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Centreville Press November 14, 2007 Ward Visits BCLC during Autism Tour Cam Ward tours Alabama to learn more about state progress on autism. Representative Ward is touring schools across Alabama that deal with autistic children in an effort to learn more about where the state is lacking and needs improvement when it comes to fighting autism and making sure teachers are provided the best training available to help autistic children reach their full potential. All parents experience some level of excitement and pride when their children master certain tasks. Baby's first steps, feeding themselves with a spoon and talking are considered milestones in a child's development. But for parents of children with autism these milestones are often times delayed and become seemingly insurmountable hurdles. Parenting a child with autism can be frustrating and tiring. Autistic children often require much more attention and hands on help along the way. For parents with an autistic child mastering simple skills can be cause for celebration. Many of the skills autistic children will learn will be taught in the Alabama school system. Therefore it is increasingly important that the school system be prepared with educators who posses the right skills to guide these children. Recently State Representative Cam Ward watched as an instructor at Bibb County Education Resource Center Day Care in West Blocton tried to keep the attention of all the children. The children sat in a circle on a brightly colored matt and Ward easily made his place among them. Representative Ward's genuine concern showed on his face. “It is imperative these teachers have the latest training on how to reach autistic children,” said Representative Ward. Representative Ward also said, “Nationwide, approximately 1 in every 150 children is diagnosed with autism and part of our mission is to make sure every school district has a specialist to deal with the increasing number of children with autism. The specialist would ensure children are identified at an early age, which in turn would help the child begin getting the special care they need immediately. Also a specialist would be able to train the teachers on the latest and most effective techniques to help children with autism reach their highest potential.” There are different degrees of autism and children may only suffer slight social issues or they may be completely socially isolated and lack the basic motor skills and a specialist is needed to identify the different degrees suffered by the children. Many children with autism face years of therapy and a lifetime of being different. Representative Ward also pays special attention to the numerous rural schools in Alabama which are more likely to be forgotten in the battle to help these children reach their full potential. Representative Ward is especially compassionate about the autism epidemic since he and his wife have a child with autism and they deal with the same day to day challenges that arise from parenting a child with autism as other parents. Autism is a disorder that offers very few answers and many complex questions |