The Autism Awareness Kids Baseball Program, a summer baseball league taking place on Sunday mornings in Humboldt Park, is Chicago’s first sports program for children with autism. The league was conceived by Alex Cruz, who was reluctant to place his autistic son in a competitive environment where he might be teased or ignored. Local families came together to help make the idea a reality, and now with the support of former White Sox infielder Alex Cintrón, the league has plans to expand into four little league teams for children with autism and with other special needs. Future plans are to expand the program into indoor soccer, basketball, and floor hockey.
For more information, contact Alex Cruz at 773-663-8909
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Autism partner dog helps Horry County family
Dru Forster
Published: July 29, 2008
In their Horry County backyard, they seem like the picture perfect family, but the Clemants have had there fair share of challenges. Both of their sons have Autism.
Monique Clemant says, “No two kids with Autism are alike. They say it’s the disease of three-hundred and sixty degrees and it really and truly is like every degree is different and makes a child with autism that much more different.”
Monique and her husband Jim have needed all the guidance they can get with their sons, seven year old Daniel and six year old Thomas. They turned to “The North Star Foundation”, a non-profit program that helps children with developmental disabilities.
Someone made an anonymous donation to the foundation and changed the Clemant Family forever by bringing an Autism partner dog into their lives. Autism partner dogs are trained to provide comfort and guidance and that is exactly what “Bennie” is doing for the Clemant family.
”He’s larger then we thought he would be but he’s fits right in with the craziness of our family everyday,” says Monique.
Bennie has been with the Clemant’s for more than a year now. Jim says it’s made a difference watching his sons play free now. He also sees that the interaction between Bennie and his sons makes a huge difference in their lives.
Gina Crist, Bennie’s trainer says, “The dog naturally reduces anxiety, stress and blood pressure in the child.” Gina’s main goal is to get the families used to Autism partner dogs.
The Clemant family is thankful for Bennie and Monique says he will be a part of her children’s lives for many years to come, and will always live up to his title of boy’s best friend.
If your interested in the program or have a child struggling with autism. You can call “The North Star Program” at 843-449-0554.
Published: July 29, 2008
In their Horry County backyard, they seem like the picture perfect family, but the Clemants have had there fair share of challenges. Both of their sons have Autism.
Monique Clemant says, “No two kids with Autism are alike. They say it’s the disease of three-hundred and sixty degrees and it really and truly is like every degree is different and makes a child with autism that much more different.”
Monique and her husband Jim have needed all the guidance they can get with their sons, seven year old Daniel and six year old Thomas. They turned to “The North Star Foundation”, a non-profit program that helps children with developmental disabilities.
Someone made an anonymous donation to the foundation and changed the Clemant Family forever by bringing an Autism partner dog into their lives. Autism partner dogs are trained to provide comfort and guidance and that is exactly what “Bennie” is doing for the Clemant family.
”He’s larger then we thought he would be but he’s fits right in with the craziness of our family everyday,” says Monique.
Bennie has been with the Clemant’s for more than a year now. Jim says it’s made a difference watching his sons play free now. He also sees that the interaction between Bennie and his sons makes a huge difference in their lives.
Gina Crist, Bennie’s trainer says, “The dog naturally reduces anxiety, stress and blood pressure in the child.” Gina’s main goal is to get the families used to Autism partner dogs.
The Clemant family is thankful for Bennie and Monique says he will be a part of her children’s lives for many years to come, and will always live up to his title of boy’s best friend.
If your interested in the program or have a child struggling with autism. You can call “The North Star Program” at 843-449-0554.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Swimmer aims for his dream
Trying to conquer Lake Ontario
By JORDAN PRESS, SUN MEDIA
In early May, Jay Serdula dreamed that he was swimming across Lake Ontario, each stroke bringing him closer to the Toronto shoreline.
He could see the CN Tower looming larger. His body felt fresh and he was feeling good about making it ashore.
Yesterday that dream came true for the Kingston resident. Setting out from Niagara-on-the-Lake at 10 a.m., he is trying to swim across Lake Ontario to raise money and awareness for Asperger's syndrome, a disorder on the mild end of the autism spectrum that makes it difficult for people to adapt to new things.
He is scheduled to end his swim at Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park today between 3-6 p.m.
Serdula, 36, was born with Asperger's. He has prepared two years for this moment, and it's the preparation, he said, that should help him finish the swim.
By JORDAN PRESS, SUN MEDIA
In early May, Jay Serdula dreamed that he was swimming across Lake Ontario, each stroke bringing him closer to the Toronto shoreline.
He could see the CN Tower looming larger. His body felt fresh and he was feeling good about making it ashore.
Yesterday that dream came true for the Kingston resident. Setting out from Niagara-on-the-Lake at 10 a.m., he is trying to swim across Lake Ontario to raise money and awareness for Asperger's syndrome, a disorder on the mild end of the autism spectrum that makes it difficult for people to adapt to new things.
He is scheduled to end his swim at Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park today between 3-6 p.m.
Serdula, 36, was born with Asperger's. He has prepared two years for this moment, and it's the preparation, he said, that should help him finish the swim.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
How Adults Cope With Autism In The Workplace
MINNEAPOLIS (CBS) ― Alex Ashkar is a model employee at the Bull Run coffee roasters. And he has autism.
"You know, its one thing to have somebody who works well, but it's also something to have someone whom you like," said Bull Run owner Greg Hoyt.
At Bull Run, Ashkar's autism is a non-issue. He typically works in the packaging department putting stickers on the boxes of coffee and taping them shut.
For Ashkar, finding meaningful work has been a lesson in understanding his limits. His first job at a local retailer didn't work out.
"They had him in a situation where he ended up working in isolation, you know, just straightening the cans, making sure that they're all facing the right way," said Alex's father Sean Ashkar.
For Alex Ashkar, a true people person, it wasn't a good match. So his family turned to Partnership Resources Incorporated, a nonprofit agency helping people with autism and other developmental disabilities find work.
With autism rates on the rise, PRI finds they are helping a lot more people who have the disorder.
"In the old days, you maybe would have out of 10, one or two. And now today, in 2008, we have eight out of 10 are on the autism spectrum, and that presents a whole different set of challenges and opportunities for us," said PRI's Dan Reed. "There's absolutely no reason they can't be extremely successful and happy in the community."
Through PRI, adults with autism or other developmental disabilities are set up with a job coach whose only job is to see that the worker succeeds. The coach devises supports that help supplement their skills, such as the counting board Alex's job coach created to keep track of how many bags of coffee go in a box.
"Alex can meander mentally a little bit, but that's part of where the job coach comes in," Reed said.
Alex and his family have had the advantage of knowing he had autism since he was only 2-years-old, but there are a lot of adults who are just now finding out they're on the spectrum.
"It explained so much. It was a relief," said Rich Cracraft, an adult with autism. "To finally have an answer to why I am the way I am."
Cracraft was diagnosed just last year. He'd suffered through countless jobs before finding success as a historical guide at the Oliver Kelly Farm in Elk River, Minn.
"It's a great mix of physical and mental," he said. "I'm not stupid. I'm a college graduate and everything like that, but my brain works slower than other people and I don't work as quickly as other people."
Cracraft sought out a diagnosis after learning his son was on the autism spectrum. He and his wife recognized a lot of common traits.
"Little things that a normal, a typical person would normally slough off are a little more sensory for him," said Lora Cracraft, Rich's wife.
Looking back, Rich Cracraft now sees symptoms that were always there.
"I can remember having a mantra of look normal, look normal, look normal, as I'm walking down the halls at school," he said.
Rich Cracraft received a diagnosis through the Autism Society of Minnesota.
"You have to be ready to accept the information the that you get," he said.
He also said he wishes there were more services for people like him, who mostly just need help understanding the social aspects of work, someone to help explain "when you walk in and there's a group of people standing there, what's the protocol for saying 'hi'."
"We have an obligation not to simply serve someone on one end of the spectrum or the other. It's an entire spectrum," said Shamus O'Meara, the head of the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities.
He added that a goal for the State of Minnesota is to implement more vocational services and spread the word about services that already exist. He said assembling a single resource guide for people with developmental disabilities has taken years, but there's finally a result and people with autism helped put it together through a unique digital imaging program conceived by the Governor's Council.
"I think our state is starting down an innovative road to matching technological innovation with the needs of people with disabilities," O'Meara said.
Through the digital imaging program, state and local agencies as well as private businesses are eliminating paper files.
"Technology, if used in the right way, is a great equalizer with people in the disability community," O'Meara said, adding he believes the next step is an autism task force. "I think that our state legislature needs to realize that these are families with disabilities, that there are a lot of us out there, that we're Democratic, Republican and we're not going to go away."
"You know, its one thing to have somebody who works well, but it's also something to have someone whom you like," said Bull Run owner Greg Hoyt.
At Bull Run, Ashkar's autism is a non-issue. He typically works in the packaging department putting stickers on the boxes of coffee and taping them shut.
For Ashkar, finding meaningful work has been a lesson in understanding his limits. His first job at a local retailer didn't work out.
"They had him in a situation where he ended up working in isolation, you know, just straightening the cans, making sure that they're all facing the right way," said Alex's father Sean Ashkar.
For Alex Ashkar, a true people person, it wasn't a good match. So his family turned to Partnership Resources Incorporated, a nonprofit agency helping people with autism and other developmental disabilities find work.
With autism rates on the rise, PRI finds they are helping a lot more people who have the disorder.
"In the old days, you maybe would have out of 10, one or two. And now today, in 2008, we have eight out of 10 are on the autism spectrum, and that presents a whole different set of challenges and opportunities for us," said PRI's Dan Reed. "There's absolutely no reason they can't be extremely successful and happy in the community."
Through PRI, adults with autism or other developmental disabilities are set up with a job coach whose only job is to see that the worker succeeds. The coach devises supports that help supplement their skills, such as the counting board Alex's job coach created to keep track of how many bags of coffee go in a box.
"Alex can meander mentally a little bit, but that's part of where the job coach comes in," Reed said.
Alex and his family have had the advantage of knowing he had autism since he was only 2-years-old, but there are a lot of adults who are just now finding out they're on the spectrum.
"It explained so much. It was a relief," said Rich Cracraft, an adult with autism. "To finally have an answer to why I am the way I am."
Cracraft was diagnosed just last year. He'd suffered through countless jobs before finding success as a historical guide at the Oliver Kelly Farm in Elk River, Minn.
"It's a great mix of physical and mental," he said. "I'm not stupid. I'm a college graduate and everything like that, but my brain works slower than other people and I don't work as quickly as other people."
Cracraft sought out a diagnosis after learning his son was on the autism spectrum. He and his wife recognized a lot of common traits.
"Little things that a normal, a typical person would normally slough off are a little more sensory for him," said Lora Cracraft, Rich's wife.
Looking back, Rich Cracraft now sees symptoms that were always there.
"I can remember having a mantra of look normal, look normal, look normal, as I'm walking down the halls at school," he said.
Rich Cracraft received a diagnosis through the Autism Society of Minnesota.
"You have to be ready to accept the information the that you get," he said.
He also said he wishes there were more services for people like him, who mostly just need help understanding the social aspects of work, someone to help explain "when you walk in and there's a group of people standing there, what's the protocol for saying 'hi'."
"We have an obligation not to simply serve someone on one end of the spectrum or the other. It's an entire spectrum," said Shamus O'Meara, the head of the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities.
He added that a goal for the State of Minnesota is to implement more vocational services and spread the word about services that already exist. He said assembling a single resource guide for people with developmental disabilities has taken years, but there's finally a result and people with autism helped put it together through a unique digital imaging program conceived by the Governor's Council.
"I think our state is starting down an innovative road to matching technological innovation with the needs of people with disabilities," O'Meara said.
Through the digital imaging program, state and local agencies as well as private businesses are eliminating paper files.
"Technology, if used in the right way, is a great equalizer with people in the disability community," O'Meara said, adding he believes the next step is an autism task force. "I think that our state legislature needs to realize that these are families with disabilities, that there are a lot of us out there, that we're Democratic, Republican and we're not going to go away."
Day camp lets special kids get their kicks
Summit Academy fits the bill
By Richard Price CORRESPONDENT
LEOMINSTER— As far as summer camps go, this one isn’t much to write home about to mom and dad.
There’s no archery, no lake for swimming, no campfire sing-alongs. There’s not a marshmallow to be found for roasting.
Yet parents from as far away as Andover are driving past the traditional summer camps to Leominster, where they drop off their son or daughter at a day camp in the Summit Academy School at 365 Lindell Ave.
To 7-year-old Brandon Moss, it’s the best camp in the world, even though he travels 45 minutes each way to attend. Here, he learns martial arts and loves it. For his mother, Kelly, it means a 5 a.m. wake-up and $80 a week in gas to drive round trip from Oxford.
Inside the school’s small auditorium, the class — mostly boys 7 to 10 years old — practices an age-appropriate, therapeutic version of martial arts.
They shout out the numbers 1 to 10 in Japanese while performing a series of jumping front kicks and arm-pumping thrusts.
They live with Asperger’s syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder), attention deficit disorders or other developmental disorders.
Standing on checkered floor mats, Brandon doesn’t see this as therapy to build strength, self-confidence and respect. He thinks it’s just fun.
But this modest day camp is the only one of its kind in Central Massachusetts — and only one of five in the state, according to campresource.com. Frustrated with the limited options in their communities, parents of children with learning and social disorders are willing to commute long distances every day despite the early morning wake-up time and high gas prices.
Children such as Brandon usually don’t qualify for summer programs in their towns because they are classified as highly functioning, meaning they won’t lose their skills over the summer, unlike those with severe cases of autism, said Susan Loring, director of the Autism Resource Center in West Boylston. Her state-funded center is a resource for more than 1,200 families in the area. Since these children have poorer social skills, it’s challenging for them to fit in with others at a regular day camp. Ms. Loring said the Summit camp is a welcome relief in Central Massachusetts.
Half of the children who go to the camp travel 30 minutes or more. Designed for children who struggle in a traditional public school setting, the Summit Academy is a private, year-round school with a modified program for learning and social disorders. The camp, which is in its inaugural season, costs $150 per week and runs until Aug.1. There is no financial assistance, but some school districts, Groton-Dunstable for one, have paid for six students to attend.
Daniel DiMezza, director of the Summit Academy School, said more than 40 children per week have signed up. Since building on the child’s emotional and social needs is important, the camp takes advantage of teaching moments when they happen, he said.
Jimmy Nason, 7, enrolled at Summit in April. As a first-grade student at the Hubbardston Center School, he was often overwhelmed in class and would curl up under his desk. He was diagnosed at age 3 with PDD-NOS, which is similar to Asperger’s syndrome.
Lissette Nason, Jimmy’s mother, said he is at par with other children his age academically, but socially he was evaluated way below his grade level. At times disruptive, he often spent four of his six-hour school days in the principal’s office, sent by frustrated teachers because he couldn’t grasp the imaginary elements of particular school assignments.
“He couldn’t write a story about being a bear,” Ms. Nason said. Equally frustrated with the way her son was treated, she added, “You wouldn’t penalize a child who couldn’t run a 50-yard dash.”
Since coming to Summit, Jimmy appears to be doing better. At the start of the martial arts class, he bows as he enters the room and stands on his spot on the mat, marked with a T. Wearing a blue Nike basketball outfit and skinny as a string bean, Jimmy shouts out commands with the others, “When I control my ‘T,’ I control me.”
Tammaris Mitchell is the teacher, or sensei. Referring to the program as martial arts therapy, she said the goal is to work on the whole child, not just the academic portion. Aside from developing eye-hand coordination, the program also focuses on how to identify and manage personal space and establish non-verbal communication, traits not easily learned by children like Jimmy and Brandon.
In class the students recite their creed: always to do their best, accept responsibility and show respect for others.
The lessons learned in Ms. Mitchell’s class enable the children to function for the rest of their camp day, which includes tennis, arts and crafts, and an extended school year of math, science and English.
Late in the afternoon Jimmy heads home with his mother, eager to teach his sister how to count in Japanese.
The parking lot is jammed with cars as Brandon begins his long ride home. He will rise early to attend his next martial arts class on time. This is important, according to the school handbook, because anyone can be a sensei if willing to be dedicated.
By Richard Price CORRESPONDENT
LEOMINSTER— As far as summer camps go, this one isn’t much to write home about to mom and dad.
There’s no archery, no lake for swimming, no campfire sing-alongs. There’s not a marshmallow to be found for roasting.
Yet parents from as far away as Andover are driving past the traditional summer camps to Leominster, where they drop off their son or daughter at a day camp in the Summit Academy School at 365 Lindell Ave.
To 7-year-old Brandon Moss, it’s the best camp in the world, even though he travels 45 minutes each way to attend. Here, he learns martial arts and loves it. For his mother, Kelly, it means a 5 a.m. wake-up and $80 a week in gas to drive round trip from Oxford.
Inside the school’s small auditorium, the class — mostly boys 7 to 10 years old — practices an age-appropriate, therapeutic version of martial arts.
They shout out the numbers 1 to 10 in Japanese while performing a series of jumping front kicks and arm-pumping thrusts.
They live with Asperger’s syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder), attention deficit disorders or other developmental disorders.
Standing on checkered floor mats, Brandon doesn’t see this as therapy to build strength, self-confidence and respect. He thinks it’s just fun.
But this modest day camp is the only one of its kind in Central Massachusetts — and only one of five in the state, according to campresource.com. Frustrated with the limited options in their communities, parents of children with learning and social disorders are willing to commute long distances every day despite the early morning wake-up time and high gas prices.
Children such as Brandon usually don’t qualify for summer programs in their towns because they are classified as highly functioning, meaning they won’t lose their skills over the summer, unlike those with severe cases of autism, said Susan Loring, director of the Autism Resource Center in West Boylston. Her state-funded center is a resource for more than 1,200 families in the area. Since these children have poorer social skills, it’s challenging for them to fit in with others at a regular day camp. Ms. Loring said the Summit camp is a welcome relief in Central Massachusetts.
Half of the children who go to the camp travel 30 minutes or more. Designed for children who struggle in a traditional public school setting, the Summit Academy is a private, year-round school with a modified program for learning and social disorders. The camp, which is in its inaugural season, costs $150 per week and runs until Aug.1. There is no financial assistance, but some school districts, Groton-Dunstable for one, have paid for six students to attend.
Daniel DiMezza, director of the Summit Academy School, said more than 40 children per week have signed up. Since building on the child’s emotional and social needs is important, the camp takes advantage of teaching moments when they happen, he said.
Jimmy Nason, 7, enrolled at Summit in April. As a first-grade student at the Hubbardston Center School, he was often overwhelmed in class and would curl up under his desk. He was diagnosed at age 3 with PDD-NOS, which is similar to Asperger’s syndrome.
Lissette Nason, Jimmy’s mother, said he is at par with other children his age academically, but socially he was evaluated way below his grade level. At times disruptive, he often spent four of his six-hour school days in the principal’s office, sent by frustrated teachers because he couldn’t grasp the imaginary elements of particular school assignments.
“He couldn’t write a story about being a bear,” Ms. Nason said. Equally frustrated with the way her son was treated, she added, “You wouldn’t penalize a child who couldn’t run a 50-yard dash.”
Since coming to Summit, Jimmy appears to be doing better. At the start of the martial arts class, he bows as he enters the room and stands on his spot on the mat, marked with a T. Wearing a blue Nike basketball outfit and skinny as a string bean, Jimmy shouts out commands with the others, “When I control my ‘T,’ I control me.”
Tammaris Mitchell is the teacher, or sensei. Referring to the program as martial arts therapy, she said the goal is to work on the whole child, not just the academic portion. Aside from developing eye-hand coordination, the program also focuses on how to identify and manage personal space and establish non-verbal communication, traits not easily learned by children like Jimmy and Brandon.
In class the students recite their creed: always to do their best, accept responsibility and show respect for others.
The lessons learned in Ms. Mitchell’s class enable the children to function for the rest of their camp day, which includes tennis, arts and crafts, and an extended school year of math, science and English.
Late in the afternoon Jimmy heads home with his mother, eager to teach his sister how to count in Japanese.
The parking lot is jammed with cars as Brandon begins his long ride home. He will rise early to attend his next martial arts class on time. This is important, according to the school handbook, because anyone can be a sensei if willing to be dedicated.
Autism and Athletics
By: Kathy Sweeney
For years, children with autism were often left on the sidelines, based on the belief that it would be too hard for them to handle a team sport.
But, some local boys are making a real splash in their chosen sport.
Miller Ogburn, Matthew Holman, and Danny Janisse can all be described using a single word...autism.
But, these three boys all carry another label, one they are very proud of. They're all gators, swimming on the Cape Girardeau team.
Danny Janisse, 14, loves to swim, but he's not too crazy about cameras, but he put his fears aside to talk with Heartland News.
"I've got to dive fast out there, because I pay attention good," Danny said.
While research shows autistic children benefit from staying active, the social interaction and rules of a team sport can often become too much for them to handle.
Kim Holman's son Matthew struggled in soccer, but now he's a strong swimmer with the winning ribbons to prove it.
Swim mom Kelley Pujol knows a lot about autism. She teaches music therapy at the Judevine Center for Autism in Sikeston. Kelley says this kind of repetitive activity really helps these boys from the inside out.
Danny and Matthew aren't the only winners in the pool. While they're learning each stroke, they're teaching their teammates compassion and empathy.
For years, children with autism were often left on the sidelines, based on the belief that it would be too hard for them to handle a team sport.
But, some local boys are making a real splash in their chosen sport.
Miller Ogburn, Matthew Holman, and Danny Janisse can all be described using a single word...autism.
But, these three boys all carry another label, one they are very proud of. They're all gators, swimming on the Cape Girardeau team.
Danny Janisse, 14, loves to swim, but he's not too crazy about cameras, but he put his fears aside to talk with Heartland News.
"I've got to dive fast out there, because I pay attention good," Danny said.
While research shows autistic children benefit from staying active, the social interaction and rules of a team sport can often become too much for them to handle.
Kim Holman's son Matthew struggled in soccer, but now he's a strong swimmer with the winning ribbons to prove it.
Swim mom Kelley Pujol knows a lot about autism. She teaches music therapy at the Judevine Center for Autism in Sikeston. Kelley says this kind of repetitive activity really helps these boys from the inside out.
Danny and Matthew aren't the only winners in the pool. While they're learning each stroke, they're teaching their teammates compassion and empathy.
Flying Can Be a Rough Ride for Autistic Children, Families
Parents of Autistic Children Face Special Challenges When It Comes to Travel
By REBECCA KAPLAN
USA TODAY
With heightened security regulations and frequent delays, airplane travel can be an unpleasant ordeal for anyone.
For a child who becomes anxious in close quarters, may have trouble communicating and is sensitive to loud noises, it can be terrifying.
Those are common characteristics of autism, a developmental disability that affects about one in every 150 American children and one in every 94 boys, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The condition has been getting more attention in the past five years through advocacy groups such as Autism Speaks and the Autism Society of America. But it still gets negative attention: Last week, syndicated talk radio host Michael Savage said on his show that 99 percent of the time, a child with autism was just "a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out." The comment drew protests from the advocacy groups.
His comments probably refer to the behavior autistic children can exhibit when they feel anxious, particularly in unfamiliar situations -- they can have meltdowns that involve crying, screaming or kicking. Last month, Janice Farrell of Cary, N.C., and her 2-year-old autistic son, Jarret, were removed from their American Eagle flight after Jarret began crying and screaming uncontrollably. (The airline says Farrell also refused to stow her bag in the proper place, which she denies.)
Airline travel, which is a necessity for many families, has many characteristics that can trigger such meltdowns. In addition to the break in the normal routine -- which many autistic children find stressful because they have trouble anticipating what will happen -- airplane travel involves sitting still for long periods and being surrounded by crowds, says Rebecca Landa, director of the Center for Autism at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.
"Take all the issues (normal adults) have with flying, magnify that by 100, and put that into a child's body," Landa says.
James Gillespie of Philadelphia, whose 14-year-old son, Brendan, has autism, says: "You will run into any number of well-intentioned people who just look at you as if you're a bad parent. There was a time that I was pretty defensive about it."
Both Landa and Kelly Ernsperger, who counsels families in the greater Indianapolis area who are coping with autism, recommend preparing children in the days leading up to the trip by making sure they know exactly what to expect.
"I encourage families to go online and try to get pictures of the airport terminals and planes and destination," Ernsperger says. These pictures, along with conversations about what the child will be doing, help families create "social stories" so children are better able to anticipate exactly what will happen to them.
Landa also recommends letting the child make some choices -- such as choosing his seat -- to defray some of the anxiety and creating simple rules to define the social situation. Gillespie made such a rule for Brendan to let him know what topics were off-limits on airplanes: terrorists, crashing and dying.
He and other parents say snacks and earphones for a child's favorite music or movies are also a must.
It's important to let the airlines know about the situation so they can accommodate the family as well. Many airlines have taken steps to make sure that flight attendants and airport employees are trained to assist customers with disabilities.
"A lot of it is just being forthright and making sure you prepare your child, and you prepare those people who are going to come in contact with your child," says Peter Bell, executive vice president for Autism Speaks.
The public can help too, Landa says. Her No. 1 rule: Don't judge.
"It's best to think, 'How can I be helpful?' " she says, whether that is refraining from making a critical remark or offering to hold something for the family.
By REBECCA KAPLAN
USA TODAY
With heightened security regulations and frequent delays, airplane travel can be an unpleasant ordeal for anyone.
For a child who becomes anxious in close quarters, may have trouble communicating and is sensitive to loud noises, it can be terrifying.
Those are common characteristics of autism, a developmental disability that affects about one in every 150 American children and one in every 94 boys, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The condition has been getting more attention in the past five years through advocacy groups such as Autism Speaks and the Autism Society of America. But it still gets negative attention: Last week, syndicated talk radio host Michael Savage said on his show that 99 percent of the time, a child with autism was just "a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out." The comment drew protests from the advocacy groups.
His comments probably refer to the behavior autistic children can exhibit when they feel anxious, particularly in unfamiliar situations -- they can have meltdowns that involve crying, screaming or kicking. Last month, Janice Farrell of Cary, N.C., and her 2-year-old autistic son, Jarret, were removed from their American Eagle flight after Jarret began crying and screaming uncontrollably. (The airline says Farrell also refused to stow her bag in the proper place, which she denies.)
Airline travel, which is a necessity for many families, has many characteristics that can trigger such meltdowns. In addition to the break in the normal routine -- which many autistic children find stressful because they have trouble anticipating what will happen -- airplane travel involves sitting still for long periods and being surrounded by crowds, says Rebecca Landa, director of the Center for Autism at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.
"Take all the issues (normal adults) have with flying, magnify that by 100, and put that into a child's body," Landa says.
James Gillespie of Philadelphia, whose 14-year-old son, Brendan, has autism, says: "You will run into any number of well-intentioned people who just look at you as if you're a bad parent. There was a time that I was pretty defensive about it."
Both Landa and Kelly Ernsperger, who counsels families in the greater Indianapolis area who are coping with autism, recommend preparing children in the days leading up to the trip by making sure they know exactly what to expect.
"I encourage families to go online and try to get pictures of the airport terminals and planes and destination," Ernsperger says. These pictures, along with conversations about what the child will be doing, help families create "social stories" so children are better able to anticipate exactly what will happen to them.
Landa also recommends letting the child make some choices -- such as choosing his seat -- to defray some of the anxiety and creating simple rules to define the social situation. Gillespie made such a rule for Brendan to let him know what topics were off-limits on airplanes: terrorists, crashing and dying.
He and other parents say snacks and earphones for a child's favorite music or movies are also a must.
It's important to let the airlines know about the situation so they can accommodate the family as well. Many airlines have taken steps to make sure that flight attendants and airport employees are trained to assist customers with disabilities.
"A lot of it is just being forthright and making sure you prepare your child, and you prepare those people who are going to come in contact with your child," says Peter Bell, executive vice president for Autism Speaks.
The public can help too, Landa says. Her No. 1 rule: Don't judge.
"It's best to think, 'How can I be helpful?' " she says, whether that is refraining from making a critical remark or offering to hold something for the family.
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