Two Scripps students are helping increase research for the nation’s fastest growing developmental disorder.
Juniors Sara Gershfeld and Rachel Travolta founded Autism Research & Treatment, Inc. (A.R.T.) with a unique mission—to encourage autism research, specifically in the undergraduate and graduate communities.
A.R.T. will host fund-raising events and activities, such as a booth at an upcoming walkathon and a summer acting camp for autistic children.
The nonprofit organization was created with the help of Marjorie Charlop-Christy, professor of psychology at Claremont McKenna College and director of the Claremont Autism Center.
Both students participate in the Center’s practicum courses, a behavior modification treatment and research program for autistic children and their families that has been in operation for 24 years.
“Most foundations fund research on medical interventions for autism or etiology research, but there is very little out there for students,” says Charlop-Christy.
Sara envisioned the A.R.T. foundation last October as a solution to the lack of funding for student research.
A neuroscience major, Sara is investigating effective methods to teach social behaviors to children with autism, as well as a project teaching parents to manage their children’s behavior problems.
In addition to volunteering with Focus on All-Child Therapies summer camp (A UCLA-affiliated program for children and families affected by autism), Rachel has helped plan fundraisers for the New York City’s Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. As a Johnson Student Summer Research Award recipient, the psychology major will investigate parental perceptions of social opportunities outside the classroom for their autistic children.
The Cure Autism Now walkathon on Saturday, April 28, is A.R.T.’s inaugural fund-raising event. A.R.T. will host an informational booth complete with a juggler and face painters at the noncompetitive 5K walk and community resource fair. The event, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, coincides with Autism Awareness Month.
Inspired by Rachel’s dad’s work with children with disabilities, the two students are finalizing their plans for a summer acting camp for autistic children and their families. The first annual summer acting camp (June 18-29) is a collaboration of A.R.T., Joey Travolta’s Acting and Autism Entertainment Experience, and The Claremont Colleges.
Joey Travolta, a veteran of the entertainment world, elder brother of John Travolta, designed the film and acting workshop to train aspiring actors and film makers, as well as address the social and language needs of young people of all abilities. A group of 35 children between the ages of 9 and 17 with autism spectrum disorder and 15 of their peers including siblings and friends will produce a movie from storyboard to final edit. Travolta will direct the budding filmmakers during the camp and will donate the proceeds to A.R.T.
Sara and Rachel, along with the staff of the Claremont Autism Center, will measure the increase in social behaviors of the autistic participants. “This might give us insight as to the relationships between role-playing and social interaction,” say Sara.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 150 children is affected by a autism spectrum disorder, yet profound gaps remain in our understanding of both the cause and cures of the condition. Autism is characterized by extreme difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication and social interactions, and the presence of repetitive behaviors. The complex disability typically appears during the first three years of life. As a spectrum disorder, individuals with autism are affected differently and at varying degrees. Continued research and education about autism is crucial, as early diagnosis and early intervention can help affected children reach their full potential.