Jefferson College of Health Professions

Jefferson's Occupational Therapy Department Connects with Rep. Dennis O'Brien and the PA Autism Task Force

Autism in Pennsylvania has risen over 2000% in the past 15 years, and the support services for those who live with this disability are inadequate. The children who live with autism and the families who support them often struggle to get appropriate support services, including education, medical care, and therapeutic services. Pennsylvania State Representative Dennis O'Brien, the Honorary Chair of the PA Autism Task Force that is working to improve those services, and Jefferson's Roseann Schaaf hope to become a part of the solution.

Cathy Scutta, MS, OTR/L, a Jefferson OT alumnus who works for the PA Department of Education, is familiar with statewide projects concerning autism. She is a member of the Planning Committee of the National Autism Conference, and she ensures that OTs are present at the annual conference, especially Roseann Schaaf, PhD, Associate Professor, Vice Chairman and Director of Graduate Studies for the JCHP Department of Occupational Therapy. Ms. Scutta told Dr. Schaaf about Rep. O'Brien and the Task Force, and Dr. Schaaf was compelled to find out more.

“Cathy told me that Rep. O'Brien was a strong advocate for children with disabilities, particularly those with autism,” explains Dr. Schaaf. “She also said that he was interested in promoting interdisciplinary and inter-university research across Pennsylvania. I decided to find out more.”

Dr. Schaaf reviewed the Task Force Report, which set five major goals, including creating an Office of Disability with a division for autism, creating a consumer-led information and advocacy organization, developing an autism-specific Medicaid waiver, setting up regional autism centers and developing ways to combine education funding and Medicaid funding. She was intrigued, but felt that something was missing: occupational therapy.

As an occupational therapist who researches autism, Dr. Schaaf could see that none of the goals addressed how to help children who had autism cope in their daily lives. “I wanted to make sure that occupational therapy would be a key part of this project,” she says. “The field of occupational therapy is often overlooked, and the goals set by this Task Force opened a door for some of the research that we're doing. I thought that the most logical first step would be to talk to Rep. O'Brien about the research in the Sensory Integration lab.”

“The program of research in autism here at Jefferson serves as a training ground, giving graduate OT students an opportunity for hands-on research,” Dr. Schaaf shares. “My students have a lot of interaction with children and families who live with autism, so they learn how the disability works and how to treat it. I think that we can contribute a great deal to the statewide focus on improving services to those with autism.”

Dr. Schaaf asked her graduate research assistant, Margaret Leary, to arrange a meeting with Rep. O'Brien. He offered to visit Jefferson, where he could observe the work that Dr. Schaaf is doing with the Sensory Integration lab.

The lab is where Dr. Schaaf and her research assistants study children with autism who have sensory integration difficulties. They expose the child to a variety of sensory experiences—loud sounds, flashing lights, strong smells, sudden movement and touch—and measure heart rate responses and sweat gland activity. The goal of their research is to find out more about the cause of the unusual responses to sensation that are so common in individuals with autism, such as hand flapping or severe aversion to touch, and to develop occupational therapy interventions that will help reduce maladaptive sensory-based behaviors and improve the child's ability to participate in school, home and community activities.

Dr. Schaaf felt that it was important for Rep. O'Brien to see the lab in action. “Here in the lab, you can see how a person is affected by different stimulation,” Dr. Schaaf says. “Many children with autism are affected much more by everyday stimulation than individuals who do not have autism. Ultimately, I hope that building public awareness of sensory dysfunction in autism and creating interventions to help families and children affected by it will ultimately help the children affected by autism.”

The next step in the project is to continue the collaboration by meeting other researchers and members of the Task Force. Dr. Schaaf is eager to help the state meet the Task Force Report goals. “Representative O'Brien is a partner in this effort and has a strong commitment to improve the lives of those who live with autism. He plans to participate in state-level activities to promote autism awareness, improve program and research,” she says. “That is an important step forward. A comprehensive and collaborative program will go a long way toward helping families and children affected by autism.”

Contact: Jane Clinton 215-503-9865