The Faculty Senate has selected Joseph Morrow to deliver the annual Livingston Lecture. Morrow, a psychology professor at Sacramento State and founder of one of a dozen schools in the nation for children with autism, will give the lecture tomorrow at 3 p.m. in the University Union Ballroom.

The Livingston Lecture is an annual event where the Faculty Senate recognizes a faculty member who has shown a strong commitment to students while remaining active in scholarly activities, according to Frank Whitlatch, assistant news director at Sac State. The lecture is named in honor of the late Jack Livingston, a government professor and faculty leader at Sac State from 1954 to 1982.

“This is very prestigious for a faculty member to get,” Whitlatch said.

The talk is entitled, “Applied Behavior Analysis and the Treatment of Autism.” Morrow will be speaking on the topic of autism, a neurological disorder in which those affected do not seek social interaction, leading to problems which can include violent tantrums and speech difficulty. He will also be showing films on the subject.

“We have made a lot of progress in the treatment of autism,” Morrow said.

Morrow is the president and co-founder of Applied Behavior Consultants, a company that employs 175 people to treat autism in children in a variety of ways, including aid in home schooling and in the Applied Behavior Consultants School.

The ABC school, which opened in Sacramento last October, was founded for the purpose of getting autistic children into mainstream public schools. Morrow said that 40 percent of children attending the school go into regular public school classes if they begin by age four, while others can usually enter mainstream special education programs.

“It is the centerpiece for what we do,” Morrow said.

The ABC school is the only school in the nation to feature architecture specifically designed for children with autism. The building includes non-flickering lights and soundproof walls that are adapted to the light and sound sensitivity of autistic children.

“The school is incredible,” Whitlatch said.

Admission is free. For more information, contact the Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.