Autism expert to speak in Mt. Laurel
MOUNT LAUREL - When Durand Inc. honored Temple Grandin last year for her work in autism advocacy, tickets for the South Jersey nonprofit's event at Burlington County College sold out in four days.
Dubbed a "rock star" for her insights into the world of autism (and cattle), Grandin was the subject of an HBO movie. But she's not the only one who offers an insider's view of living on the autism spectrum.
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On Wednesday, Durand will celebrate the work of author and professor Stephen Shore, an internationally recognized expert in autism who was nonverbal until age 4. The Massachusetts native will share what it's like to have autism when he receives the Dr. Temple Grandin Achievement Award for Excellence in Autism. The event runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at The Westin Hotel on Fellowship Road.
Shore's own story demonstrates the importance of early intervention, explained Durand's CEO Ray Cristofoletti. The nonprofit serves about 150 clients in South Jersey through its Woodbury school, day programs, adult training programs and group homes.
"Before the age of 3 is the key," Cristofoletti stressed. "You want people to reach their full potential."
Fifty years ago, after Shore stopped talking at 18 months old, doctors told his parents to institutionalize their son. Instead, his mother found ways to communicate with him, and by age 4, he was able to attend public school.
"They accepted me for who I was and realized the significant challenges I had to overcome," Shore noted during a phone interview with the Courier-Post while in Scotland for a speaking engagement. "It's a good way to consider everybody, whether they have autism or not."
Today, Shore speaks around the world about autism and teaches about special education at Adelphi University in New York. Much of his work focuses on teaching people with autism to speak up for themselves, and let others know what they need.
"One of the best books I've seen about self-advocacy is his," said Jim Ball, a Durand consultant who recently led the board of directors for the Autism Society of America.
Autism is "not a disorder of doom and gloom," Ball added. "But it's a disorder of hope. Given the right resources, the right types of therapies, individuals can live a life to their fullest ability."
As a toddler, Shore often had emotional meltdowns because he wasn't able to tell his mother that bright overhead lights bothered him.
"It was pretty frustrating," Shore recalled. "It can be very frustrating when you're not able to communicate."
Shore slowly regained his ability to speak after his mother began mimicking him. He now calls her efforts an intensive, home-based early intervention program. He began sharing his own experiences with autism while in his late 30s, after realizing he still had the disorder that affected him so deeply as a young child. He wrote three books on autism before completing his doctoral studies.
He has since presented his work in 46 states and 42 countries. The most common misunderstandings he encounters are the limitations people put on those on the autism spectrum.
"So often we hear about what people cannot do," Shore said. "I prefer to use an abilities-based model, and ask what can the person do."
Today, Shore urges families to establish a reliable means of communication, perhaps through sign language or an assistive communication device.
"Everything builds off of that," he said.
Sensory challenges are often easiest to overcome. Shore wards off his own sensitivity to light by wearing a baseball cap. In a public place like a restaurant, he will ask for a quiet table in a dimly lit area, explaining that he has "sensitive" ears and eyes. While teaching at the university, he warns students he is bad at remembering faces, and he won't recognize them outside the classroom.
He's become so adept at navigating the world that sometimes people don't believe him when he tells them he has autism, Shore said. But people should know that a person who has autism is more like them than not, he stressed.
"Realize the potential of people with autism is unlimited," Shore said. "It's limitless possibilities and potential. Our job is to figure out how to access that potential."
Kim Mulford: (856) 486-2448; kmulford@gannettnj.com
If you go
Stephen Shore will accept Durand, Inc.'s Dr. Temple Grandin Achievement Award from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at The Westin Hotel, 555 Fellowship Road, Mount Laurel. Tickets are $25, and are available online in advance at durandac.org/events/dr-stephen-m-shore-general-admission/
No tickets will be sold at the door. For ticket information, call (856) 235-3540, ext. 117.