Emmanuel Serriere
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Emmanuel Serrière is an educator, administrator, and advocate for people with
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
, researcher on
autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
.


L'Arche and Jean Vanier

Serrière has been instrumental his entire forty five-year career in helping adults with developmental disabilities in California to have a more normalized life according to their choices in their own community. One of his first important contacts was with
Jean Vanier Jean Vanier (, September 10, 1928 – May 7, 2019) was a Canadian Catholic philosopher and theologian. In 1964, he founded L'Arche, an international federation of communities spread over 37 countries for people with developmental disabilities ...
in Trosly Breuil where he was employed from February to July 1965 to help create
l'Arche L'Arche ("The Ark") is an international federation of non-profit organisations working to create networks of community where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together. Founded in 1964 by Jean Vanier, Raphaël Si ...
in that small village North of Paris. Serrière immigrated to the United States from
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in 1968 became a
US citizen Citizenship of the United States is a citizenship, legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by ...
in 1974 and got married in June 1976 in
Saratoga, California Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Located in Silicon Valley, in the southern Bay Area, it had a population of 31,051 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Saratoga is known for its wineries, restaurant ...
. He obtained a master's degree in Rehabilitation Administration from the
University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...
and subsequently became executive director of various California non-profit agencies in Northern California most of which deal with adults with developmental disabilities. He based his entire career on the philosophy broadly borrowed from his mentor
Jean Vanier Jean Vanier (, September 10, 1928 – May 7, 2019) was a Canadian Catholic philosopher and theologian. In 1964, he founded L'Arche, an international federation of communities spread over 37 countries for people with developmental disabilities ...
: providing people-centered services, empowering them to achieve their full potential and beyond, and maximizing their quality of life according to their choices. In 1986, Serrière was appointed
Calaveras County Calaveras County (), officially the County of Calaveras, is a County (United States), county in both the Gold Country and Sierra Nevada, High Sierra regions of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the ...
Mental Health Administrator where he worked for seven years. He belongs, thru his mother, to the same old French family that Jean-Pierre Desthuilliers.


Autism

As part of his Master's thesis, Serrière did some research on
autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
, studying three specific cases and the insertion of these three individuals with the general population of people with developmental disabilities. He worked with Dr.
Bernard Rimland Bernard Rimland (November 15, 1928 – November 21, 2006) was an American research psychologist, writer, lecturer, and influential person in the field of developmental disorders. Rimland's first book, ''Infantile Autism'', sparked by the birth o ...
, Director of the Autism Research Institute. Serrière is convinced that the diagnosis of
autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
should not have been altered to include the word "spectrum" to its name "
autism spectrum Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
" as it now became a catch-all for all troubled children including misbehaving and attention deficit. To respond to numerous friends and parents who approached him looking for a three-minute diagnosis of their sons or daughters, Serriere generalize by sharing his beliefs that there is no
Autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
or
Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger's, is a diagnostic label that has historically been used to describe a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and no ...
or Kanner syndrome without specific visible traits: the person affected with autism is in their own world without eye contact or paying attention to the other person. They resent being touched, even a handshake. They will often keep busy by tapping fingers on own face, a colorful toy, a window and seeming to pay deep attention to the rhythm and the sensation received from this patter. They might spin plates or doing excessive and very repetitive movement including jumping on a trampoline for hours. Of course, there are also the "Autistic Savants" or savantism who will excel in math, drawing, music, memory exercise such a retaining an entire piano concerto, the decimals of 3 over 14, the view of a details of a building, dates past and future, etc. Serrière still believes that Dr. Rimland's long qualifying (500 questions) questionnaire should be the only basis for defining autism.


Work with California legislators

Serriere was instrumental in introducing two major California laws, one in 1978 with Senator Roberti clearly mandating that
developmentally disabled Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
people have the right to live in the community: SB 2093, introduced by Senator Roberti in 1978 requires that residential programs for 6 or fewer persons be treated and considered like any other family residence. Once the law passed, Serriere edited and published a booklet distributed widely to about one hundred service clubs of the Bay Area explaining why people with developmental disabilities can make good neighbors. The other was in 2006 with Assembly member
Greg Aghazarian Gregory George Aghazarian (born September 10, 1964) is an American lawyer and politician from California. He is a Republican and former California State Assemblyman who represented the 26th district from 2002 until 2008. Prior to his election, ...
permitting transport agencies to obtain Disabled access license plates (AB 1910, Ch 203, Sections 5007 and 22511.56 of the CA Vehicle Code). This new law went into effect on Jan 1, 2007. His latest involvement helped Manteca CAPS (1995–2008), (called Valley CAPS since July 1, 2010) a day program for adults with
Intellectual disability Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability (in the United Kingdom), and formerly mental retardation (in the United States), Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010).Archive is a generalized neurodevelopmental ...
in Central California, from being stagnant and unsuccessful to one of the most successful day program for adults with developmental disabilities. With his progressive Board of Director he was able to increase the services of Manteca CAPS from 50 consumers to over 300 on five campuses increasing staff from 17 to over 115. His achievements were very often covered in the
Manteca Bulletin The ''Manteca Bulletin'' is a daily community newspaper for Manteca, California, United States. The ''Bulletin'' has been in publication since 1908 and is currently owned by 209 Multimedia, a local news firm. The current editor of the ''Bulletin ...
including development of new campuses in Manteca, Lathrop and
Modesto Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California. Modesto is locate ...
.


Publication

''New Neighbors'' (as Editor), a booklet distributed widely to about one hundred service clubs of the Bay Area explaining why people with developmental disabilities can make good neighbors.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Serriere, Emmanuel Autism researchers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American disability rights activists