YOUNG ROLE MODELS—Panelists, from left, Elizabeth Lambert, Rachel Mayo and Calvin Nye answer audience questions about living with autism during a 20-year reunion for the school district’s autism program held Sunday at Lang Ranch Elementary. The Conejo Valley Unified School District marked 20 years of educating children with autism by “Celebrating the Journey” at Lang Ranch Elementary School on Sunday.

More than 300 current and former students, family members, friends and school staff attended the event, which featured a variety of children’s activities, entertainment and guest speakers.

Lynn Dokken, head of the district’s autism program and the event’s organizer, said the highlight of the celebration was hearing former students—now young adults—speak words of inspiration to current students and their families during a panel discussion.

DANCE AS THERAPY—Grace Welti, 6, shows off some of the moves she’s learned in her movement therapy class during a demonstration at the Conejo Valley Unified School District’s autism program 20-year reunion. Students, parents and staff members who’ve worked in the special program were invited to a day of panels, performances, outdoor games and shared memories. Photos by IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers “Several people in the audience said to me, ‘I could have listened to them speak all day,’” Dokken said. “There were people involved with the program 15 to 20 years ago who were coming back for the first time and reconnecting with each other and the staff.

“It was fun to see some of my former students, who are all grown up now.”

Autism is a neurological disorder that impacts development in the areas of social and communication skills. According to the Autism Society of America, typical symptoms of the disability include trouble with verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions and leisure activities.

About 100 students are currently in the district’s autism program. They are served in 10 classrooms at University Center Preschool, Ladera Elementary, Maple Elementary, Redwood Middle School and Thousand Oaks High School.

The activities in the classrooms are dependent upon the children’s grade level, specific symptoms and needs, and are geared toward dealing with the autism spectrum, Dokken said.

“The classes for students with autism deal with communication and the social, behavioral and sensory needs of the students,” she said. “For example, we provide visual structure and schedules. We may add in extra pictures and drawings when we’re trying to present a concept—not just talk about it verbally, but also provide a visual or hands-on activity to help them understand.”

Many other autistic children are being served in the Conejo Valley community through private programs, Dokken said.

According to the Ventura County Autism Network, about one in every 110 children suffer from a form of autism spectrum disorder.

Coping with autism

Thousand Oaks resident Maria Lambert has two children who went through CVUSD’s autism program.

Brian, 24, and Elizabeth Lambert, 21, started in the preschool program and continued for several years during elementary school.

“I think because of the wonderful early intervention they got through this program, they are progressing very well as young adults,” Maria Lambert said. “We’re really, really lucky with what we’ve had here, and it’s made a huge difference in their development.”

Brian is now attending Ventura College, where he participates in a combination of regular curriculum classes and special needs classes.

“They have a very nice program there, too,” his mother said. “They have some classes for kids with special needs that are his age. It’s a very nice social environment.”

Elizabeth Lambert is attending Moorpark College and wants to become a preschool teacher. She was one of the panel speakers during Sunday’s event.

“She’s on a different end of the spectrum than my son is,” Lambert said. “Although she has similar symptoms, her onset was different.”

Elizabeth developed language skills early, but Brian took a long time to develop his.

Elizabeth recently had to deal with the stress and anxiety of a kidney transplant, her mother said. Lambert’s youngest son, 19-yearold Nicholas, who is not autistic, was the kidney donor.

For Maria Lambert, the help her family received from the district’s autism staff was invaluable and attending the event was inspiring.

“I was just thrilled that (the district) had an event like this because . . . it continued to spread awareness, and . . . I got to see people who I’ve had such a deep connection with because of the program,” she said.

Helping families

In addition to heading the autism program, Dokken has been teaching in the Conejo Valley for 20 years.

When she first started, she was teaching in a “generic, severely handicapped class.”

Dokken and her colleague, Julie Conway, who’s been teaching preschool for 21 years, believed it was necessary to serve the specific needs of kids with autism.

“We eventually developed some things into a specific autism program,” Dokken said.

The district developed a program that included special classes and home-based therapy.

CVUSD no longer provides home-based therapy because of a lack of funding.

“It has just taken a different form for lots of reasons,” said Dr. Margaret Saleh, director of special education. “One of those reasons is because the funding mechanisms have changed.”

However, most families with autistic children do receive homebased support in some form through the Tri-Counties Regional Center, Saleh said.

Regardless of funding constraints, the goal of the CVUSD autism program remains the same.

“For us it never stops, and I hope this will bring awareness to the community and show that these kids still have so much potential,” Lambert said. “The early intervention is so important for the kids, but we can’t forget they still need the support later in life also. It doesn’t just stop, and it doesn’t stop for the parents or young adults.”