Taylor Crowe to speak on autism at SEMO

Quintin Morris' first word was "wow." It's the only word the 3-year-old says, and he proclaims it whenever the phone rings, his dad comes home or he gets a peanut butter cookie.

"I just love to hear his voice; it's amazing," said his mother, Casey Rehkop.

Quintin has been diagnosed with "moderate to severe" autism, a developmental disorder that affects 1 in 150 children, according to the Autism Research Institute, a not-for-profit organization. Children with autism frequently have trouble with social interaction, communication and cognition. Asperger's syndrome is a milder form of the disability.

Rehkop is considering attending a presentation about autism Feb. 12 featuring Taylor Crowe, his father David Crowe, and his teacher Jana Rodgers.

Taylor Crowe, 26, was diagnosed with autism as a preschooler but has gone on to graduate from the California Institute of the Arts. He spoke over the summer at Southeast Missouri Hospital, and it was so well-attended that several organizations decided to sponsor another event.

"The number of children diagnosed with autism is growing, and some are not diagnosed until adolescence. We want to raise awareness about what the syndrome is as well as how people with autism can interact," said Connie Hebert, a consultant at the Regional Professional Development Center.

Casey Rehkop knew something was wrong when Quintin never made eye contact with her and showed no interest in activities her daughter loved, such as playing patty-cake.

It wasn't until January of last year that Quintin was diagnosed in St. Louis. He has been on a waiting list for a year in Sikeston, Mo., for the Kenny Rogers Children's Center, a center for children with special needs. The Judevine Center for Autism in St. Louis also has a lengthy waiting list, Rehkop said.

Soon parents won't have to drive to St. Louis or farther for services. Southeast Missouri State University is constructing an autism center expected to be complete by October or November.

Gov. Matt Blunt budgeted $2.6 million for the construction, and announced in December an additional $480,000 for the first years' staffing and services costs. Other costs will be covered by user fees yet to be determined, Southeast president Dr. Ken Dobbins said.

Parents voiced their opinions about what they would like the center to be two months ago in Cape Girardeau and in Sikeston. Most expressed a desire for treatment services.

"We are still determining what we can provide and the number of people we can serve," said Dr. I. Sue Shepard, dean of the College of Education.

Until then, Rehkop is looking at St. Louis for treatment options. Although Quintin already receives therapy at Saint Francis Medical Center and attends an early childhood program at Blanchard Elementary, she wants a doctor who specializes in "biomedical treatments" for autism.

After hearing about Jenny McCarthy's book "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism," which promotes a gluten-free, casein-free diet, Rehkop eliminated all wheat products, malt flavorings and milk proteins from her family's plates.

She now makes pancakes, muffins and cookies with rice flour, and serves all-natural chicken nuggets. She said she has already seen an improvement in her son's condition.

Some of her cooking will be for sale at 9 a.m. Feb. 9 outside the Jackson Wal-Mart to raise money for Quintin's treatments. Her preferred doctor in St. Louis charges $250 an hour, she said, and many of the treatments, such as B12 shots, are not covered by insurance.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123