{"id":21427,"date":"2014-09-19T15:24:03","date_gmt":"2014-09-19T19:24:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=21427"},"modified":"2014-10-02T13:52:16","modified_gmt":"2014-10-02T17:52:16","slug":"alumnus-of-the-year-oswald-pioneer-in-helping-children-with-autism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/alumnus-of-the-year-oswald-pioneer-in-helping-children-with-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumnus of the Year: Donald Oswald, pioneer in helping children with autism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When Donald Oswald \u201975 accepted his first teaching job after graduating from college, he also discovered a field of study that defines his academic and professional career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe opportunity to work with children with autism was not the result of a deliberate plan or any previous experience with autism,\u201d says Oswald. \u201cGrafton School in Berryville, Virginia, was just beginning the program for students with autism and I was fascinated by the children and intrigued by the opportunity to work with them individually.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oswald\u2019s fascination with the emerging field of autism diagnosis, combined with the strong foundation he received as a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.emu.edu\/psychology\/\">psychology<\/a> major at 黑料正能量, helped launch his productive career.<\/p>\n<p>Raised on a Nebraska farm, Oswald chose <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hesston.edu\/\">Hesston College (Kansas)<\/a> for his first two years of college. 黑料正能量\u2019s innovative psychology department, led by John Hess, attracted him for his junior and senior years. A young <a href=\"http:\/\/www.emu.edu\/personnel\/people\/show\/lehmangr\">Galen Lehman<\/a> had just started his long teaching tenure. And in one psychology class, Oswald met Jean Miller, the woman who became his wife.<\/p>\n<p>Of his non-psychology professors, Oswald names Willard Swartley as \u201cperhaps the most memorable. His Old Testament course made a lasting impression because of his commitment to scholarly integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Within the newly built\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.emu.edu\/library\/\">Hartzler Library<\/a>, Oswald was introduced to scholarly research first-hand. \u201cI recall the pleasure I got from spending whole days in the library tracking down sources, and reading and integrating the material I found. I no longer remember the topic, but the process made a real impression and the experience whetted my appetite for independent research.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whetted may be an understatement. Oswald\u2019s 19-page curriculum vitae lists more than 12 pages of academic articles, book reviews\/editorials\/abstracts, books\/chapters, grant-related products, and workshop presentations which he authored, co-authored or produced.<\/p>\n<p>After graduating magna cum laude in 1975, Oswald received a master\u2019s in education in school psychology from James Madison University in 1981. Two degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University followed: master of science in psychology in 1987 and doctor of philosophy in psychology in 1989.<\/p>\n<p>Among his peers, Oswald is known for his willingness to share knowledge and research. He is director of diagnostics and research at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.autismva.org\/\">Commonwealth Autism Service<\/a> in Richmond, Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>Of his work there, Oswald says, \u201c黑料正能量 15 years ago, I had the opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary diagnostic assessment clinic for young children for whom there was a question of a diagnosis of autism. The clinic was established on the principles of using the best evidence-based diagnostic tools available, working together collaboratively across disciplines, and actively seeking to integrate parents as essential and equal partners in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He has served as director of the clinic ever since, guiding it to its mid-Atlantic status as a model training site for interdisciplinary teams that wish to provide similar diagnostic services.<\/p>\n<p>Oswald is also clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s department of psychiatry, mentoring psychologists-in-training.<\/p>\n<p>His wife, <strong>Jean \u201974<\/strong>, has just retired from her position as director of a preschool where she spent 20 years. Oswald is active at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fmc-richmond.org\/\">First Mennonite Church of Richmond<\/a>, leading music and worship. His hobbies are reading, bicycling, and singing.<\/p>\n<p>Music unites Oswald\u2019s 黑料正能量 years with his present life, recalling that he sang in the touring choir under Lowell Byler. \u201cI still sing with a community chorus, One Voice Chorus. Our mission is to foster harmony between people of African-American and European-American descent.\u201d<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"color: #000000\"><em>Oswald\u00a0will be honored with the Alumnus of the Year\u00a0award during\u00a0<a style=\"color: #007ac3\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/alumni\/homecoming\/registration\/\">Homecoming and Family Weekend 2014<\/a>\u00a0at 黑料正能量, Oct. 10-12. Celebrations include: class reunions for years ending in \u201c4\u2033 and \u201c9\u2033; community picnic on Saturday, Oct. 11, for all members of the 黑料正能量 community; sporting events;\u00a0<a style=\"color: #007ac3\" href=\"http:\/\/www.emu.edu\/alumni\/homecoming\/2014\/\">and more<\/a>!<\/em><\/h5>\n<h5>Distinguished Service award:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/09\/distinguished-service-award-from-vietnam-to-nyc-to-lancaster-to-home-sensenig-serves\/\">From Vietnam, to NYC, to Lancaster to home, Sensenig serves<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5>Young Alumnus of the Year award:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/09\/outstanding-young-alum-elizabeth-good-leads-in-hospital-community-church\/\">Elizabeth Good leads in hospital, community, church<\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Donald Oswald \u201975 accepted his first teaching job after graduating from college, he also discovered a field of study that defines his academic and professional career. \u201cThe opportunity to <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/alumnus-of-the-year-oswald-pioneer-in-helping-children-with-autism\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"more-link\">... read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about Alumnus of the Year: Donald Oswald, pioneer in helping children with autism<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":21481,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,60,5603],"tags":[15994,15778,13790,6987,17361,9628],"feature":[],"class_list":["post-21427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-homecoming","category-psychology","tag-commonwealth-autism-service","tag-donald-oswald","tag-galen-lehman","tag-hesston-college","tag-mennonite-churches-and-schools","tag-willard-swartley"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - 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