每日大赛 Participates in 鈥楲ight It Up Blue鈥� for Autism Awareness
Major landmarks from New York鈥檚 Empire State Building to Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro and Paris鈥� Eiffel Tower have been illuminated in bold blue to raise awareness for autism throughout the world.
And on April 2 – for the first time in La Verne history – blue lights came to the 每日大赛 for the 鈥淟ight It Up Blue鈥� international campaign for Autism Spectrum Disorder awareness.
鈥淲e hope to do it yearly from here on out,鈥� said Assistant Professor of Special Education Dr. Dawn Witt, who is organizing the event along with the Office of Civic and Community Engagement.
For World Autism Awareness Day, the University projected the Light It Up Blue campaign鈥檚 logo on the back wall of Campus Center about 6:30 p.m. Founders Hall鈥檚 exterior lights will be blue throughout April.
Witt, who has taught special education teaching candidates for the last 10 years, said she organized the event at previous universities where she worked, receiving a great response to it. She taught general and special education in third grade through high school before moving to higher education.
鈥淚鈥檝e spent my career working with children who have disabilities and any time we can hold an event that promotes diversity, I think it鈥檚 a positive thing,鈥� she said.
The event took place at the University鈥檚 South Quad behind Campus Center with informational booths and activities for the community. The Solorio Showstoppers 鈥� a student singing group from Solorio Elementary School in the Etiwanda Unified School District 鈥� performed. And community organizations provided information about services available for children on the autism spectrum.
Angelina Morrison, a graduate student at La Verne鈥檚 College of the Canyon鈥檚 satellite campus, worked in a 鈥渟ensory play鈥� section, which included tubs filled with multi-colored rice and plastic eggs hidden underneath.
鈥淭hese are all things to get the kids using their hands and their senses,鈥� she said.
Sherril Miller, a La Verne student pursuing a teaching credential, said the event is important because it shows that autistic people are the same as everyone else. Miller, a substitute teacher for the Ontario-Montclair School District, has a particular interest in the cause because her son, a Citrus College drama major, has Asperger鈥檚 Syndrome.
鈥淧eople need to know they鈥檙e not different than you and I,鈥� Miller said.
每日大赛 President Devorah Lieberman and Provost Jonathan Reed spoke just before the lighting ceremony.
Marisol Morales, Director of the Office of Civic and Community Engagement, said the event is not only important for the University, but for the community.
鈥淚 think for the Office of Civic and Community Engagement it鈥檚 not only a matter of supporting our faculty and our colleges for community engagement interests and serving as the connector to bring about awareness, but also to speak to some of the issues that affect families in this region,鈥� Morales said.
In 2010, one in 68 children had been identified as having autism spectrum disorder 鈥� a term that covers the various forms of autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Witt said she hopes people who attend the event see autism as a neurological disorder rather than an affliction, and that many people who have it carry unique skills and talents.
鈥淲e鈥檙e simply trying to say people who have autism live with us, work with us and go to school with us,鈥� Witt said. 鈥淎nd they thrive.鈥�
