Byesville Rotary Learns about Services for Autistic Children

Pictured: Mary Ann Hooper, founder of PATH, Jenny Brandt, MRDD, Tanya Hitchens, Speaker Chair, Phyliss Jeffries, Byesville Rotary President-elect.

Read the March newsletter for next meeting.

New activities on the calendar:

• April 11, 8-11am--Breakfast and pictures with the Easter Bunny at the Stop Nine Senior Center.
• April 24, 7-9am, 8th Annual Health Screen in co-operation with Southeastern Med at Main Avenue United Methodist Church activity building.
• April 25, 7am--?, 1st chicken BBQ of the year.

Mary Ann Hooper, founder of PATH, a local support group for parents of autistic children, and Jenny Brandt from the MRDD discussed autism and the needs of autistic children with the Byesville Rotary. Autism is the best known of about 5 disorders that are clustered under the heading Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). These disorders include Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and the relatively rare Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Rett’s Syndrome.

Children and adults with autistic or Asperger behaviors have difficultly with socialization and developing relationships with others, problems with communication, and do not develop normal behavior and play skills on their own. Minor irritations of daily life that most people would be able to ignore--like perfumes or scratchy clothing labels--can become major challenges for an autistic child.

Autism usually shows up by age 3. Diagnosis and intervention has proven effective in helping a child suffering from autism or Asperger to develop effective coping and living skills. Beginning intervention as soon as possible is best.

Autism occurs in about 1 of every 150 children born. Boys are four times more likely to be autistic than girls. Services to help autistic children and their families are hard to find in this area. For more information and support, contact May Ann Hooper at 740-439-3768 or autismgc@yahoo.com.

In other business, the club is planning an Easter Bunny Breakfast on Saturday, April 11, 8:00-11:00am, at the Stop Nine Senior Center. The breakfast is $5.00. Kids under 5 eat free. The Easter Bunny has agreed to attend the breakfast and pose with children for pictures. The club is providing a photographer and the pictures for free.

The Byesville Rotary and Southeastern Med are working together to sponsor a Health Fair on Friday, April 24. On Saturday, April 25, the club will be holding their first chicken BBQ of the year. Look for club members selling chickens at the Byesville gazebo in Byesville.

The club’s next meeting will be March 31, 7:30am, at the Rolling Hills Schools Administration Building. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Larry Miller, 740-439-2767.