West Amwell mayor knows pain of autism - Peter Buchsbaum was grateful to members of the Township Committee for proclaiming April Autism Awareness Month as his son has autism.

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West Amwell mayor knows pain of autism

Peter Buchsbaum was grateful to members of the Township Committee for proclaiming April Autism Awareness Month as his son has autism.

By: Concetta Benuzzi Volpe , Special Writer

04/16/2003

   WEST AMWELL — An emotional Mayor Peter Buchsbaum, who knows the challenges of raising an autistic child firsthand, thanked Township Committee members for passing a resolution proclaiming April Autism Awareness Month.
   West Amwell's proclamation was supported unanimously by the committee and read aloud by Municipal Clerk Betty Jane Hunt at the meeting April 2.
   Mr. Buchsbaum thanked fellow committee members for standing with him in support of the resolution recognizing the developmental disorder while paying tribute to the community that has embraced his son, Matthew, 28, who was diagnosed with autism at age 11.
   The mayor said recent caseload reports from the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities suggest 38 percent of children under the age of 13 are autistic, and that number dramatically drops to 10 percent in people over 20, suggesting the disorder is be- ing diagnosed and recognized more readily.
   "My son is autistic, and we didn't know until he was 11," the mayor said. "That's why I believe awareness, diagnosis and treatment is critical. Matty attended a special education program at the Midland School most of his youth and was somewhat divorced from the community he lived in, having never had the opportunity to attend school in West Amwell."
   The Midland School is a private facility in Branchburg (Somerset County) for students with severe neurological disabilities, including autism.
   Finally, in 1994, when Matthew was 20, he was enrolled in South Hunterdon Regional High School for two years and participated in the graduation ceremony, receiving a diploma in 1996.
   "I was really proud of the way he was welcomed into South by staff and students," the mayor said, "This community has been his home, and I appreciate the love and support he has been shown."
   Today, Matthew, 28 is a productive member of society and has a reasonably busy schedule thanks to his mother, Elaine Buchsbaum, who also functions as Matthew's case manager, the mayor said.
   "Elaine has established a great schedule for Matty," Mr. Buchsbaum said.
   Matthew works two days a week at the Super Stop & Shop Bakery in Flemington and spends one day a week as a volunteer with Hunterdon County Meals on Wheels.
   When he isn't working or volunteering, he spends time at a sheltered workshop run by the Association for Retarded Citizens, more commonly known by the acronym ARC of Hunterdon County's ARC Industries.
   West Amwell's resolution is part of a public awareness campaign spearheaded by Paul Potito, executive director of the New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autistic Community (COSAC) in Ewing.
   According to Mr. Potito, April is Autism Awareness Month in New Jersey as well as across the nation.
   Art Ball, director of governmental affairs for the center, defined the disorder as a developmental disability characterized by atypical, often repetitive behavior and deficits in social and communication skills. According to Mr. Ball, the disorder is a lifelong condition that results in some degree of social isolation. Mr. Ball said there is no known cure for the disorder at this time but early diagnosis and intervention can be very effective.
   "Perhaps the most important thing is to be aware of autism, and if parents suspect something is wrong with their child, make sure to ask their pediatrician about it," Mr. Ball said. "If they get no satisfactory answer there, they should seek another medical professional with a better understanding of this disability."
   The center is a nonprofit agency providing information, advocacy services, family and professional education and consultation since 1965.
   According to Mr. Buchsbaum, the center's effort to educate the general public about autism and its effects is a statewide endeavor designed to encourage community leaders to inform local residents about the disorder directing them toward available information and resources.
   The township is urging all employees and residents to become better educated on the subject of autistic spectrum disorders so symptoms of the disability may become more easily recognizable.
   According to the resolution passed in West Amwell, autism once was thought to be a relatively rare disorder affecting one in every 10,000 individuals but the disorder has become pervasive throughout the population, currently affecting one in every 500 children.
   The Autism Society of America suggests autism is a genetic disorder that is possibly triggered by environmental factors.
   Mr. Potito said signs of autism usually develop before the age of 3, although the condition is frequently not diagnosed until much later.
   According to Mr. Potito, early diagnosis and treatment helps young children develop to their full potential.
   "We believe that early intervention is the best medicine," he said, "The New Jersey autism community has been in a national leadership role for decades. When there is a breakthrough in research or treatment, it will most likely occur in New Jersey because the level of awareness is tremendous in the Garden State, thanks to the efforts of thousands of active, involved parents."
   He said the disorder affects how an individual perceives and processes sensory information influencing social, learning and behavioral development but as public awareness intensifies, health professionals have become more proficient in diagnosis and early detection.
   According to the center, studies indicate autism knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries and is considered to be four to five times more prevalent in boys than girls.
   "Specific treatment varies depending on the range of the individual's symptoms that are subject to change over time," Mr. Potito said.
   He said a child with autism responds best to a highly structured, specialized educational program tailored to his or her individual needs, and parents, school staff and health care professionals are usually involved developing a treatment plan.
   Anyone interested in learning more about autism can contact the center at (800) 4-AUTISM or access the center's information and referral page at www.njcosac.org where Web links and other resources are available.
   The center does not have a chapter in Hunterdon County, but provides help to all New Jersey families. The center maintains databases on just about any service, professional program newspaper and magazine article available on the subject.
   Local individuals, families and professionals also may contact ARC for information at (908) 730-7827 or at www.archunterdon.org. or the Autism Society of America at (800) 3-AUTISM or at www.autism-society.org.

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