Reading , Pa.- Albright College ’s Psi Chi organization presents a discussion on Autism’s Impact on Society and Current Intervention Strategies on Thursday, April 3, 2008, at 8 p.m. in Klein Lecture Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

The discussion will be led by Christy Foote, a 2000 Albright College graduate and a behavioral specialist for Chester County Regional Educational Services. She works to serve the autism population, and will share current and upcoming intervention strategies in autism that have proven to be successful, as well as inform students of potential career opportunities in this field.

Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life. Since the early 1990s, the rate of autism has increased exponentially around the world with figures as high as 60 per 10,000.

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control reported that one in 150 children is diagnosed with autism. Children who have autism are perfectly normal in appearance, but spend their time engaged in puzzling and disturbing behaviors which are markedly different from those of typical children.

Klein Lecture Hall is located on Albright’s campus at 13 th and Bern Streets, Reading. For more information, or disabled assistance, please contact the College Relations office at 610-921-7526.

Founded in 1856, Albright College is a nationally ranked, private college with a rigorous liberal arts curriculum with an interdisciplinary focus. The College’s hallmarks are connecting fields of learning, collaborative teaching and learning, and a flexible curriculum that allows students to create an individualized education. Albright College enrolls more than 1,650 undergraduates in traditional programs, another 500 adult students in accelerated degree programs, and 100 students in the master’s program in education. Albright College is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles west of Philadelphia.