During the 2007-2008 school year, Kentucky reported over 2,700 cases of autism (FightingAutism.org).  The Kelly Autism Program  has had 27 students register in its college program on WKU’s campus.

Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disorders that cause parts of the brain to not work together properly.  Autism can cause communication, social, and behavioral challenges.  The Center for Disease Control estimates that one in 150 children born in the United States have an autism spectrum disorder.

Autism disorders are usually diagnosed early in a child’s life.  See here for early detection signs of autism.  While there is no cure for autism, there are treatments used to alleviate some of the effects.

The number of children diagnosed with autism has soared in the last 15 years.   Less than 20,000 cases were reported in 1992 compared to nearly 300,000 cases reported just two years ago (Fighting Autism.org).

The Kelly Autism Program is focused on every aspect of its students’ lives. “KAP provides a place for the students to improve their sensory, social, and life skills,” says Marty Boman, Kelly Autism Program director.

According to Boman, the Kelly Autism Program college students are integrated into WKU’s campus just like any other college student.  “They are college students; they do everything like everybody else does,” she said.

The Kelly Autism Program provides a place for the students to improve their skills and become more prepared for life after college.  The students take regular classes with other students. While the professors on campus are not specially educated in teaching students with autism, the program does recommend two videos for professors to watch. 

Along with this, the program supplies a mandatory mentor program.  The mentors are like the students’ big brother or sister, and they all live on campus.  “Each of the mentors is put through an intense training program,” says Boman.

The point of the mentor system is to prepare the students for what lies ahead.  The mentors guide the students in everyday activities like laundry, as well as with their homework.  “We do what we can to ensure that they are well prepared once they leave our care,” said Kaley Cornell, a mentor, of Bowling Green, Ky.

Students with autism require more attention and more inventive measures than students without autism.  “Their brains are much more different than ours.  Who knows how they work?” Boman said. 

The program has two sensory rooms which include items like special lights, music, massage chairs, bean bags, aromatherapy and spices, and large bouncy balls.  Students can sit in these rooms to balance themselves.  For a reason unknown to researchers, this practice of regulation seems to allow the students to open up and be able to communicate better with strangers or in the classroom.

Many of the participants in the Kelly Autism Program have seen great improvements in their overall performances.  “KAP has actually helped me manage my time and get my homework out of my way so I can focus on other things,” said  WKU freshman Ryan Williams, 18, of Louisville, Ky., who has autism. He says he hardly has any problems with his professors not being able to relate to him, and he has been able to communicate his ideas more clearly since enrolling in the program.

This year is the first year the program has a student graduating from WKU.  B.C. McCandless, 23, of Metcalf County, Ky., the first graduate of the program, plans to use his degree in communication disorders in his hometown.  He said, “I never thought I would be the first to graduate.” 

McCandless says he has better social skills and can develop personal relationships better thanks to the program.  “Coming to WKU and meeting people of different ethnic backgrounds has put a whole new spin on things for me, but I can connect better now than before college.”

When it comes to autism, McCandless says, “It’s not a disease, it’s just a diagnosis.”  He says people with autism disorders deserve to be treated like normal people.   “We just have a harder time communicating with others,” said McCandless.

Like all the other participants in the college program, McCandless has been working on a plan outside of college.  The Kelly Autism Program will continue to be of support to McCandless, but when its students graduate, it is a goal of the program to have them completely ready to be independent.

Each of the students who attend the Kelly Autism Program at WKU are on a path to a more normal life.  As Williams put it, “Autism is not about intelligence…We’re all trying to cope with our differences and live normally.”

A child should be evaluated by a doctor if he/she: 

• Does not babble, point, or make meaningful gestures by 1 year of age
• Does not speak one word by 16 months
• Does not combine two words by 2 years
• Does not respond to name
• Loses language or social skills
• Poor eye contact
• Doesn’t seem to know how to play with toys
• Excessively lines up toys or other objects
• Is attached to one particular toy or object
• Doesn’t smile
• At times seems to be hearing impaired

Source: National Institute of Mental Health

I visited two very important rooms while at KAP.  They are resting rooms for the students which are used to regulate their bodies.

Using items like lights, soothing sounds, spices and other aromas, the program offers a peaceful room for the student to sit and relax in.  One room is all white with a variety of lights on the walls, and the other is all black.

Boman says for children with autism, sometimes all they need is a place to regulate.  This regulation often leads to the children coming out of their shells and being more productive in class and other places.

Lathern claimed she did not have health coverage and needed money to cover her breast cancer treatment.  She held a fundraiser at a local ice cream parlor to collect funds.  Those who attended the benefit thought they were giving their money to a charitable cause.  However, they had been duped.  Lathern just wanted larger breasts.

Even her husband was fooled by her act.  Lathern shaved her head to make it appear her hair had fallen out due to chemotherapy.  Some of her coworkers even donated vacation time so she could complete “treatment.”  Her husband was unaware the whole thing was a scam until the police notified him.

This situation has had a negative effect on the community.  Many people are now questioning other charities and are less willing to give money in support of people who actually need the money.  Lathern will enter a plea at a court hearing that has yet to be scheduled.  Some hope that people will just see Lathern as a bad apple among many good and continue to support those in serious need.

Students of the program enroll in classes at WKU (if they are in the KAP college program), and live in the residence halls on campus. In order to excel in school, each student must commit to a certain number of hours of mentoring each week.  These mentors help the students with their school work as well as their living skills, like laundry.

Although the student attends WKU and pay WKU tuition, there is an additional fee for the KAP.  The program prides itself on the success of their students, so many view the extra cost as worth it.

Lyle at the Oregon Brewers Festival

After being tested for and diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, Lyle has used his story to spread the word to others. 

Most doctors suggest getting tested when you’ve reached 50, but Lyle insisted he be tested at age 47.  Now he’s sharing his experience with millions of men over a few beers.

Women often talk about health, and the pink ribbon campaign has made it even easier for women to talk about breast cancer.  Lyle hopes his organization will be just what men need to start talking about their health.  Since millions of men share a love for beer, what better way is there to speak to the male population?

Prostate cancer affects one in six men, but Lyle hopes that early detection will prevent many of these men from dying.

Chris Brooks, 22, died one night and came back to life more than 20 minutes later.  Doctors say this miracle may be attributed to the compression-only CPR his family was instructed to perform by the emergency dispatcher.

The body already has oxygen in the blood, even several minutes after the heart has stopped.  The key is to circulate that oxygen.  The new method of CPR is designed to circulate the oxygen as quickly as possible with a series of chest compressions, 200 for every 2 minutes.

This new method has saved many lives in Arizona where it is now the mandatory method of CPR, but has not yet caught on across the United States.

More than 17,000 children were studied for about four decades.  Of those children who received a candy everyday, 69 percent were arrested for a violent offense later in life.

Researchers aren’t blaming the sweets, though.  They believe the correlation to exist between filling the kids’ every needs and the search for instant gratification.

More research is needed on the subject, but that doesn’t ease the surprise of the study!

This is newsworthy because it concerns many Americans, it’s recent, and it’s controversial.

Half of the patients admitted for trauma into hopsitals  are intoxicated at the time of injury.  This study suggests that alcohol may prevent more serious injuries from happening to the brain during an accident.

Such protection may be because alcohol helps lower the body’s core temperature.  This helps slow cell death rate and brain swelling.

However, alcohol still has its risks, and doctors are doubtful it will be used as a theraputic measure any time soon.

CNN article here.