| 2002-03 Recipient
 Betsy
Pfeiffer Gibbs '83
Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet 2003 - Recipient Speech
The last time I stood in almost this exact same spot in this
precise location was 20 years ago. I was nervously delivering
my Senior Speech--a requirement that each graduating student
had to meet. Never in my wildest imagination would I have
believed that I would be standing here today, accepting this
award for my work in the field of autism.
I directly credit who I am today to my education
within these walls and to the teachers that I was fortunate
enough to know during my years here. Catherine Sutton, Helen
Longley, Debra Paysinger and Pat Seitz were just a few, but
probably the most influential in my life was Collegiate's
field hockey coach, Wendy Martin. She said something to me
during the double overtime tie-breaking moment of the KCD-Collegiate
State Field Hockey finals, just as I stepped up to the line
to attempt to flick my ball into the cage. She said, "You
can't lose the game for us, Betsy, you can only win it."
Those words were empowering. It was a message of hope. Ms.
Martin was encouraging me to take a leap of faith, give it
all I had, and to go for the goal.
Turning Point, the non-profit organization
I founded with my husband four years ago, was a leap of faith
too. In 1996, medical professionals told me that there was
nothing I could do to improve the disorder of autism that
had so cruelly taken my daughter from me. My husband and I
were devastated. Nothing we could do? Yes, we were told, just
take her home and prepare to institutionalize her at some
point. These were not easy words to hear then or now. But
rather than accepting this, I got right to work. Through days,
weeks and months of research, I found that the rest of the
country had been using many different modalities to improve
this disorder even to the extent of removing the diagnosis
of autism! This was and still is outstanding to me. I decided
upon a form of therapy and began implementing as best as I
could for my daughter. After four years of not speaking one
word, she said "mama" within six weeks of beginning
this program. I felt that it was my job to introduce this
form of therapy to other parents and then support the implementation
of this treatment with employees that are managed, scheduled
and trained with ongoing professional development so that
a sustainable career path was available to those entering
this profession.
Hence, my message today is one of hope--desperately
needed in today's world for many reasons and by many people,
but especially for a generation of children that autism is
claiming in epidemic proportions. Autism has long been misunderstood.
For many years it was blamed on an unloving mother. Today
it is becoming clear that it is a result of many factors--
environmental, various food intolerances, autoimmunity and
a toxic heavy metal overload all manifesting themselves in
the characteristic symptoms of autism.
Perhaps it would help to think of it this
way; let's replace the word autism with cancer. Without early
and effective intervention, your chances of survival are slim
indeed. But with intensive treatment, many individuals improve
and even recover. Autism is no different and my mission with
Turning Point is to provide that hope and support the treatment
of this disorder. We provide a scientifically-proven, well-researched,
effective therapy that is recommended by the U.S. Surgeon
General, the National Academy of Sciences and the National
Research Council as the best and most effective treatment
for children with autism. The major challenge facing these
children today is not so much the disorder itself, but finding
effective providers and financial resources. With little government
support and minimal assistance from insurance companies, too
many children go without the very treatment that is proven
to help them. This community can actively participate in the
reclaiming of these children's lives by supporting Turning
Point, so that each child diagnosed with autism can find their
"turning point" in life and go on to become contributing
members of society and of this world.
In closing, I would like to thank a few people.
First of all, I would like to thank the employees on staff
at Turning Point who give 110% every minute of every day.
They are today's "Miracle Workers." I would also
like to thank my parents without whom 13 years at LCS would
not have been possible. Thank you for choosing this school.
I want to thank my husband David for his encouragement and
consistent "the-glass-is-half-full" outlook on life.
I would like to thank Charlie and Barbara, my two typical
children for their patience and for their undying support
for their little sister. But this award truly belongs to my
daughter, Elizabeth. She is the reason< Turning Point exists
and she is the reason that hope exists in the state< of
Kentucky for children with autism. So when you're asked to
step up to the line in life and attempt what you think might
be the impossible, drum up all the courage you have and go
for the goal. If you do, you'll no doubt begin a ripple effect
of positive changes for this world.
And by the way. Collegiate won that field
hockey game.
Thank you.
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