Artistic Expression - Fort Campbell autistic children share artwork

FORT CAMPBELL, KY - March 24, 2009 -- Along with showers, April is the time to bring autism to the forefront of everyone's mind.

In an attempt to bring autism awareness to Fort Campbell, the Exceptional Family Member Program has planned an entire month of activities to help educate the public and celebrate the family members with the disorder. Programs like EFMP support the Chief of Staff's Army Family Covenant initiative by providing support to Army families.

The month kicks off on Wednesday with a cake cutting ceremony at the Main exchange.

To celebrate the children, EFMP will be having an artwork display that runs throughout the month of April. The artwork, all donated by students from on base schools, as well as Montgomery and Christian County schools, will be on display in the PX, R.F. Sink Library and Montgomery County Public Library.

"It's exciting because it gives the students a chance to showcase their abilities instead of focusing on their disabilities," said Tresca Ramtahal, a social services representative at EFMP. "That's what the focus of Autism Awareness month is, to bring awareness to autism, but also just to show what the kids are capable of doing and to put it on display."

The idea for an art showcase came in 2006 when the autism support group on post held one for autism awareness.

"They had a really good participation rate, so we just decided that it was something we wanted to do again," Ramtahal said. "It seems to be something the kids are interested in doing."

For Anna Acevedo, it's become a tradition. Her 8-year-old son, Jeremy, has been participating in the art show since the program started.

"It was a lot of finger paints and dots," Acevedo said. "Just something to participate."

Acevedo said that getting involved is one of the things that has made her son's condition easier to deal with.

"In my eyes, he's just a child who needs a little extra help," Acevedo said. "He goes to school, he's included in all the general [education], he does have some pull out time, but other than that he participates really well. He does have some behaviors, but other than that, he's a pretty easy going little guy."

She added that although Jeremy is non-verbal, he still understands most everything that is said to him, but participating in extra-curricular activities like sports is still difficult for him.

"He loves baseball, but it's so hard to get him out there," Acevedo said. "There are programs that help with that, like Buddy Ball. They help children with special needs to participate, but every year we've participated, he doesn't want to go out on the field. He just wants to watch them play."

One reason for that is that children with Autism tend to be socially inverted, preferring to be by themselves rather than playing with other children.

Another symptom of autism is a resistance to change - something that has been difficult with a father in the military. But Acevedo says that Jeremy has learned to adapt.

"It's definitely made him a stronger person," she said. "It's different in a way that's made him harder because he does have to adapt, but he's learned how to adapt to those kinds of changes where if we weren't in the Army, he'd have the same teacher, same school, same kind of routine every day."

Acevedo said the EFMP programs have done wonders to help her and her family, and she suggested new families to base, or just newly diagnosed families, take advantage of the services.

"Get as much therapy as you can, like how we have outside speech, and find a board certified behavior analyst. The EFMP provides workshops to learn all about educational law just to inform [parents] of all the laws that are out there," she said.

For new parents she suggested going to the seminars, support group meetings and to take advantage of the respite care.

"It's a pretty big struggle, but once you see that it's working - like right now we see like my son is trying to write his name and it's been a long struggle to do that - but once you see that it's moving along, it's well worth it. It's just amazing from where we came from to where we're at now and he's continuing to grow," Acevedo said. "Just be positive about it, things can change and things can work for the better."

For more information on the art show or Fort Campbell EFMP's other programs, call (270)798-4065.