Autism awareness advocate looks back on successes

This story has been edited to correct the age of Ethan's diagnosis, the location where the Collier family moved to in Maine and for how long they stayed.

James "Mike" Sciortino is a grandpa mad for autism. At least that's how he wants his headline to read.

Sciortino has worked for the past 10 years in the Cape Girardeau area to increase awareness of autism and has worked with local and statewide programs for better services for families with autistic children.

It's a cause that hits close to home.

Sciortino's daughter, Leighanne Collier, had a son, Ethan, 15 years ago who was diagnosed with autism at 15 months. At age 3 Ethan and his family had to move from the Cape Girardeau area to Auburn, Maine, to get him help managing his disability.

The program offered in Maine, Sciortino explained, is called Applied Behavior Analysis, and it teaches people with autism how to manage their emotions and daily life.

"Ethan used to take a glass, drink out of it, then throw it -- and what ABA does is teaches a child to have a drink and set the glass down," Sciortino said.

As Ethan has grown, he's learned various other skills through the ABA program, such as sign language, and even learning how to assist with household chores, such as folding laundry or washing dishes.

Collier and her family eventually moved home eight years ago, and although conditions have improved in Southeast Missouri, she attributed their move to family health reasons versus an upgrade in autism services.

Sciortino, referring to himself as a stubborn Italian, wasn't adjusting well to only seeing his daughter, son-in-law and grandson two to three times a year, so before his family's move back to Cape Girardeau he decided to do something about it. He began Ethan and Friends for Autism in early 2004, to raise awareness for autism and show the community how lacking it was in resources. The group continued to work with Southeast Missouri State University to begin building its University Autism Center in 2006-2007 and then-state Sen. Jason Crowell to get the approval to create autism-awareness license plates for the state.

There are 155 plates preordered, but Sciortino said the order cannot be placed until they've reached 200. The plates cost $25 for one year, plus a processing fee paid to the Missouri Department of Revenue.

"I didn't know why I was doing it until one of the people who was working with us came to me and said, 'Right now you all just have a three month program and then the parents are on their own,' and it hit me like a lead balloon. That's why we're doing this, because I was learning too," Sciortino said.

In 2010, Sciortino also worked with Cape West 14 Cine to offer disabled children and their parents a chance to visit the theater for a special event, Sensory Sensitive Saturdays. This was the first-ever opportunity to allow patrons to view a movie in a setting adjusted for people with autism and other disabled moviegoers. It includes moderately dimmed lighting, no previews, lowered volume, a comfortable temperature level and the freedom for guests to move around as needed. Sciortino said this event has become successful over the years, with the last screening bringing in 121 guests. The next film is "Annie," which will be shown at 10 a.m. Jan. 3.

Since Sensory Sensitive Saturday's success, Sciortino has taken a step back on his pursuit for awareness, and spends much of his time caring for his wife. The license plate project has been passed on to Easter Seals Disability Services, and Collier hopes Ethan and Friends will turn a new leaf in its mission soon.

With Ethan getting older, Collier said her job as a parent only gets more difficult, which is the opposite for most parents. And with those challenges, more advanced services are required then what the Southeast Missouri area currently offers.

Collier and Sciortino both said that what happens to an autistic child when their parents are unable to care for them is the next largest concern. Special housing for families with this need is ideal, but Collier doesn't see that as a viable option in upcoming years. She said if more funding isn't available to continue improving autistic services in the area, her family would most likely have to move again.

For more information on autism, visit autismspeaks.org and to order an autism awareness license plate visit eastersealsmidwest.org.

smaue@semissourian.com

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