Loyola University Maryland will present “Listening to Autism,” a panel discussion featuring insights and experiences reflecting four distinct perspectives on autism and autism-related disorders, on Tuesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place in McGuire Hall on the University’s North Charles Street campus.
“It is vitally important to truly listen to and respect persons with autism and approach our interaction with them as a form of two-way learning and exchange,” said Mark Osteen, Ph.D., professor of English at Loyola and author of a recent memoir, One of Us: A Family’s Life with Autism, which chronicles his experiences raising a son with autism. “Our relationships with them and efforts to provide care and intervention must go beyond the clinical.”
Scheduled to coincide with Autism Awareness Month, “Listening to Autism” will include four presentations and a question-and-answer period. In addition to Osteen, who will read from his book, presenters include:
- Monica Phelps, co-director of the special education program at Loyola and the parent of a child with autism, who will discuss care for families affected by autism;
- Janet Preis, associate professor of speech-language pathology at Loyola, who will explore how the communication challenges inherent in autism manifest themselves as people develop, as well as the importance of considering behavior as a means of communication; and
- Ari Ne’eman, president of the Autism Self-Advocacy Network and a person with autism, who will discuss how the issues surrounding autism change as persons with autism approach adulthood.
The event will also feature a video showcasing the work of students between the ages of 18 and 21 at St. Elizabeth’s School, a Baltimore non-public school specializing in educating adolescents and young adults with autism, and an opportunity to purchase Osteen’s book.
For more information or questions regarding this story, contact Media Relations Manager Nick Alexopulos at nalexopulos@loyola.edu or 410-617-5025.