In one of his family's home videos, 8-year-old Colin Murphy, wearing an orange striped shirt and a big grin, dances around the room singing Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" while his dad Christopher pretends to play the guitar.
Colin knows every word to the song as well as the instrumental middle he hums perfectly.
What makes this scene heartbreaking is the fact that since early in his young life, Colin has suffered from autism, a disorder that strikes the brain causing significant developmental problems and difficulty communicating and interacting socially.
Still, Colin has the ability to remember the words to hundreds of songs, as well as a plethora of other information, which is a characteristic of his specific disorder, regressive autism. Colin had been a social child who started talking at an early age and for the first three years of his life developed normally before the effects set in.
"We didn't know anything about autism, so we didn't suspect anything," Colleen Murphy, Colin's mother, said.
After Colin was diagnosed with autism and Murphy heard that her son would have an IQ of 50 for the rest of his life, Murphy began investigating the Son-Rise Program, which aims to lessen the effects of the disorder to help children lead normal lives.
Among those participating in the program are 25 UB students who volunteer several hours each week to aid progress of kids like Colin. Those students who have become close to Colin say his success has been monumental.
"It's really cool to see how he's progressed," said Meagan DiRaimondo, a senior social sciences major, and one of six volunteers currently working with Colin.
Part of the program involves Colin having a special play room where he and a volunteer interact in ways that promote his social skills, while giving him a place to let out all of his energy. The room looks like any other child's play area, with blocks and toys, board games, and a giant mirror on which Colin draws some of his favorite animals.
"We would put his toys up on a shelf," Murphy said, "so that way, when he'd have to ask us for them, he'd find that interacting with people could be useful."
While playing a board game that teaches kids manners, volunteer Megan Lance reinforces program goals established for Colin. In an energetic and friendly tone, Lance celebrates every time Colin looks directly at her eyes when talking to her by saying, "Thanks for looking up at me!"
By the time he was 3, Colin had begun disengaging himself from interaction with his parents. He would constantly repeat lines from entire movies, or endlessly sort through a collection of toys without ever playing with them. Much to his parents' discontent, Colin was unable to look them in the eyes or show much affection.
A significant aspect of the Son-Rise program is its aim to connect the parents and volunteers with each child on their own level. If Colin starts doing an autistic mannerism like repetitively rubbing his fingers over a card in the game while reading it, the volunteer will do the same. This makes Colin feel more open to connecting with the volunteer, because he or she acts in a similar manner.
"These students are acting as bridges," Murphy said. "They're teaching him to love and relate to people."
Colin, who is well aware of his condition, is getting closer every day to being free from his autism. He now has aspirations to go to college and travel the world, and talks about having a party on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
But besides the tremendous impact the volunteers have had on Colin's life, the work they've done has also affected them in a positive way.
"I've gotten so much more out of working with Colin than all of my classes combined," Lance said.
Megan Malchoff, a junior social sciences major, agreed.
"He's helped me learn how to go with the flow and appreciate the moment," she said.
Colin's parents couldn't be more grateful to the students who have dedicated their time to giving their son the opportunity for a normal childhood and life, and encourage others to volunteer their time as well.
The Son-Rise Program looks for students to invest a few hours a week during the semester. Students would be trained to work with Colin, and the family is looking for volunteers for the summer and fall. More information can be found at the program's Web site, www.son-rise.org.
"These students are some of the best and brightest UB has to offer," Murphy said. "Colin has taken a piece of each volunteer with him."
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
