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Naval Hospital Beaufort Hosts Autism Fair in Support of Exceptional Families
Story Number: NNS130419-11
4/19/2013

By Regena Kowitz, Naval Hospital Beaufort Public Affairs

BEAUFORT, S.C. (NNS) -- Naval Hospital Beaufort, in partnership with the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) South Carolina Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), hosted an Autism Fair April 17.

"A diagnosis of autism can be a daunting prospect for any family, but for military families, it isn't one that needs to be faced alone," said Capt. Joan Queen, commanding officer of Naval Hospital Beaufort.

"We were happy to host this event at the naval hospital and provide a venue for our exceptional families and those who support them to come together to share knowledge and resources, added Queen. "The wonderful thing about the military is that there are so many support systems in place, it's just a matter of making sure that those who need them, know how to access them."

Lt. Patrick McLaughlin, staff pediatrician with Naval Hospital Beaufort's Medical Home Port, was one of the presenters who educated attendees about the screening process for children who are suspected of having an autism spectrum disorder. Autism is a brain disorder that limits a person's ability to communicate and relate to others, ranging from mild to severe, and is typically diagnosed initially in young children.

"It was great to see all of our area's resources and specialists in one place, at one time, to show support and solidarity in supporting our children with autistic spectrum disorders," said McLaughlin.

The resource fair featured representatives from 14 different support organizations who provide services to families with autistic children including Naval Hospital Beaufort's Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS) program, Navy and Marine Corps EFMP coordinators, the MCCS New Parent Support Program, the MCCS School Liaison, the South Carolina State Department of Disabilities, and Beaufort Memorial Hospital's Health Link.

"This event was held to bring attention to autism, a pervasive developmental disorder that affects hundreds of military families," said Yucel Henderson, the EFMP outreach specialist for MCCS and the event coordinator. "One of the key challenges in dealing with conditions like autism is the lack of networking that enables families to connect with the right resources. Today's event was a huge success because it provided that opportunity."

Henderson said that while it can be challenging for military families in particular to get connected to the resources they need due to frequent relocations, one of the benefits available to military families is access to EFMP with its proactive stance in taking care of exceptional families.

"Every family is assigned a case worker once a diagnosis like autism is made by a medical provider," said Henderson. "Our case workers do a tremendous job in making sure our families have all the necessary resources to meet their medical, educational, and emotional needs. Our families even have access to respite care, which provides 40 hours per month of free childcare to ensure that the caregivers in the family get a break to take care of themselves and some of their other responsibilities."

The sentiment is echoed by McLaughlin. "As I see it, military families with autistic children are faced with challenges, but not nearly as many as those in the civilian population," he said. "When it comes to navigating a new and frightening world full of doctors appointments, therapy sessions, and referral to specialty care, our EFM program is a unique benefit and an amazing program put in place to help military families."

Open since 1949, Naval Hospital Beaufort provides general medical, surgical, and emergency services to all active duty personnel, as well as retired military and family members residing in the Beaufort area, a total population of approximately 29,000 beneficiaries.

For more news from Naval Hospital Beaufort, visit www.navy.mil/local/nhbeaufort/.