This article originally appeared on nj.com on May 11, 2009
More than 70 teachers and aides who work for the North Ward Center's preschools attended workshops that focused on identifying and helping young children with autism spectrum disorder.
The workshops, held over two-days at the North Ward Center in Newark, were the first in a series of educational sessions on autism that are planned over the course of the next year.
Hilda Pravetz, a teacher at New Jersey Regional Day School who led the workshops, told the preschool teachers they play an important role in helping children with autism.
"Anything out of the ordinary, bring to the attention of the nurse," Pravetz said. "You have an obligation as teachers to do that."
Pravetz said the sooner a child is diagnosed on the autism spectrum, the sooner they can be helped. Yet many parents and caregivers either are in denial or cannot get proper medical attention. It's not uncommon for children to be enrolled in preschool for a year or even two without being diagnosed on the spectrum, she said.
"In those cases, where you think there is an issue, you have to act as if the child has autism, even if the child is not diagnosed," said Pravetz, who has worked with children ages 7 to 10 on the autism spectrum for the last 25 years.
Pravetz reviewed tools teachers could use to help children in the classroom and techniques to talk to parents whose children are exhibiting signs of autism. Pravetz said some of the possible signs of autistic behavior include an inability to make eye contact, speak, smile or play with toys properly.
Teachers raised their hands when asked if any of their students exhibited any of the signs.
Adubato said it is inevitable that teachers will encounter autism in their classrooms given the sheer number of students who attend the North Ward Child Development Center. The North Ward Center operates five preschools that serve nearly 700 children. It is the largest Abbott preschool in the state.
New Jersey has the highest autism rate in the country - one in 94 children compared with a national average of one in 150 children. According to the State Department of Education, the number of children diagnosed within the autism spectrum who have been classified to receive services has increased 111 percent from 4,624 in 2002 to 9,750 in 2007.
The workshops, held on April 28 and 29, are part of the North Ward Center's plan to provide services for children and families living with autism spectrum disorder and pervasive developmental delays.
The North Ward Center is planning to open a Center for Autism by the fall of 2011. The Center for Autism would offer a seamless and comprehensive, "one-stop" array of on-site services, said Adubato, who is spearheading the effort.
Plans call for the center to have an elementary and secondary school, as well as services such as interagency navigational guidance, benefits advocacy and coordination, and family support programming. The center would also serve as a hub for professional training.
