Ruth C. Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Ruth Christ Sullivan, Ph.D.
(1924- ), is a pioneer in the field of autism
, one of the first parents to be active, an organizer and lifelong crusader for education for people with autism.
In 1965, Dr. Ruth Sullivan was one of the founders, with Dr. Bernard Rimland
and others, of the Autism Society of America
(formerly called the National Society for Autistic Children), and was its first elected president; she is also on the permanent honorary board of the society. Ruth Sullivan was founder and former Executive Director of the Autism
Services Center, a nonprofit, licensed behavioral health
care agency that she founded in Huntington, West Virginia
in 1979. It now provides services in three counties to hundreds of families who have a family member with developmental disabilities.
She retired from the Autism Services Center on November 1, 2007 at the age of 83.
Sullivan assisted in the production of the 1988 movie
Rain Man
by serving as a consultant on autistic behavior, and Dustin Hoffman
worked with Sullivan and her son Joseph, who has autism, when practicing for his role. Hoffman thanked her and Joseph in his Oscar speech. Sullivan has the last credit in the movie, and the extended DVD version features an interview with Joe. (Joe Sullivan was not the only inspiration for Hoffman's role; the role was originally written after writer Barry Morrow met savant Kim Peek
. Other sources for the character of Raymond include Bill Sackter
and Mark Rimland, son of Bernard Rimland.)
Ruth Sullivan was one of the chief lobbyists for Public Law 94-142 (the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
, or IDEA), which guaranteed a public education to all children in the United States. Before the passage of the law, individual school districts in most states were allowed to choose whether they were willing to educate a child with disabilities.
She was also the main impetus behind the founding of the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University
, in Huntington, West Virginia, where her husband was a university professor.
Sullivan is considered a world expert on autism. She has given presentations in many countries including Australia, South Africa, Kuwait, Argentina, the Netherlands and France. She has written many articles on autism from the point of view of parents and of care providers, most recently in the Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (Wiley, 2005), edited by Fred Volkmar; she wrote the foreword to The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger's (2008) by Temple Grandin
, an adult with autism; she was the person who first asked Temple Grandin to speak in public about her autism. She is one of the founders of NARPAA, the National Association of Residential Providers for Adults with Autism.
Dr. Ruth Sullivan has seven children. Among other honors, she is a Kentucky Colonel
.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(1924- ), is a pioneer in the field of autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, one of the first parents to be active, an organizer and lifelong crusader for education for people with autism.
In 1965, Dr. Ruth Sullivan was one of the founders, with Dr. Bernard Rimland
Bernard Rimland
Bernard Rimland, PhD was an American research psychologist, writer, lecturer, and advocate for autistic children, ADHD, learning disabilities, and mental retardation.Based in San Diego, California since 1940, Dr...
and others, of the Autism Society of America
Autism Society of America
The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland, PhD, together with Ruth C. Sullivan and a small group of other parents of autistic children. Its original name was the National Society for Autistic Children; the name was changed to emphasize that children with autism grow up...
(formerly called the National Society for Autistic Children), and was its first elected president; she is also on the permanent honorary board of the society. Ruth Sullivan was founder and former Executive Director of the Autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
Services Center, a nonprofit, licensed behavioral health
Behavioral health
In psychology behavioral health, as a general concept, refers to the reciprocal relationship between human behavior, individually or socially, and the well-being of the body, mind, and spirit, whether the latter are considered individually or as an integrated whole...
care agency that she founded in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
in 1979. It now provides services in three counties to hundreds of families who have a family member with developmental disabilities.
Sullivan assisted in the production of the 1988 movie
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
Rain Man
Rain Man
Rain Man is a 1988 drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son,...
by serving as a consultant on autistic behavior, and Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
worked with Sullivan and her son Joseph, who has autism, when practicing for his role. Hoffman thanked her and Joseph in his Oscar speech. Sullivan has the last credit in the movie, and the extended DVD version features an interview with Joe. (Joe Sullivan was not the only inspiration for Hoffman's role; the role was originally written after writer Barry Morrow met savant Kim Peek
Kim Peek
Laurence Kim Peek was an American savant. Known as a "megasavant", he had a photographic or eidetic memory, but also social difficulties, possibly resulting from a developmental disability related to congenital brain abnormalities. He was the inspiration for the character of Raymond Babbitt,...
. Other sources for the character of Raymond include Bill Sackter
Bill Sackter
Bill Sackter was a mentally disabled man whose fame as the subject of two television movies helped change national attitudes on persons with disabilities.-Early life:...
and Mark Rimland, son of Bernard Rimland.)
Ruth Sullivan was one of the chief lobbyists for Public Law 94-142 (the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities...
, or IDEA), which guaranteed a public education to all children in the United States. Before the passage of the law, individual school districts in most states were allowed to choose whether they were willing to educate a child with disabilities.
She was also the main impetus behind the founding of the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
, in Huntington, West Virginia, where her husband was a university professor.
Sullivan is considered a world expert on autism. She has given presentations in many countries including Australia, South Africa, Kuwait, Argentina, the Netherlands and France. She has written many articles on autism from the point of view of parents and of care providers, most recently in the Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (Wiley, 2005), edited by Fred Volkmar; she wrote the foreword to The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger's (2008) by Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin is an American doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior...
, an adult with autism; she was the person who first asked Temple Grandin to speak in public about her autism. She is one of the founders of NARPAA, the National Association of Residential Providers for Adults with Autism.
Dr. Ruth Sullivan has seven children. Among other honors, she is a Kentucky Colonel
Kentucky colonel
Kentucky colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Commissions for Kentucky colonels are given by the Governor and the Secretary of State to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation...
.
External links
- Autism Services Center
- State Journal article
- WSAZ cover story
- Huntington, West Virginia Herald-Dispatch article
- Autism Training Center
- Daily Mail article
- Home Journal article, May 2008
- Foreword by Ruth C. Sullivan to The Way I See It, by Temple Grandin (2008, Future Horizons)
- NARPAA.org National Association of Residential Providers of Adults With Autism