Teen's Research Shines a Light on Autism

"When volunteering with children with autism at a center in China, I realized I live in a world of open doors. I want to unlock doors for these children by conducting more research to learn about the disorder and help promote awareness and understanding.”

Joy Ming’s inspiration to study autism came after she took trips to local autism centers while working on a high school science project. She began to ask: How can we decode the neurological causes of autism so that we can better diagnose and treat the disorder?

On the eve of worldwide , her research has earned her high honors as a regional finalist in a national public health research competition, Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES).

April has been designated national Autism Awareness Month, a time to raise concern about autism within communities.  Tonight, buildings like the Empire State Building and other iconic structures throughout the world will be lighted blue to shine attention on United Nations World Autism Awareness Day on April 2.

Throughout the month, Autism New Jersey's "Autism Awareness Ambassador Program -- "Be a Role Model" – will  teach by example, motivating change and inspiring the community to make a difference in the lives of those affected by autism.

Joy Ming is a true diplomat. The Livingston High School senior has invested her time and talents deep in research. As a regional YES finalist, she will travel to Washington D.C. later this month to present her findings to a panel of leading experts in the field of public health.

Joy used functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine the effect of the structure on the function of the adolescent autistic brain, specifically pertaining to the thalamus. She found that correlation between the left thalamus and total brain volume is weaker in individuals with autism versus her control group.

Encouraged by the results of her research, Joy believes others can use her study to help champion further advances in diagnosing and treating autism.

“The results of my project and others like it can help decode the neurological causes of autism to help better diagnose and treat the disorder earlier,” she said.

Joy is actively involved in promoting awareness of autism in the community. She is helping to raise money for equipment for a local autism center, as well as creating opportunities to interact with individuals at the center. She plans to study cognitive science and ethics before starting a career as a scientific researcher and public health advocate. She won the Girl Scouts gold award for her project, “Music in Autism,” and plans to intern with the Global Autism Project this summer. 

World Autism Awareness Day on Saturday, April 2, will express the deep concern for the prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world and the consequent developmental challenges.

The Livingston Town Council joined in these efforts earlier this week by honoring representatives from both the Livingston Advisory Committee For Disabilities (LACD) with a proclamation in recognition of the event.

According to the Mayor Rudy Fernandez, World Autism Awareness Day will draw awareness to autism through the use of educational activities for children, parents and teachers.

Bob Gebroe, the co-chair of the LACD, thanked the council and acknowledged the hard work of two people in particular, Alan Karpas and Maureen Chase, who both serve on the committee and were in attendance for the presentation.

"Our function is to improve the lives of those people with disabilities and their families," said Gebroe. He explained that the group accomplishes this by holding both social and recreational events. In addition, he encouraged all members of the community to volunteer and spend time with children with special needs.

"For anyone who gets involved with these parties, it absolutely just gets into your blood," he said. "It is an absolute pleasure and pure joy to work with these people and I feel we can all learn so much from them."

A special Inclusive Family Mass will be held on Saturday at Caldwell College for Autism Awareness. It is sponsored jointly by Caldwell College and the Office for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities of the Newark Archdiocese. Mass will be at 1 p.m. in the Chapel of the Mother Joseph Residence Hall on the Caldwell campus. Individuals with autism and their families are especially encouraged to come.

Arc of Essex County was also honored by Township Council as part of the month-long observance of National Developmental Disability Awareness Month, which is being supported by 1,000 chapters of the Arc across the United States. This Saturday, the Arc will hold its 13th Annual "Building Tomorrows" 5K run and 2 mile walk at Brookdale Park in Bloomfield. More information on the event can be found here.

Phil Hoops contributed to this story.