White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen helps unveil new school f= or students with autism

$32 million facility will double as lab for researchers=

By Rex W. HuppkelTribune reporte= r <= o:p>

August 7, 2008

Doz= ens of friends and family members of children with autism—along with White S= ox manager Ozzie Guillen—came together Wednesday to celebrate a new, state-of-the-art school and research center on the West Si= de that could set the standard for autism education. Here are a few key questi= ons and answers about the center.

Q—What is the school cal= led and why is it significant?

A—It's called the Easter Seals Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research, a $32 million facility believed to be one of the first in the country tailor-made for the unique needs of children with autism. The school, which opened at 1939 W. 13^th Street, Chicago, last month, can accommodate 150 students, combining education and training for independent living with extensive research into the little-understood disorder.

Q—How does this new facility address the needs of people living with autism?
A—The senses of people with autism are often heightened, making them easily overwhelmed or distracted by too much noise or certain types of bright or fluorescent lights. Put them in a regular classroom, and the sigh= ts and sounds can distract and, in some cases, cause physical discomfort.

With that in mind, the walls and hallways of the school are designed to dam= pen sound. There is no echo of footsteps as students walk through the halls, and there is little noise carried from one classroom to the next.

The rooms have wide windows to let in natural light, but they are mounted h= igh on the walls so students won't be distracted by anything happening outdoors. The walls are all light colors, coated with a non-glare paint.

The air vents have been specially designed so that there's no buzzing or humming. Even the school's fire alarm is different; rather than a screeching sound that could terrify kids with autism, the alarm plays "Stars and Stripes Forever."

"As far as I know, this is the first school for autism that was design= ed for kids with autism from the ground up," said Stephen Porges, director of the Brain-Body Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago<= span class=3DGramE>, and a = leading researcher into the causes and treatment of autism.

Q—Why was Guillen at the sc= hool Wednesday?

A—Guillen= h= elped unveil the White Sox Field, a pristine softball field ad= jacent to the school. The Sox organization donated $1 million to the new facility,= and Easter Seals officials decided it would be fitting to name the field after = the team.

The Sox manager spoke passionately about his interest in helping kids with autism both here in Chicago and in his native Venezuela.

"Don't treat them like somebody else," Guill= en said. "Treat them like the human beings that they are. Give the best d= ay to these kids every day. That's the main reason we helped build this field,= to give them as many great days as possible."

Q—What kind of research will= be done at the center?

A—Porges<= span style=3D'font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'> a= nd other researchers will use the school as a laboratory to study wide-ranging aspects of autism and techniques for treatment. Most of the classrooms are = set up with adjacent observation rooms so researchers can study children with t= he disorder in a learning environment. Eventually, there will be live video fe= eds available to other researchers via the Internet.

"What we learn through our research can be incorporated directly into = the curriculum here," Porges said.

Tim Muri, president of Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago, said he welcomes the researchers from UIC and nearby Rush Medical Center, who will study and work with the school's students: "We truly = feel we're going to change the world at this facility."