Autism and Friends is a club at Pierce College designed to help autistic students interact with their peers.
“The basic goal is to make friends with students with autism,” member Nanoor Shahin said. “Students with autism have trouble making friends.
April is Autism awareness month.
Currently, Autism and Friends is spreading the word about a 5k walk and resource fair called Walk Now for Autism Speaks.
The event will be hosted Saturday, April 21, 2012, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
“We interact with the autistic population at Pierce College and help them make friends,” Alastair Naghieh, club member said.
The club strongly urges students to attend the walk, volunteer at the event, or donate to help fund research. This year’s Walk Now for Autism Speaks will be the 10th anniversary of the event.
“We want to support them not as a mentor, but as a friend,” Shahin said. “The second goal is to give information to the public.”
Shahin believes it is very important to teach people how to communicate with their autistic peers.
“Autism has a specific culture,” Shahin said. “It’s like a different language.”
Nina Avadisrostamian understands this difficulty since she has two relatives with this developmental disorder.
Club members hope that educating the public will ease communication difficulties between students and those with Autism.
“I have experience with autistic people,” Avadisrostamian said. “My nephew is autistic.”
Naghieh, a psychology major at Pierce, is also involved in Autism and Friends to learn more about it.
“I’m in the club because it does have to do with my major,” Naghieh said. “I also personally know people with autism.”
The group currently has about seven students with autism registered as members of the club. The group hopes this number will increase Shahin said.
Autism and Friends meets every Wednesday from 12:35 p.m. to 2 p.m. in BEH 1310. Shahin expects that the club will begin meeting on Fridays as well.
Shahin encourages anyone interested to stop by and become a member.
http://pierceaso.webs.com/clubs.htm
http://http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/site/c.igIRL6PIJrH/b.7683511/k.2EFB/Walk_Now_for_Autism_Speaks_Home.htm
