One of the gang: Katie Baumgartle speaks to her class about Autism Awareness Month

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Kimberly Baumgartle gives her daughter, Katie, a plastic bag to hold the note cards for her speech at Utica Elementary School's school-wide oratorical. Katie, a third-grader at the school, has autism, but doesn't let it slow her down. Staff photo by Jerod Clapp
Katie Baumgartle, a third-grader at Utica Elementary School, reads her report on Temple Grandin — a professor, author and livestock expert who is autistic — during the school's oratorical on Thursday. Katie is also autistic. Staff photo by Jerod Clapp

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April 27, 2012

One of the gang: Katie Baumgartle speaks to her class about Autism Awareness Month

By JEROD CLAPP jerod.clapp@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Fri Apr 27, 2012, 10:23 AM EDT

JEFFERSONVILLE — Katie Baumgartle took the microphone and gave her presentation in front of all the students at Utica Elementary School’s oratorical on Thursday.

After she finished, applause filled the auditorium. She smiled, took her seat and watched the rest of the presenters.

The presentation was a big deal for her parents and teachers. Katie has autism and didn’t speak until she was 4 years old.

“I’m a funny person,” Katie said after her presentation on Temple Grandin — an autistic professor, author and livestock expert. “I’ve never met a stranger.”

Katie’s also a Girl Scout, a swimmer in the Special Olympics and spoke to her class about Autism Awareness Month, which is April.

Her mother, Kimberly Baumgarten, said getting her daughter to this point took a lot of work from Katie, her family and her teachers.

“We got diagnosed around this time six years ago,” Kimberly said with tears in her eyes. “They just tell you, ‘She won’t be able to do this or that. She might be in a normal class, we don’t know.’ And to see her doing so well in third grade is wonderful.”

She said years of working with speech therapists, teachers and learning how Katie learned was a hard road, but it’s all come together.

“It takes a lot of work,” Kimberly said. “She would just say yes, no or maybe when she started talking, she couldn’t even sit in her chair for 20 minutes. Now she’s sitting in class every day.”

Renee Hoyland, a third-grade teacher at Utica, said Katie’s parents are very involved in their daughter’s education and treatment. She said with several support networks, Katie blends in with the rest of her class.

“Her parents are wonderful and they’ve been so supportive,” Hoyland said. “I think that’s why she does so well. It’s their goal for her to be one of the gang and that’s what she is.”

Hoyland said Katie had to go through the same process for the project as the rest of her class, as well as go through the same grading procedures.

Students researched biographies for three weeks, selecting one that stood out to them and wrote a report. From there, each class chose a student to represent them at the oratorical.

In Katie’s class, her peers chose her.

“She loves the kids and they love her,” Hoyland said. “She has lots of friends. She’s very kind and conscientious if someone’s in need. She gives lots of hugs and she’s very complimentary.”

Kimberly said she never let anyone discourage her from giving Katie the same opportunities as children without autism. Because of that, she thinks parents of children with autism should have hope for what they can achieve.

“We’ve always taken the approach of, ‘She’s got autism, so what?’ We’ll try anything anyway,” Kimberly said. “Just give them a chance and let them shine. I just want to give someone else hope. You hear people say your child won’t be able to do this or that, but I think she can do anything.”

As for Katie, she’s participated in the school’s talent show every year she’s attended. She said she has an act that can follow her performance of the “Crocodile Rock” from last year, but doesn’t want to spoil the surprise.