by Kimberly SchneiderEAST LIVERPOOL – One Kent State student wants to help raise public awareness of autism, and she’s doing it with needles—crochet needles, that is.
Krista Golden, a senior in the KSU-EL Criminal Justice program, plans to sell turtles that she is making and donate all the proceeds to The Rich Foundation for Autism in Youngstown.
Golden’s interest and concern for autism were sparked by a friend’s son, who was misdiagnosed with ADHD. When the mother noticed that her son still was not responding to treatment, she sought a second opinion. That is when a doctor diagnosed him with Asperger’s Syndrome.
The other motivation behind her story is that Golden’s sister is in early childhood education and she plans to specialize in children with special needs.
Asperger’s is a milder variant of autism disorder, a functioning autism on the autistic spectrum. Many children are misdiagnosed because screening is not done early enough and the symptoms are similar to ADHD.
According to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “The incidence of Asperger’s is not well established, but experts in population studies conservatively estimate that two out of every 10,000 children have the disorder. Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have Asperger’s.”
“The earlier the intervention, the better chance of leading a better quality of life,” Golden said.
Golden chose the turtle because it represents perseverance. The turtles have a white body and a multicolored shell, which represents a diverse background, she said. Golden is displaying the colors in such a manner that they would resemble the Autism symbol, which is colored puzzle pieces linked together.
The multicolored turtles are approximately seven inches in length, and Golden plans to make twenty of them by April 1st. April is Autism Awareness month, and she is hoping to sell all twenty in April. If she succeeds in her pursuit, she will attempt to sell the turtles on Etsy—a kind of eBay for crafters.
“Five dollars a piece for each turtle is one step closer to helping a child in need of early screening” Golden said.
Golden’s mother started teaching her crocheting when she was six. She has entered her work in the Columbiana County Fair, where she has placed 16 times. Golden uses her crocheting as a relaxation technique—something she started between her classes when she was a student at KSU Salem.
Upon graduation, Golden intends to pursue a career in investigative work. She says she will continue to be pro-active in early intervention of Asperger’s as well.
For information regarding how you can help donate to Asperger’s awareness via the multicolored turtle you can contact her at kgolden1@kent.edu.
