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Photograph by Jacquelyn Ramseyer
Kamal, 10, and his mom, Dr. Gerri Walker, share a laugh during recess at PACE. in Sunnyvale. Kamal was diagnosed with mild autism and had been attending the school for several years before Walker took on the job as the director of PACE.
In Control
PACE helps autistic individuals function in society
By Jana Seshadri
Five years ago, when a speech therapist informed Dr. Gerri Walker that her 5-year-old son Kamal was autistic, she was shocked. She had taken Kamal to meet with the therapist to help with his speech and communication. Now she learned he had a neurologic problem. Then she started to question the veracity of the therapist's diagnosis. Walker has two older children, and neither of them is autistic.
Further testing confirmed that Kamal was indeed autistic. After the initial period of disbelief and denial, Gerri said she started to deal with her son's problem.
Kamal was attending kindergarten when he was diagnosed. Having taught learning-disabled students from kindergarten through eighth grade, Walker said she knew exactly what kind of education and caring Kamal needed.
Kamal, now 10, is a day student at the Pacific Autism Center for Education in Sunnyvale, and his mother, a teacher for 23 years, joined the center as its school director in July. Walker obtained special-education training and was principal of a magnet school in the Ravenswood School District in Menlo Park. PACE has been in operation in Santa Clara County for 13 years, and its Sunnyvale Center for Families and Children is located at 572 Dunholme Way.
Known as "the spectrum disorder," autism is a severely incapacitating, lifelong disability--a neurological disorder with no known cause or cure. Its expression ranges from the severely affected--low functioning--to those who are only mildly affected--high functioning. Close to 50 percent of the time autism coexists with mental retardation. A syndrome diagnosed by characteristic symptoms and developmental delays early in life, autism typically appears in the first three years of life, and is four times more common in boys than in girls.
Although there is no known cure for autism, studies have shown that a well-structured program after early diagnosis can help an autistic individual improve throughout life.
"The environment is so important for autistic children," Walker said. "Kamal is doing wonderfully well at PACE."
"He was having trouble communicating now he talks nonstop," said Kamal's teacher, 22-year-old Jason Hernandez, who joined PACE five years ago, shortly before Kamal did.
"I love helping out the kids; it's extremely satisfying," Hernandez said. Hernandez has helped Kamal read, write and do multiplication problems.
A high-functioning autistic child, Kamal does not need to be taught basic grooming skills like some low-functioning autistic children. His participation in and enjoyment of the activities at PACE is evident in the way he puts together a soft taco during cooking day or swings on the bars during free playtime in the playground.
Photographs by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Kamal Walker, 10, shares his love of Disney movies with PACE instructional aide Ruben Vargas. Walker has already seen 'Monsters, Inc.' four times since its release two weeks ago.
Julie Domeny became PACE's director of community development two years ago. Not long before that, she designed costumes for theater productions. Domeny said theater artists and autistic individuals are both trying to communicate something to society. This entails interaction with other people, along with learning appropriate boundaries and acceptable behavior.
At PACE, six teachers, along with three speech therapists, three occupational therapists and several aides work one-on-one with the 55 students, providing each student with the specialized training and education that he or she needs. Teachers undergo a special training program called TEACCH, which is focused specifically on autism, along with first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.
PACE has several activities such as art, shopping, bowling, community lunch and swimming, some of which take the students out into the community and give them hands-on interaction skills. What is right for one autistic child may not be right for another, and it is important to assess the child's needs first before starting him or her on an educational program.
The range and level of disabilities--both physical and mental--makes it challenging and difficult for the caregiver. Individualized attention and a structured atmosphere are crucial for progress and development among autistic children, some of whom are hypersensitive to change. They have a certain comfort level with daily routine and are startled by even a slight deviation from schedule.
One time, a student was extremely upset and angry because he said his regular teacher did not meet him at the usual time and place. Another teacher met him as previously arranged. The student was informed of this change in plan ahead of time but was still angry.
"The biggest challenge is being aware of each child's cognitive abilities and the difficulty in accessing it," said Andrew Napoli, a classroom teacher, who has worked at PACE for two years. Napoli, 28, has a degree in elementary education.
Each autistic individual is at a level of development that may be different from any other. A low-functioning student might require help in learning to do some very basic tasks like combing hair or brushing teeth. One student in the program had to be taken by the hand and led to a mat in the play area and gently made to sit on it. Hernandez spoke of one child who had to learn how to close a shoebox.
"He had his hand on the lid and I had to put my hand over his and show him how to close the box with the lid," Hernandez said.
Jacob Broschear, a 19-year-old who is one of Napoli's students, works two cleaning jobs--at an appliance store and at AMC San Jose theaters.
"PACE got me the jobs," said Broschear, who started his first job when he was 17. Broschear is frequently anxious that he is going to lose his job, despite Napoli's reassurances that he will not. However, Broschear repeatedly voices his anxiety.
Repetitive behavior--physical or verbal--is another common symptom of autism. It may sometimes be self-injurious and unusually aggressive.
Photographs by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Special-education teacher Amy Corral gets a hug from one of her students during recess at PACE in Sunnyvale.
At one point, a student, who was given a timeout for inappropriate behavior, kept hitting his teacher and yelling out that he did not like him. The teacher was gentle but firm, and it paid off, albeit after a long time. The student sat quietly in a corner for the required length of time and was then allowed to play.
The teachers say it's important to set boundaries and rules for autistic individuals and treat them as normally as possible, but recognize that they have special needs.
"It is definitely challenging, but it's satisfying to see the progress in a student, however little that might be and however long that might take," Napoli said.
Appropriate education for an autistic child might entail teaching basic physical, motor or intellectual skills--most often it is a combination of all three. PACE's aim is to develop students' social adaptive skills to the highest level possible so they can function in society as independent individuals to the best of their ability.
"I really see the benefit in PACE because of the individualized care," Walker said. "This is a school, not a baby-sitting service. The issue is what we can do to provide the child with the best possible education and care so that he or she can reach the highest possible potential. Our aim is to ensure that each child be the best person he or she can possibly be."
It also requires tremendous patience to care for an autistic individual.
"Me being an educator and having been trained in psychology provided me with patience and determination," Walker said.
The Individualized Educational Plan at PACE is a review process, during which teachers, parents and the director meet and discuss the child's progress, talk about what worked and what did not, exchange their own expectations for the child and set some future goals.
According to Domeny, there has been a 300 percent increase in the diagnosis of autism since the 1980s, and it's evident in PACE's steady increase of enrollment over the years. Even though it is state-funded, PACE is a privately run school.
"Being in PACE has helped me professionally and personally," Walker said. Recalling the disbelief and denial that she went through upon hearing Kamal's diagnosis, Walker said, "It's a good thing that I have Kamal."
Walker said that she sees herself continuing on in PACE and says, "I am an advocate for our children."
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
