Autism benefit raises funds for local children

For 1 out of 110 children born today, it is as if “you are the only person in the world who is able to speak or understand English, and do not know any other languages.”

This is how College senior Mike Gardner told his story to a small crowd of Penn students at Smokey Joe’s Tuesday. Gardner was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome — an autism spectrum disorder — when he was six years old. As part of “Up in Smoke’s,” an event co-hosted by the Biological Behavior Society and Penn Speaks For Autism, he spoke and played the electronic keyboard.

Other groups performed on Tuesday, including Counterparts, Dischord, Simply Chaos and the Penny Loafers. The event raised about $200 for Project Elijah Empowering Autism, a local organization providing support for autistic children in West Philadelphia, BBB Society Philanthropy Chairwoman and College junior Mili Mehta said.

Next September, Project Elijah Empowering Autism will collaborate with Penn Speaks For Autism in an after-school program taking place at Drew Elementary School in West Philadelphia. In the program, 10 children will meet with three different Penn students each week. Volunteers will see the same child every week, so that “they can develop a relationship with them,” Co-President of Penn Speaks for Autism and College junior Alison Lai said.

Co-President of Penn Speaks For Autism and College junior Michelle Fang, whose sister is autistic, said that “autism is becoming very prevalent. A lot of people have a personal connection to it.”

Many Penn students applied to volunteer for the after-school program at Drew Elementary. Penn Speaks For Autism received about 60 applications. But Gardner thinks Penn could improve its assistance to students dealing with autism or other syndromes. “I think the University should be more active to reach out to students with mental health issues,” he said.

He also thinks that Penn students should be “more mindful of the world around them” and “not so self-absorbed.”

Gardner only started to feel understood and accepted at Penn this year. “People have been accepting me, but not until I started to improve my image,” he said, referring to his clothing and self-esteem. He added that at first he had very little help in overcoming his isolation. “I had to train myself to look people in the eye,” he said.

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