Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only University of South Carolina Autism Awareness Month faculty experts list April is Autism Awareness Month and World Autism Awareness Day is April 2. To help reporters develop stories about autism spectrum disorder, the University of South Carolina has compiled a list of faculty experts. To interview a faculty member, contact the staff member listed with each expert. Diagnosing Autism Kimberly Hills, a clinical associate professor of psychology, specializes in the identification and diagnosis of autism and disorders that coexist with it, such as ones involving language, anxiety, attention or medical. She directs the Autism Diagnostic Division at the universitys Psychology Services Center and implements multidisciplinary training in autism for graduate students. In addition to diagnosing autism, Hills can discuss autism as it relates to school and clinical psychology, graduate training and post-diagnosis recommendations for families. Contact: Peggy Binette, 803-777-7704, peggy@mailbox.sc.edu Dr. Desmond Kelly, is a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville. Kelly also is medical director of the Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at the Childrens Hospital of the Greenville Health System and director of the DeLoache Fellowship in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics of the Childrens Hospital. He is … Continue reading →

INDIANA - A scary statistic for parents of children with autism. Nearly half of children on the autism spectrum are believed to engage in wandering, which can sadly end in tragedy. U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., is a co-sponsor of a bill known as Avonte's Law that would provide funding for police departments to purchase equipment that can help locate people with an autism-spectrum disorder who go missing. Wendy Fournier, president of the National Autism Association, said those with autism typically wander toward something of interest or flee an overwhelming environment. "Noises, lights and people and hearing five different conversations at the same time - that kind of stuff can be magnified for people on the spectrum," she said. "A lot of times, the only thing they can do is run away. That's the only way they can get any relief from that sensory overload." Because of challenges with communication and safety awareness, children or adults with autism can end up in dangerous situations when they wander, Fournier said. Just a few weeks ago, a 4-year-old Jeffersonville boy with autism was rescued from a wastewater treatment pool after wandering from his mother. Avonte's Law is named after a 14-year-old with … Continue reading →