their environment against uncertainty, Simpson said. The structuring extends completely throughout the autistic person's life.
person's life.
Simpson used the example of a child who refused to eat unless there was a green bowl and red cup on the table. This type of behavior can have devastating effects on the social interaction of an autistic person.
Autism does not affect the individual alone; having an autistic child, brother or sister can change the lives of family members.
"With any type of handicapped member of the family, you learn to focus a lot of attention on them." Huber said of his son's handicaps, "The attention replaces any sibling rivalry."
There is a demand for community homes where an autistic person can live in a community situation and still receive some social support from people with autism end up living at home.
Simpson said competition for spaces in workshops was intense among autistic individuals.
"The situation is better for skilled people." Simpson said.
Although there is no total cure for autism, Simpson said there were ways to help autistic people.
Huber had some advice for families with autistic children.
He said that through the preschool he runs at the school he had noticed advances could be made.
"I would advise them that although it is a very upsetting thing at first, it will become routine. They will learn to love the child," he said.
"Don't give up. Look for good help at an early age." Simpson said. "There is no easy cure, it won't come overnight."
High school art show canceled by Fine Arts
oy Candy Niemann Kansan staff writer
The KU Gold Show, a high school art exhibition sponsored by the School of Fine Arts, has been canceled so that a more competitive and fair recruitment program can be developed, the school's dean said.
The Gold Show had been used as a means of recruiting fine arts students for about 15 years.
Peter Thompson, dean of fine arts,
said that Visual and Performing Arts
scholarships associated with the
Gold Show would continue to be
awarded but that a new judging
process would be used.
process would be. The show, usually held in March, gave high school artists from Kansas, and Missouri an opportunity to exhibit their work, which was judged by a jury.
The number of scholarships awarded depended on how much money the program had in its budget.
In the past, $500 or $1000 scholarships were awarded. The scholarships were renewable if recipients maintained certain grade point averages, which varied according the student's year in college.
With the new program, non-renewable scholarships will be awarded. Students accepted to the School of Fine Arts before Feb. 1 will be informed of the scholarships by the school.
Those meeting two of the following three requirements: a 3.0 high school
GPA, ranking in the top 20 percent of their high school class or an ACT score of 21 or higher, will be asked to send slides of their work to the faculty jury March 1.
This way, students who cannot send original work to the University of Kansas still can apply.
The scholarships will be awarded in April.
Thompson said that KU was having difficulty competing with larger private art schools.
He also said the Gold Show favored upper-middle-class students because students were required to submit original work to the Gold Show to get a scholarship. Students who attended school districts without large art budgets were disadvantaged.
If those students wanted to apply to several art schools, they would have to limit their choices based on the amount of original work that they and
Jerry Moore, associate dean of fine arts, said, "Hopefully, it will make us more competitive with bigger art schools in the East that offer larger scholarships."
It is the goal of the new system to award scholarships of $1,500, which may attract more talented students.
scholarship.
Lisa Carlson, St. Louis senior, was a recipient of a scholarship.
"It's too bad they have to end the show," Carlson said. "It was really neat to go look through and see what people have done in high school."
Bi cyclist learns the hard way; stop signs are for riders, too
Kansan staff writer
bv Christine Winner
Maree Mitchell was caught by the long arm of the law.
On Tuesday, she was cruising on her mountain bike toward Fraser Hall, where she had a p.i.m. class.
She coated through the intersection of Jayhawk Boulevard and Sunflower Road and was rolling past Watson Library when an officer stepped onto the street and asked her to pull over.
Mitchell, Leavenworth senior, was given a $17.50 ticket for failing to stop at the four-way intersection.
"I wish they would have had a radar clock, too," she said.
clock. The officer asked for her driver's license and called the number in on his radio. He then issued the ticket, complete with a description of her bicycle.
Then he asked if she had a Lawrence bicycle license. She didn't. The city of Lawrence requires that bicycle owner buy a license for their vehicles; they cost 25 cents.
Mitchell was not penalized for failing to have a license, but KU police Lt. John Mullens said she could have been. Mullens said the choice of issuing a citation or a warning at the officer's discretion, but all bicycle owners were encouraged to buy a license.
Licenses are available from the Lawrence Police Department, located in the Justice and Legal Building at 11th and New Haven Road or from the KU Police Department in Carruth O'Leary Hall.
"The record of ownership makes it easier when bikes are reported missing or stolen and one turns up," Mullens said.
KU police officer Chris Keary said traffic violations and accidents involving bicyclists were not uncommon at the University of Kansas. But he said many could be avoided.
"Bikers know the rules of the road like everyone else." Keary said, as they get caught, most people know they've done something wrong.
Campus Briefs
ENVIRONS COLLECTS 'TRASH' Environs, a campus environmental organization, hopes to turn trash into recycling containers in Wesco Hall.
ENVIRONS COLLECTS TRACK
Environs yesterday was given permission to place containers for newspaper, aluminum and computer paper at various locations in Wescow.
The Kansas Chamber Artists Series, which began in the fall, presents performances by faculty members from the Department of Music and Dance once a month. Artists perform as soloists or in small ensembles and perform a variety of works.
paper at our wished us luck, and said they were very interested in our project," said Sue Ask, Great Bend senior, a member of the group.
CHAMBER TO PERFORM: The first spring semester concert by the Kansas Chamber Artists at the University of Kansas will be at 8 p.m. Thursday in Swarthout Recital Hall
The recycling project is scheduled to begin Feb. 6.
Money from the recycling effort will go to Environs.
Tomorrow's concert will feature
Scott Watson, tuba; Durae Kohl,
organ; Denise Meyers, soprano;
David Bushouse, horn; Richard Angletti, piano; Thomas Ashworth, euphonium; Norman Paige, tevi; Ben Sayveich and Kathy Haid, violins; Edward Laut, cello; Michael Bauer, portable organ; and Beckman John and James Higdon, organ. The concert is free.
Kramer, who is studying Japanese culture and language, will live with a Japanese family while attending Fukuoka University, Fukuoka.
The Rotory Club scholarship, a full scholarship, is part of a worldwide scholarship program, Kramer said.
JUNIOR WIN SCHOOL
Brian Kramer, Northbrook, Ill., junior, has been awarded a Japan Rotary Scholarship.
STUDENT ARRESTED: A 19-year KU student was arrested Tuesday, accused of the Oct. 12 burglary of a downtown business.
JUNIOR WINS SCHOLARSHIP:
Police said the student was suspected of being the archer who shattered the front window of Mister Guy, 920 Massachusetts St. with a crossbow bolt. Police said the suspect then took clothing and cologne valued at about $1,050.
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