Student grants wish, spreads autism awareness

People ask for a lot around the holidays: new clothes, new gadgets, a bigger TV or the latest video game console. They give to those they love but more often than not people focus on what new things they want to receive. This Christmas, a UW-Green Bay sophomore was focused on getting just one gift—an Apple iPad2.

The gift was not for herself or a family member, but for a 6-year-old boy named Dylan, who has autism. Chelsea Rouse, sophomore human development major, became a therapist for Dylan when he was 5 years old through Applied Behavior Analysts, LLC.

At the beginning of December, while driving home from giving therapy, she heard about a contest on the WIXX radio station offering to grant a wish to a family in need.

Knowing that Dylan's family had been trying to get him an iPad for some time, Rouse said she called the station to find out if specific gifts could be requested. They said yes. The time between filling out the online application about Dylan to receiving her phone call was short—just two days. Rouse said she was in Lab Sciences when she received the call from the station telling her that Dylan's wish would be granted.

On Christmas morning, Rouse's wish and the wish of Dylan's parents came true when Dylan opened his special gift. Rouse said his mom had told her he was whizzing through the iPad's applications right away.

According to a CBS News "60 Minutes" report about computer applications for autism, tablet computers like the iPad2 offer several useful applications to help children with autism learn to communicate better. Especially children like Dylan, who is non-verbal.

"He has an iPad at school that helps him when he needs something," Rouse said. "So he's used to working with it."

With several applications specially designed for children with autism, Rouse and Dylan's family are hoping that his use of the gadget both at home and in school will assist him in becoming verbal.

According to autismspeaks.org, the Communicating Basic Needs, Grace Picture Exchange and So Much To Say apps are all examples of iPad applications that help non-verbal users communicate and even become verbal.

Rouse said the biggest feature of the iPad2 is its camera, because Dylan or his parents are able to take pictures of things and store them in these apps, which Dylan can later pull up on the iPad to communicate his wants, needs, likes or dislikes. This may be especially useful, Rouse said, because Dylan is also diabetic and currently has no way of letting his family know when his blood sugar is getting low.

For Rouse, the journey to helping children with autism began through her best friend, Mike Johnson, who is a UW-Steven's Point special education and psychology major.

Johnson said, initially, Rouse was not planning to major in human development. Instead, she was looking to major in education or perhaps communication, but that changed after Rouse got to know Johnson's younger brother, Landon.

Landon has autism, and for Rouse he was the first child with autism she'd really gotten to know, and said she felt a special connection with Landon right away.

"I initially wanted to be a teacher, but hanging out with Landon and seeing how Mike works with him was just so cool," Rouse said.

According to her, it was the relationship with Johnson and his brother that inspired her to go into her current work and study. Also, it helped that Johnson's mother had previously worked with the executive director of Applied Behavior Analysts, LLC., and encouraged Rouse to apply there. After completing her training, Rouse became a line therapist.

"Dylan was the first house I had ever worked with," Rouse said. "He was 5 at the time and it was my first encounter on my own working with someone with autism. It was scary but so fun at the same time. I think working with him right away just changed everything."

After working with Dylan for a year, usually two times a week for three hours during the semester, Rouse said he now means more to her than most people do.

"I like to do so much with him," Rouse said. "I like teaching him things and seeing how much he grows."

For people who may be interested in becoming therapists to children with autism, both Rouse and Johnson said they encourage people not to be scared and to commit to working long-term if they do apply. Although training and gaining the trust of families a student may work with will take time, Rouse will tell anyone it's well worth the effort.

"I didn't go into therapy thinking I know everything," Rouse said. "They're teaching me things every single day—things that have changed my life and I would never want anything less."