Brandeis U Holds Brain Awareness Week

From Jake Crosby, Age of Autism Contributing Editor and Brandeis student: Last Monday, SPECTRUM put on a mini-fair for Brain Awareness Week - a global campaign to raise awareness for brain-related research -focused on autism spectrum disorders. News of the event reached one of the student newspapers, The Brandeis Hoot, which ran the following article about the fair, our club, and some of the other activities and services we are engaged in both on campus and in the greater community. We are grateful to The Hoot for supporting SPECTRUM's mission by helping us spread autism awareness throughout the university community. 

From The Brandeis Hoot

Spectrum, an autism awareness group on campus, held Brain Awareness Week at Brandeis this week in order to raise awareness about the community of people living with a range of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Spectrum, which stands for support, progress, empowerment, communication, trust, respect, understanding and motivation, was founded by co-presidents Jake Crosby ’11 and Lauren Grewal ’13 last fall.

The group now has a rapidly growing, active membership of more than 40 students.

The club aims to educate people on autism spectrum disorders, help people in the community, and to present people with a safe forum to discuss, share and ask questions about autism.

Grewal said that because she has a brother with autism, she has wanted to start the club since she first came to Brandeis.

“My brother is on the severe end of the spectrum,” Grewal said. “He is my favorite person in the world, and I am very proud of him.

“Autism spectrum disorders … have different levels of severity. They are neurological disorders that affect a person’s understanding of social cues, as well as verbal and cognitive abilities.

“After forming Spectrum in the fall of 2009, it really picked up the following spring and I’m hoping it will get better and better,” Grewal said.

Caitlin Abber, ’13 and Dani Carrus ’11, Spectrum’s community outreach coordinators, said there will be five volunteer opportunities next semester.

“We will be working with local kids and anybody who wants to participate through a dance and movement class, a gardening program, a baseball league ‘Challenger,’ a student play group and a soccer program run by the Boys and Girls Club, ARC (Activist Resource Center) and by Spectrum,” Carrus said.

The goals of the programs are to “have kids come from around the area to learn how to move their bodies, and get out energy,” Abber said.

These programs were originally set up by parents of children with autism as a way for them to support each other and to help their children make friends.

Grewal stressed that students at Brandeis need to know “just because somebody is different, it doesn’t mean they are incapable of being intelligent or funny. People misunderstand a lot about autism because of the way the media portrays it.”

The Union officially chartered Spectrum this semester, and several of its events have been co-sponsored by the Pre Health Society, and the Health: Science, Society and Policy (HSSP) major.

The club plans to show students on campus how autism awareness is relevant and plans to gear its events toward many majors, not just toward health and education-related majors.

This semester, Spectrum has grown significantly. Its listserv boasts more than 130 members, and it continues to grow with more than 40 active members.

“It means so much to me to see people I don’t know walking in and signing up,” Grewal said.

“Some of the new members have done so much, and it makes me so happy to see people put in their time and effort.”

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Comments

[Theodora Trudorn]

do forigive spelling I am in a duel with the keyboard....:P

[Theodora Trudorn]

Well done sir! Slowly but surely workin gon an equvilent here. But it is more of a public outreac thing, and it is going to focus on AS as we condtinue to bbe invisable once reaach adult hood.

Anyway, you sir, are an inspiration! I bow my hat to you! *bows hat*

[Cherry Sperlin Misra]

To Lauren, I can see that there must be an Indian person in your family. Please, please, inform your relatives in India that all Indian made vaccines for Hepatitis B, Hib, DPT contain high and very high levels of mercury- depending on the manufacturer. Tell them that they can save their kids from autism by insisting on imported vaccines- and even those they should check for the word Thimerosal. That is the mercury ingredient.
Wishing you all the best in your work for Spectrum.

[Anne McElroy Dachel]

Nice to see you!!...
Thank you for this great effort!
Anne Dachel
Media

[Twyla]

Wow, this is so great! Congrats Jake and Grewal! How wonderful for everyone involved -- students & children with autism, siblings, parents, and students who are learning about autism for the first time.

[Katie Wright]

Jake Crosby you are the best!

[Gatogorra]

Anyone who wants to participate? How about two little twins who live an hour away? What a great program. The most attractive thing about it is the apparent open-mindedness of participants. Fantastic.