Autism Awareness, By Nancy Smith Seigle, Director of Communications

Did you know April is Autism Awareness month? A neuro-developmental disorder, autism is now estimated to affect as many as one in 150 children nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta puts the New Jersey rate at a stunning one in 94. This complex disorder is characterized by a wide range of behaviors, including difficulty in expressing needs and inability to socialize. Typically, parents are the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child. Often the baby seems “different” from birth, unresponsive to people, or focusing intently on one item for long periods of time. In other cases, the first signs of an ASD (autism spectrum disorder) can appear in children who seem to have been developing normally. Sometimes an otherwise engaging, babbling toddler suddenly becomes silent, withdrawn, or indifferent to social overtures. This is what happened with Joe Joe, a middle son of a friend of mine.
Desperation turned to determination for this remarkable family. As they sought appropriate treatment plans for their little boy, they soon realized the critical need to support other families dealing with this devastating diagnosis. The seeds for the GoodLooking Foundation (GLF) were planted. “ ‘Good looking, Joe Joe,’ were words of praise spoken by an autism therapist treating my son,” Joe Ciampoli explained. “It marked a critical step taken by him in making eye contact with another person.” Those words also became the catalyst for Joe and Colleen Ciampoli to form their foundation.
Saturday, April 26th, GLF will begin its second pilot program here at HOPE Church with more than 35 affected families participating. Sojourn members will host a brunch for the parents that morning to help launch the program. Then, for the next seven Saturday mornings, parents will get a well-deserved, much-needed, two-hour break from their 24/7 responsibilities. At the same time, their children, ages four to eight, participate in planned activities with other kids on the spectrum as well as typically developing children. It’s a rare opportunity for full inclusion. Volunteers run workshops for the parents covering a variety of relaxing diversions such as woodworking, cooking, scrapbooking and other crafts to teaching stress-reducing exercises. A big thank you to our Men’s ministry who are donating a portion of the proceeds raised at yesterday’s craft fair to the Good Looking Foundation’s program. If you would like to help out, why not consider sharing a hobby or volunteering to work with the children? It would be a great opportunity for families to volunteer together. For more information concerning the foundation go to GoodLookingFoundation.org.

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