Rachel L. MacAulay

Michigan’s Lt. Governor Calley Makes Plea for Inclusion

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Over the last few years, Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor, Brian Calley, has been at the forefront of pushing for state programs to help individuals with both mental and developmental issues. As the father of a daughter with autism, he’s also just released this great public service announcement for all parents as their kids go back to school.

Lt. Governor Calley shared the following on his public Facebook page:

“Do you remember going back to school? I recall being excited, and kind of scared heading into each year. Now imagine if you had a disability that made it hard to make friends.

I have an ask… When you are talking to your children about all the things you talk about when getting ready to go back to school, would you consider asking them to go out of their way to make friends with the kids that often get left out? Its a small thing, but it could make a big difference.

On a personal note, I can tell you that there are few things in my life that can rival the stress of sending my daughter with Autism into a new classroom each year. But there is this little girl that befriended Reagan last year. That child happens to be in the same class this year. It would be difficult to describe how thankful I am for that.”

Rachel L. MacAulay

Temple Grandin Animation: My Mind Is Like a Search Engine

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Temple Grandin3PBS Digital Studios, together with Blank on Blank, have developed a wonderful collection of animated interviews with famous people in a variety of fields, including music, literature, journalism, and more. The series is called The Experimenters, and includes an animated video of Temple Grandin.

Centered around an interview that Temple gave to Janet Bishop at Colorado State University in 2008, this four-minute video deals with autism and Asperger’s, along with Temple’s life and how her mind works. As Temple explains, “As an autistic person, I am what I do more than what I feel.”

Watch the complete video here, or read the transcript here.

Rachel L. MacAulay

Myrtle Beach Airport Opens Sensory-Friendly ‘Quiet Room’

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Myrtle Beach Airport2Back in the beginning of 2016, the town of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, made news when it became the first “autism-friendly” travel destination in the U.S. That accomplishment was due, in very large part, to the work of the Champion Autism Network (CAN) in the Surfside Beach area.

Founded in 2012 by Becky Large, CAN is working to spread autism awareness through the community, as well as helping to implement judgment-free zones and overall acceptance.

Families can get their vacation off to a good start in a calming, judgment-free space.

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Today, the Myrtle Beach International Airport, just north of Surfside Beach, officially cut the ribbon on its new sensory-friendly “Quiet Room.” The space is intended for people with autism and special needs who are in need of a place to decompress after their flight. The room is located just off of the baggage claim area, and features cushioned cubicles, pillows and chairs, for people to lie down or just sit and relax.

“This is a wonderful partnership and a victory for families of children with autism who are vacationing in our area,” said CAN’s Becky Large. “This room provides a safe and fun environment for children on the autism spectrum and a caregiver to relax and decompress after a flight while family members retrieve their baggage and rental car.”

In other words, families traveling on to a holiday in Surfside Beach can get their vacation off to a good start in a judgment-free zone, with potentially fewer meltdowns.

And that’s not all. Tyler Servant, the council vice chair of Horry County, which encompasses Myrtle and Surfside beaches, says that the goal is for the entire county to become autism-friendly: “Myrtle Beach area is a great destination for families and by offering these services it was our hope that Horry County would become a place where families that have children on the autism spectrum could come and visit and enjoy their vacation and their time with their families because that is what this area is all about.”

We can’t wait to see more beaches, towns, airports, and entire counties, doing the same.

Rachel L. MacAulay

The WWE Wrestler With a Heart of Gold

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Mick Foley2While wrestling fans have heard of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, they might not know that he’s got a heart of gold that might be even bigger than his in-the-ring persona.

As proof of that, Mick posted this story on his Facebook page yesterday. At first, he said, he didn’t want to share it because he didn’t want it to look like he was “pointing to myself and saying, ‘look at me.’” But then both Julian Maha, the founder of autism resource KultureCity, and Ally Colon, the mother of the little girl in this story, encouraged him to share the story so that “it might shine a more positive light on autism.”

Mick was signing autographs at a meet-and-greet where Ally and her children waited four hours for a change to meet the wrestler. It turned out to be totally worth the wait—especially for her 6-year-old daughter Arianna, who has autism. Here’s the letter that Ally sent to Mick:

“I have to take a moment and speak about a man who today made such an impact on me and to whom I will forever be eternally grateful. Today I spent the afternoon waiting on a long line in the grueling heat with my children for 4 hours so they can meet WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley. We stood and watched as person after person walked up, spent a minute or so with him and posed for a picture in front of the table he was sitting behind. Finally, it was our turn to meet and Arianna begins to become nervous and shakey. Her anxiety of meeting someone new was kicking in and her eyes began to fill with tears. She suddenly was afraid and didn’t want a picture. She just wanted to leave. I talk her down and she poses in front of the table just as the people before her.

At that moment the unthinkable happens. This amazing man, leans in and kindly asks if she is on the spectrum (without saying those exact words but I knew what he was saying). I politely answer yes and explain how different Arianna is and how she finds comfort in hugging new people as a sort of way of introducing herself. He immediately says “I knew it! I sensed it.” He points down to his bracelet that says Autism Awareness and says, “Would it be okay if she hugged me?” I immediately began to tear up. He understood. He didn’t give the dreaded “look” or get annoyed we were holding things up.

When I asked Arianna if she wanted to hug him her face lit up and she said “YESSSSS.” She jumped into his arms and hugged him. Played with his beard. Even asked where his Socko was. At that moment I began to silently sob. He got it. He knew and was without judgement and in complete understanding. He then takes even more time to write down the information he had about an organization he recommended I contact. At that moment he wasn’t a celebrity. He was an understanding parent whom looked at my child and felt everything I felt. This is a moment that will stay in my heart. Because of him, my daughter has a memory that will never be shadowed by judgement and negativity. Instead, it was a day my 6-year-old daughter will forever remember as ‘The day I met Mick Foley.’”

Arianna told her mom that hugging Mick felt like “a fuzzy ball of rainbows.” We can totally see that—what a great guy!

Rachel L. MacAulay

Life’s a Beach, at Least for a Day

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Surfers2For those of us who love the ocean, nothing compares to the feelings of freedom and peace that it brings. Surfers Healing has been bringing that sense of freedom and peace to children with autism for 20 years now, with a series of surfing camps throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Australia.

Surfers Healing was started by Izzie (a World Champion longboard surfer) and Danielle Paskowitz, after they accidently discovered that their son Isaiah, who has autism, was calmed by the ocean after his father took him out on his surfboard. Since they started the organization in 1996, Surfers Healing has grown to help roughly 5,000 children annually through 25 separate events.

Autism parents always hear what their children can’t do. This is about what they can do.

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Surfers Healing’s mission is to “enrich the lives of people living with autism by exposing them to the unique experience of surfing.” Professional surfers from all over the world volunteer their services for the program. Children of all ages are brought into the ocean to learn the basics of surfing, with the younger kids held by the surfers, either upright or lying on the board. Some of the older kids even learn to surf on their own.

The camps don’t just benefit the kids—parents who watch their children surfing a wave are often the most affected, with one mom saying that it was her son’s “happiest day ever.” As Surfers Healing explains on its web page: “Autism parents are always hearing about what their children cannot do. But at a Surfers Healing camp, it’s all about what their kids can do.”

Parents who think “there’s no way my kid’s going to be able to do that,” suddenly see their child surfing. It’s therapeutic and awe-inspiring, and incredibly moving. The day gives comfort and support to the parents, as the healing nature of the water works its magic. As one of the surf instructors explains, “A wave can change somebody’s life. It’s just a matter of introducing them to something as awesome as surfing.”

The day “camps” are free and open to all registrants, but spaces fill up quickly. Check out their 2016 schedule here, and more about the organization here. Surf’s up!

Rachel L. MacAulay

Her Daughter Was Fixated on This Shirt. When It Wore Out, She Took to the Internet for Help.

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CamiWhat happens when your child fixates on something and nothing else will do? If you’re smart, you post on social media and hope that—somehow, some way—your words are heard by a larger audience.

That’s exactly what happened to Deborah Skouson last week, when she begged her 500+ friends on Facebook for help in finding more “pink flower” shirts for her daughter, Cami. Cami has autism, and has been wearing that same shirt for nearly five years now. The shirt was sold at Target in 2011-2012 under its Circo label, and is no longer made. Deborah had bought a few of them on eBay, but was unable to find any more and the one Cami currently had was wearing out. Time was of the essence.

As Deborah later explained, “Cami adores this shirt, and it brings her a lot of comfort. She does not wear this shirt exclusively, but always puts it on after school, and wears it to bed.”

The story got picked up and shared six days later by Frank Somerville, a local news anchor with nearly 485,000 Facebook followers, and it’s then that Deborah’s plea found its wider audience. The outpouring was amazing, and nearly instantaneous. By Deborah’s last count, 73 shirts in assorted sizes are being mailed to her from as far away as Germany.

In addition, one woman contacted her and asked Deborah to send her any of the shirts that were outgrown or too small, so that she could make a teddy bear for Cami out of them. The bear will serve as a sensory comfort to her.

The power of the Internet. Sometimes it’s simply amazing.

Rachel L. MacAulay

Michael Jordan Tells Fan to ‘Continue to Believe in Yourself’

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Jordan4Back in the beginning of July, a video of Jeffrey Harrison in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, went viral. The video showed him playing a pickup game of basketball, dressed in Michael Jordan gear from head to toe—the jersey, the shorts, the sneakers, and even the sweatband on his left arm and compression sleeve on his left leg. Local news channel KREM (a CBS affiliate) picked up the story the next day, along with ESPN and other media outlets. Social media dubbed Jeffrey the “CDA MJ” (Coeur D’Alene Michael Jordan) and Twitter users posted various videos and photos of Jeffrey playing his favorite sport, dressed in one of his three complete Jordan outfits.

What people didn’t realize at the time was that Jeffrey has autism and basketball helps him cope with the world around him. Now 33, Jeffrey has been a basketball fan since the age of 4, and especially a Michael Jordan fan. He’s unable to work, and spends a lot of time playing basketball in pickup games around the area of Coeur D’Alene and Spokane, Washington, as well as watching old videos of Jordan to learn his moves.

Jeffrey told KREM that he always has fun playing basketball, and he takes it very seriously. He also mentioned that people aren’t always nice to him, but that he never lets it “defeat him.”

His close friend, Alfred Byrd, said that people laugh at Jeffrey, teasing him and calling him a Jordan “wannabe.” Alfred has seen his friend of 20 years struggle with his autism, but says that Jeffrey is “always striving to succeed on what he wants to be in life.”

After sharing the original story, KREM Sports Director Darnay Tripp contacted Jordan’s business manager to pass along Jeffrey’s information. Jordan’s response was to send two boxes full of Jordan gear to Jeffrey last week as a “thank you,” along with a personal note telling him to: “Continue to believe in yourself, play hard and always remember to enjoy the game.”

And that wasn’t the end—this past Friday, Jeffrey had a phone call with his lifelong idol. As Tripp tweeted, “Most amazing experience I’ve had on the job.” No doubt, it was also an amazing experience for Jeffrey and his family.

Rachel L. MacAulay

Inmates Train Service Dogs to Help Individuals With Autism

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Pooch2Anyone who has had a pet knows the therapeutic value they can have. Studies have shown that companion animals can help alleviate depression, help with physical tasks, and ease social pain. While there are many wonderful organizations throughout the world training animals to serve as companions for a variety of reasons, we especially liked this story, as the training benefits both prisoners and individuals with autism.

Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs (TLCAD) has been helping to train and place assistance dogs in San Diego County, California, since 1998. It focuses on two underserved communities—individuals with autism (through its Leash-on-Life program) and Wounded Warriors military veterans (though its At Ease program). TLCAD trains puppies from local breeders, as well as dogs rescued from euthanasia at local animal shelters. Facility service dogs have been placed with individuals, as well as schools, therapy centers, outpatient clinics and military hospitals.

TLCAD first launched its POOCH (Prisoners Overcoming Obstacles & Creating Hope) program in partnership with the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, to help provide “an opportunity for education, rehabilitation and community improvement within the prison system.” POOCH also help the organization meet the increased demands for service dogs in the two communities it services. Because the inmates spend so much time with the dogs, the typical training period of two years (when starting with an eight-week-old puppy) to one-and-a-half years or even one year.

The POOCH program helps TLCAD train more puppies, but it also has extremely beneficial results for the prisoners who do the training. Because they’re learning how to use positive reinforcement to train the dogs, and the way that the dogs respond to that positive reinforcement, the inmates are also learning how to positively and effectively interact with their own environment. In a way, the dogs are serving as models of proper responsive behavior.

In July, the POOCH program expanded to a second correctional facility, Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California. A group of inmates there are living with three puppies while training them. “You can tell that the mood on the yard instantly changes when the dogs are there,” Stephanie Santos, training director for TLCAD told ABC News. One man hadn’t pet a dog in more than 40 years.

“When I saw the dogs on the yard, it immediately brought a joy to me…it made me smile. In here, smiles are kind of few and far between; they’re hard to come by,” explained one inmate. Another one said, “I think I have a hardened soul. I’ve been doing criminal activity for so long… but he’s made me feel humble… and I feel appreciated.”

“These dogs are helping heal the inmates, and in turn, these inmates are helping train dogs who will then make a difference in the lives of the people who need them,” Santos explained.

To find out more about these wonderful organization, please visit the TLCAD website.

Rachel L. MacAulay

This Teen Runner Just Broke the 4-Minute Mile, Setting a Paralympic World Record

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Photo by Cheryl Trewory/Prettysporty.com

Photo by Cheryl Trewory/Prettysporty.com

UPDATE 9/14/16: Mikey has won the gold medal in the men’s T20 1,500-meter race at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janiero. Yesterday morning, he crossed the finish line with a comfortable four-second lead ahead of the closest competitor. Once again, he came in under four minutes, with a time of 3:51.73–this is nearly six seconds faster than his earlier best time at the Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh. Each win, along with each faster time, brings him closer to a shot at the gold in the 2020 Olympics. We’re all rooting for him!

When Roger Bannister first broke the four-minute mile in 1954, it was like the shot heard ’round the world. Since then, the four-minute mile has become less of a big thing, and more the standard for male middle-distance runners. So when 19-year-old Mikey Brannigan came in seventh place with a time of 3:57.58 at the Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh, North Carolina, on August 5, it was really no big deal. Or was it?

It turns out that Mikey, who has autism, is the first athlete with a T20 Paralympic classification to break the four-minute mile barrier.

Many individuals with autism and their parents disapprove of the term “disability.” However, the Paralympics needs to classify its athletes for competition and uses the World Health Organization’s definition of intellectual disability: “A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn and apply new skills (impaired intelligence).” Athletes competing in the Paralympics intellectual impairment sport classes must have:

  • An IQ at or below 75;
  • Significant limitations in adaptive behavior; and
  • Disability onset before age 18.

This is the T20 Paralympic classification. It encompasses athletes with a range of conditions besides autism. Additionally, because autism is, as we know, a spectrum disorder, not all athletes with autism qualify for the T20 classification.

Mikey was diagnosed with autism when he was 18 months old, and didn’t speak until he was 5. He was in fourth grade when he first started running with the Rolling Thunder Special Needs Program in Long Island, and discovered he was both good at running, and had the discipline needed to excel at it.

After graduating from high school, Mikey was “highly sought after” by many collegiate running coaches. Unfortunately, he was unable to meet the NCAA’s academic requirements to run at the Division I level. He currently attends a community college and runs for the New York Athletic Club, with support from Team USA. According to his mom, they hope for him to complete in the 2020 or 2024 Olympic Games.

In the meantime, Mikey will be running the T20 1500-meter final at the Paralympic Games in Rio in September. Go Mikey!

Rachel L. MacAulay

Teen Starts Recycling Business; Hopes to Become Self-Sufficient

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James RecyclingIt’s no secret that not everyone has the skills that are traditionally necessary to land, and keep, a typical job. Increasingly, we’ve heard stories about parents helping their children start their own businesses, for a variety of reasons. This is one of those stories.

James Harris, an 18 year-old with autism living in the Bridlemile area of Portland, Oregon, has always been interested in recycling. Since he has limited verbal skills and found school very challenging, his mom Kathi came up with the idea of helping James make a career out of recycling. They started a local business called James’ Neighborhood Recycling Service, which recycles things that the township recycling program typically won’t accept.

Each client gets a tall bucket and can put in “anything from batteries to plastic bags and electronics—basically anything that you can’t normally recycle curbside.” With the service, James is helping his neighbors, the environment, and himself. “I wanted him to be self-sufficient [and] I really didn’t see an opportunity for him to do that with the work that’s out there,” said Kathi.

James goes out with his mom every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning, and collects the contents of the buckets into big Rubbermaid bins in the back of his mom’s SUV. After collecting the bins, James brings them all into the garage, where he sorts through everything. “I wanted to help the Earth, and help save our planet,” explained James.

The service costs $12 per month and James’ customer base has grown to 50 households since he first started six months ago. That brings in $600/month. His goal is to eventually have 1,000 customers, bringing in enough income for him to become self-sufficient.

Kathi is thrilled: “I’m really proud of him. He’s so proud of himself and that’s the main thing that I see. His pride… his self-esteem—it’s amazing. And he works so hard on it.”