People

Activism arises in many arenas

Take one part career dedicated to helping the autistic. Throw in a pinch of political activism. Add another portion of serving youth in need. What you end up with is a whole person living the Kiwanis life: Dirk McCall.

Dirk McCall

Dirk, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Astoria-Long Island, New York, is director of external affairs for Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC), the largest autism services agency in New York City. His focus since he began working there in November 2005 is on the agency’s public, government, and community relations.

“I had been friends with the executive director (Gary Maffei) for years,” Dirk says. “He wanted to wrap up government affairs and expand out outreach. Unfortunately, there’s a growing need for our services. It’s estimated that one in every 166 children will be diagnosed with autism from higher functioning to a lower level that needs to be in a group-home setting.”

The need for QSAC’s services for autistic children and adults and their families is definitely in high demand with a five- to six-year waiting list of nearly 4,000 people.

“There’s such a huge need for our services,” Dirk laments. “There are other groups that focus on developmental disorders, but autism requires much more intensity. Treatment is more hands on. You need one person in the field for every two clients; sometimes it’s even one-on-one interaction to be effective. It’s just more labor intensive.”

Dirk has found his new position to be emotionally enriching. “It’s very moving,” he explains. “You are helping families who are just learning how to cope with the disorder. We’re improving the services available and working on early intervention, because the sooner a child is diagnosed, the more likely he or she will be able to excel. We’re also helping the community to better understand how to work with the autistic and in getting the children into mainstream classes. We offer support services for families and respite care. It really helps improve their lives.”

Dirk’s is definitely a Kiwanis life—and he’s living it to its fullest.