Idaho State University nursing student and freshman Kade Vilbig has risen above and beyond his unique set of challenges.
“I have Asperger’s syndrome, which is a form of autism,” said Vilbig.
The Idaho native struggled with social interactions as a child, he said. In junior high, he was introduced to other students with developmental disabilities and eventually became a peer mentor.
Now, Vilbig is earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
“I want to go to nurse practitioner school or medical school and open a developmental clinic,” he said.
Vilbig has also been an officer of ISU’s Inclusion Club, a support group for students with disabilities, first as a temporary president, then as a vice president and eventually as a president.
Director of ISU Disability Services Todd DeVries said that Vilbig is unusual in his success in leadership positions and other social challenges as interactions can be very difficult for individuals on the autism spectrum.
Vilbig expressed an interest in starting a transitional program for students on the autism spectrum similar to the Raven Scholars Program at the University of Idaho.
“I just wanted to help implement something to give [students on the autism spectrum] a fair chance,” he said.
Vilbig will be speaking at Alpha Xi Delta’s Autism Speaks fundraising event Monday, April 6. He will also be speaking at an informational family seminar on autism-spectrum disorders in Idaho Falls Saturday, April 27.
“This is what makes Kade so unusual,” said DeVries. “He has learned to interact at a social level which, for a person with his disability, is really unusual.”
Students with autism-spectrum disorders can seek assistance with working through distractions and seeking help from professors at Disability Services. The office is located in Rendezvous Room 125, and DeVries emphasized that students should not be afraid to seek out help with disabilities.
“I think most of our students work much harder than the average student to achieve the same levels of success,” said DeVries. “I’ve worked in Disability Services for 20 years. Kade is one of the students that is why I do what I do.”
