UI student group hosts autism awareness 'kick off' event

IOWA CITY - Cool weather and rain couldn't dampen the spirits of those gathered at Hubbard Park Saturday for the Kickoff  Festival for Autism Awareness Month celebration.

Despite the dreary afternoon weather, families and college students performed karaoke, chowed down on Buffalo Wild Wings, donned face paint, and socialized.

The University of Iowa student organization Young Altruistic Professionals of America (YAPA) organized the event, which aimed to promote awareness and understanding of autism spectrum disorders.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects social and communication skills. It affects every individual differently.

"It's a perfect opportunity as a student group to learn for ourselves and to educate the university as well," said Co-founder and UI sophomore Corey Collins.

Collins and UI sophomore Mike Greeby founded YAPA after hosting a successful breast cancer fundraiser in November which encouraged people to grow beards for the month, raising over $3,000.

Collins, who said he "didn't know what autism was" before organizing the event, said they planned the event in conjunction with April Autism Awareness Month.

"You can't tell based on physical appearance that someone has autism," Collins said. "Everyone's different...It has taught me so much."

The festive balloons, loud music, and games aimed to draw in passersby on campus, they said. That way, more people can "come, learn, and experience autism," Greeby said.

"Autism - I wouldn't call it a disability - it's a different personality," he said. "They're gifted in ways that people you usually talk to are not."

For volunteer Rachael Cahan, a UI sophomore, playing games with kids and teens at the event was the highlight. In addition to socializing, Cahan said she enjoys being a part of spreading knowledge about autism, which the Centers for Disease Control estimates is a growing disorder.

According to a report released last month, 1 in 88 kids has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder. As an education major, Cahan said she knows learning about children with disabilities is valuable for her future.

"[Autism] is all over, so it's important for people to learn how to handle it and how exactly it affects everyone," she said.

At the event, a brightly decorated stage showcased a performance by Combined Efforts, a local theater group for people of all ages and abilities.

Founder Janet Schlapokohl, a member of the UI MFA playwriting program and former special education teacher, writes plays for performers with and without special needs.

For Chris Paterson, whose 16-year-old daughter Erica is involved with Combined Efforts, Schlapokohl and the theater program bring out the individual talents of each participant, regardless of abilities.

"[Schlapokohl] looks at them as not what they can't do, but what they can do," Paterson said.

Paterson said he and his family moved to Iowa City from Vermont last fall, partly because there were so many opportunities available in Iowa City for people with special needs. Erica attends City High School and is involved with the Best Buddies program, which fosters one-to-one friendships between people with and without special needs.

As Erica belted out a pop single on stage at Saturday's event to wild applause and high fives, Paterson said the fact that college students organized the on-campus event is beneficial.

"It makes a huge difference," Paterson said of college involvement. "...Any opportunity for those positive role modeling situations is great."