# 'Agricultural specialisterne': rural employment revolution for those with Autism **URL:** \ **Category:** Lounge\ **Created:** [June 5, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615 "2011-06-05T05:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 64
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 6:29am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1261 "2018-01-18T06:29:08Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. To the east, _Sesame Workshop_ (SW) is a New York City, New York-based nonprofit organization which has been responsible for the production of several educational children’s programs–including its first and best-known, _Sesame Street_–that have been televised internationally. > [@](#): > > Before we get to the matters at hand–including the ways in which we humans judge one another and an energetic puppet with autism named Julia–let’s consider the current value of a piece of imaginary real estate known as Sesame Street. Since its launch in 1969, the show has often been kids’ first step into the world beyond their living room rugs, the common cultural campfire for 95 percent of preschoolers–about 200 million Americans–who watched the show as children. > > And it is a place–an ingenious staging of reality. “Here, they created a street and a community that closely resembles what kids experience,” says Jeffrey D. Dunn, who arrived to run Sesame Workshop as CEO in 2014. “It’s not fantasy land, and it’s not a made-up, faraway place.” He pauses. “That’s one of the things that makes it so powerful.” > > For years the show’s creators have been spicing up their alluring, hand-held curriculum of ABC’s and 1,2,3’s with lessons about life as it is… > > But one of the most groundbreaking innovations in its long history of wondrous storytelling began in the late 1990s, when Leslie Kimmelman, then an editor at Sesame Magazine, noticed that she had company at work: other folks who had kids with autism. What was more, the characters that her colleagues crafted spoke powerfully to her son, Greg. At 3, he seemed to connect deeply to Sesame characters. “Mention Elmo, he’d turn to you,” she says. A naturally musical child, he watched episodes …singing the songs. > > …“There was a little cell of us,” she recalls. “Parents with kids on the spectrum, who knew how powerful the show’s effect was on our children.” Of course, they all thought about their kids someday seeing a reflection of themselves on the show. “And then other kids could see them, too? Wouldn’t that be something?” > > …[Autism] is a diverse and divided continent. The spectrum stretches from …chatty but socially obtuse children, intensely focused on some narrow interest–to kids with no speech… > > …self-advocates [assert] they’re just differently abled, not disabled, and others crying out for supports to live the most basic life. > > How would it be possible to create a Sesame Street character that could bridge this span? > > In 2010, Sesame began consulting with educators, psychologists and activists, and Sherrie Westin, Sesame Workshop’s executive vice president of global impact and philanthropy, decided to put resources into an autism initiative. Creative teams worked with experts. Staff visited clinics and schools. Kimmelman was assigned to write a storybook featuring an autistic character. > > Although boys with autism or autism spectrum disorders, collectively termed [Autism Spectrum Disorders], outnumber girls about 4.5 to one, it was decided, after much debate, that the Sesame character would be a girl. (Sesame viewed the choice as more counterintuitive.) Kimmelman suggested the name Julia (after her older daughter, who’d been such a support to Greg). Julia it would be. > > At first all a toddler sees is a giant yellow bird and a grouch in a trash can. But episode by episode, he or she realizes that Big Bird’s defining characteristic may not, in fact, be his conspicuous height or the hue of his feathers, any more than Oscar can be judged solely by his taste in condominiums. They are defined by an array of human traits, which young viewers somehow recognize with heightened clarity when expressed by puppets. Julia has autism, but she also has green eyes and red hair and an artistic temperament. Does autism define her? Isn’t the first thing we tend to notice about people whatever makes them different from us? Sesame’s autism initiative is about [combatting] this most harmful of human instincts. Its battle cry is ‘See Amazing in All Children.’ Kimmelman’s picture book, We’re Amazing, 1,2,3, helped to introduce Julia to the world in 2015, and soon the board of Sesame Workshop determined that Julia had passed her audition. She’d be moving up to the show. Sesame’s longtime home, PBS, and its new joint home, HBO, decided to simulcast the episode. > > What followed was months of work for the artists, writers, actors, puppeteers and others–work that often drew on their personal experience. The puppeteer, Stacey Gordon, has a son on the spectrum. The designer, Louis Mitchell, had volunteered at a school where he had befriended a girl with autism. > > …Julia made her on-air debut this past April, during Autism Awareness Month. Sesame’s brilliant ten-minute episode starts with Abby Cadabby, Elmo and Julia gathered at a table to paint, as Alan, who runs Hooper’s store, hands them art supplies. Big Bird sidles up, and says hi to Julia, who is deeply involved in her painting and doesn’t respond. Big Bird’s confused. Alan explains that she’s “just concentrating on her painting right now.” More entreaties follow, but there is no response. When Alan asks to see it, she holds up her painting, which is vivid and precise. > > “Julia, you’re so creative!” Abby says. The episode skips along from there, as Alan soon explains to Big Bird that Julia “has autism, and she likes it when people know that.” > > “Autism. What’s autism?” > > “Well, for Julia, it means that she might not answer you right away…and she may not do what you expect. Yea, she does things just a little differently, in a Julia sort of way.” > > Midway through the episode, Julia gets excited as the kids begin to play a game of tag. She, like many spectrum kids, begins to jump for joy as she joins in. “Looks like she’s playing tag, while jumping,” Alan says. > > “I’ve never seen tag played like that,” says Big Bird. Alan explains that Julia does some things that for Big Bird ‘might seem confusing,’ like the way she flaps her hands when she’s excited. Then, nodding to the kids, who’ve returned, he adds, “Julia also does some things that you might want to try.” Abby, Elmo and Julia bounce across Sesame Street, ecstatically playing Julia’s reinvention. “Look,” Abby cries, with joy. “It’s a whole new game. It’s boing-tag!” > > Julia made her entrance to national fanfare. “My reaction was total excitement, the excitement of seeing a new life come into the world,” recalls Rose Jochum of the Autism Society of America. “For all the little kids who have autism, it’s validating to see characters like themselves on television, instead of feeling invisible.” Jochum connected to one scene in particular. “When Julia interacted with the character of Alan, he takes her upstairs when the noise of a passing police siren upsets her. Watching the two of them interact. That was special to see.” Julia’s artwork, too, was inspiring. “The picture she drew–the wonderful bunny with wings–I love that she might be a budding artist.” > > The Georgetown Center for Child and Human Development, in a study of the impact of Sesame’s autism initiative’s website on two populations of parents–those with an [Autism Spectrum Disorder] child, and those without–concluded that the site can help “reduce biases and stigma, increase acceptance and inclusion, and empower [Autism Spectrum Disorder] children with knowledge and positive information about themselves,” according to Bruno Anthony, the centre’s deputy director. > > The most impressive evidence of Julia’s power came from people with autism, who saw something they’d never seen before: a reflection of themselves. Letters and emails flooded into Sesame from across America and around the world. Everyone, from Dunn on down, read and wept and cheered. > > “I am a grown-up. But I am like you,” reads one email pulled from the tide, addressed directly to Julia. “I am scared of noises. I don’t like my hair to bother me. What I say doesn’t always make sense to other people.” > > “I hope you like ‘Sesame Street,’” the writer continues. “I hope you meet lots of kind, good people there. I will watch you on TV. And maybe I will get to meet you some day…but only if that’s okay with you.” (source: [Why the Team Behind Sesame Street Created a Character With Autism](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/team-sesame-street-created-character-autism-180967218/)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 8:20am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1262 "2018-01-19T08:20:52Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. Here is a link to a video on another family’s Autism journey: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVDXU4FluHw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVDXU4FluHw) (source: ) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 7:35am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1263 "2018-01-20T07:35:38Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. _Victory Gallop_ is a Summit County, Ohio-based nonprofit that provides therapeutic and recreational horseback riding for children with various challenges, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorders… > [@](#): > > It started out in 1995 as a vision shared between two women who wanted to bring together horses and children with a range of special needs. > > Two decades and thousands of visitors later, the Victory Gallop therapeutic riding program continues to be known as a place of solace for families across Northeast Ohio. > > It’s the career work of Sue Miller and Kim Gustely, who grew up riding horses. The two met 25 years ago, when they worked for Raymond Firestone at Lauray Farms in [Summit County]. > > “We took care of the horses and rode with Mr. Firestone,” said Miller. > > Gustely, with a master’s degree in sports psychology, and Miller, with a master’s in education in rehabilitation counseling, added certifications from the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship. > > Along with Miller’s equine veterinarian husband, David, the women co-founded the 12-acre nonprofit complex on Hametown Road – all on land formerly owned by Firestone. The site includes a private home, the organisation’s office, barns and an indoor riding arena. > > “Kim and I wanted to have a program that was designed to work with just children and children with behavioral and emotional challenges,” said Miller. > > “We wanted to work more with children dealing with the invisible disabilities such as autism and Asperger’s,” said Gustely. “The children who are often overlooked and underserved.” > > The program also serves children with behavioral and/or emotional challenges as well as life-threatening illnesses. > > Through the programs developed at Victory Gallop, youngsters learn about teamwork and goals, and they are challenged to work with the animals – horses, dogs, cats – as well as with people – instructors, volunteers, peers. They especially learn how to care for another living thing. > > “The children are often ‘tactile defensive,’ but they have to get the brushes and groom the horses; they have to put the saddle pad and the saddle on; they have to deal with a million different things going on,” said Miller… > > “For children with autism, wearing helmets is hard, pulling on boots is difficult, verbalizing with the volunteers is challenging,” Gustely added. “For children who sometimes cannot control a lot of what goes on in their lives, they learn to control a [horse], and they have fun doing it.” > > That occurs in three 12-week sessions a year. Each session has a theme, such as dressage or patterns or trail riding, and each session ends with a horse show and the chance for the riders to show off their newly developed skills. Classes are limited to four or five students, and students attend once a week during the session at a cost of $300 per session. Rider scholarships are available for anyone in need. > > Barb Greene, who has been involved with Victory Gallop on and off for more than 15 years as a board member, a volunteer and a grant writer, knows firsthand the impact of the farm and the program on children. > > “Victory Gallop creates this really warm cocoon of caring people that gives children with special needs a place where they can feel comfortable, feel special and feel at home,” she said. “You know, outside in the bigger world, these kids, because of their behavior, attract attention or curiosity. At Victory Gallop, their special gifts are appreciated and nurtured, and it’s wonderful to see a smile from up on top of a big horse that comes with that accomplishment.” > > …All 11 horses at the farm right now were donated; most come from local show stables or through contacts made through David Miller’s veterinary practice. > > …But as every nonprofit can attest, there are rolled-up sleeves behind the glow of positive exposure. > > “The hardest part of what Kim and I do is raising the funds to operate,” said Miller. That’s done for Victory Gallop by writing grants, soliciting community support, encouraging private donations and hosting two major fundraisers a year… Here is a link to photos: [https://m.facebook.com/pg/victorygallop/photos/?ref=page\_internal&mt\_nav=1](https://m.facebook.com/pg/victorygallop/photos/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=1) (source: [https://www.ohio.com/akron/news/twenty-years-of-victory-for-victory-gallop](https://www.ohio.com/akron/news/twenty-years-of-victory-for-victory-gallop)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 5:31am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1264 "2018-01-21T05:31:14Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. Here is a link to a video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mXFJ8S-boU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mXFJ8S-boU) (source: [Integrations Treatment Center in Wickliffe finds finds success with treating autism (with video)](http://www.news-herald.com/article/HR/20120501/NEWS/305019969)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 11:03am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1265 "2018-01-21T11:03:23Z")
The subject of recent posts has been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. The _Autism Society of Northwest Ohio_ provides support, education, and advocacy to individuals, parents, family members, and professionals affected by autism across the lifespan and the entire Autism Spectrum in 12 counties in Northwest Ohio… Here is a link to a video on a new way to support the _Autism Society of Northwest Ohio_: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKU1wJuKuuY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKU1wJuKuuY) (source: ) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 8:22am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1266 "2018-01-22T08:22:43Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. The _Center for Autism Services and Transition_ (_CAST_) is a Hilliard, Ohio-based nonprofit that is part of The _Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center_. The nonprofit provides integrated health care and services for individuals with autism at a single facility… > [@](#): > > The first time Marci Ingram uttered the word ‘autism’ publicly, she was standing before a crowd of hundreds at the inaugural Autism Speaks Walk kickoff in Columbus in 2008. She took the podium as the walk’s chair. She was its chief champion, fundraiser and spokesperson. It was time to talk. > > For more than a decade before Marci’s moment at the microphone, the word autism had hung heavy in the air – a constant, unspoken presence for her, her husband, Bill, and their son, Chris. > > “I could never say the word,” says Marci… > > It was 11 years before that Autism Speaks Walk when Marci and Bill first heard the diagnosis of autism for 4-year-old Chris. > > The Ingrams had older children, and they knew something wasn’t quite right. Chris didn’t respond in a typical way to people and toys and games. Eye contact was minimal; speech was delayed. The developmental milestones seemed not to apply. > > …the diagnosis came, but it came with a caution. The doctor who diagnosed Chris advised Marci against telling anyone, fearing the label would do more harm than good at school, with family and friends. > > When the Ingrams received that counsel from their physician, autism was straddling two very different medical realities. > > On one side was the century just ending, when renowned researchers touted their ‘refrigerator mother’ theory that cold, emotionally distant parents caused autism. It was not until the 1970s that the theory began giving way to scientific understanding of the disorder’s likely genetic origins. > > Today, autism has emerged from the whispery shadows. > > …Increased awareness and improved diagnosis are partial explanations. Research continues into causes and treatments. > > “We didn’t tell anyone about Chris’ diagnosis until he was probably 13 or 14,” says Marci. Family knew, and a few close friends. > > But staying silent meant secrets. It meant the status quo. It meant suffering alone and struggling to find the resources, research and people who could help Chris and others like him. > > Eventually, silence became too difficult, and when Marci and Bill began talking about their son, they discovered a world of other parents, caregivers, researchers, advocates and people needing help. “Once I started talking about it, I couldn’t stop,” says Marci. > > The Ingrams became an exceptionally formidable force – locally and nationally – in generating attention, advocacy and funding to unlock autism’s enduring mysteries. Funding for research was miniscule, and they were determined to get the best minds to work on the issue. > > In 2011, they pledged $10 million to pool the vast medical and scientific talent at Ohio State and Nationwide Children’s Hospital and fast-track their autism research. > > The Ingrams’ investment quickly began paying dividends with significant advances in human health – milestones upon which future discoveries will be built. One team of researchers from the two institutions uncovered the first evidence of a shared genomic link – genetic markers on chromosome 1 – between child prodigies and people with autism. > > …The Ingrams’ focus evolves with their son’s needs. They always need to be anticipating things, explains Marci. “What’s the next step? What am I worried about for Chris?” > > They are now staunch supporters of the _Center for Autism Services and Transition_… Personalized visits pull from a range of expertise: specially trained doctors, social workers and pharmacists, as well as education and community partnership referrals. > > The Ingrams’ vision is for [the Center for Autism Services and Transition] to become a national model for others to replicate. “They wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel,” says Bill. > Chris, now in his early 20s, is set to move back to Columbus from Tucson, where he has been studying and working. This brings new issues to the fore. An apartment that is safe, a good job, preparations for the future. > > The Ingrams want for Chris the same things all parents want for their children: a chance to use his talents, to test and prove himself against life’s challenges, to be happy, satisfied and loved. > > “He’s going to be a good citizen and pay taxes and be proud of what he’s doing,” says Marci. “He has a lot of dreams.” Here is a link to a video from the _Center_: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_1gcwky4EaA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1gcwky4EaA) (source: [Impact for Ohioans | The Ohio State University](https://www.osu.edu/features/2017/funding-the-future-of-autism-research.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 6:27am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1267 "2018-01-23T06:27:01Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. Across the Atlantic, _Ambitious about Autism_ is a United Kingdom-based nonprofit dedicated to improving opportunities for young people on the Autistic Spectrum, including those with Autism or Asperger syndrome. Originally established in 1997 as the _TreeHouse Trust_, the charity was founded by a group of individuals affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders… > [@](#): > > …[Nick] Hornby is just completing his third novel, but he has only ever written one brief newspaper article about [his son] and autism. This week sees the publication of Speaking With the Angel, a collection of new short stories edited by Hornby. The line-up is stellar (Roddy Doyle, Helen Fielding, Robert Harris, Irvine Welsh, Zadie Smith . . .); the common theme that the stories are all first-person narratives. But the object of the collection is to raise money… for TreeHouse, the special school that Hornby and his ex-wife …co-founded with several other parents of autistic children. > Besides contributing a story, Hornby has written an introduction which explains with eloquently suppressed anger why there is a need for schools like TreeHouse… > > And he describes in brief but telling detail a day in the life of not necessarily his own, but a typical family with an autistic kid: > “He sleeps five or six hours every night, in fact, which means that if he can be kept awake until, say, nine, then he will wake up at two or three. He is upset and frustrated, so he screams, and his parents, who have maybe slept three or four hours, feel a mixture of exhaustion and depression and panic - they live in a small flat, and the walls are thin, and they know that they are not the only ones who are disturbed on a nightly basis . . . It is six hours until one of them starts work (the other would like to work, but in the absence of any suitable school place for the child, it is not possible), by which time the child will have attempted to hurt himself by hitting himself hard and repeatedly on the head, and maybe thrown some food around, and refused to use the toilet and ended up soiling a carpet, and demanded in the only language he has at his disposal (one word, repeated with increasing force and volume) to go out to the park, even though it’s pitch black outside . . .” It goes on. Hornby, you know, has been there. > > …“It seems to me a song about disability,” he says …“It’s almost an autistic trait - lots of staring up into the sky and off into the distance. There does seem to be a sort of communion with something that you can’t see.” > > …[His son] was diagnosed with autism nearly five years ago, which is actually very young: the average age of diagnosis is nearer the age he is now, seven. This fact in itself means that many parents suffer an agony of anxiety and uncertainty about their child’s developmental and behavioural problems before they even hear an official pronouncement of “autism”. > “His birth was extremely difficult,” Hornby says, "so I think we both suspect that his condition is in some way connected to that… > > "When he was born he had a left-sided weakness. His head was down on one side, and he’s got a droopy eye. Something seems to be affected down his left side, although most of the physical symptoms have been corrected except for the eye. I would imagine it would have been some sort of brain damage. And that the part of his brain that was affected would be the part that would result in autistic symptoms. > > "Lots of parents whose kids are autistic suspect nothing until their kids are 15-18 months old. Because of [his son’s] birth difficulties, there had always been some slight worries about his development, but when he was 18 months he lost the language that he’d acquired more or less completely. He became almost catatonic. He didn’t want to go out very much, and would not make eye-contact with anyone who wasn’t me or his mum. There are phrases, little words that he had then which have still not come back. > So when did he and [his wife] realise [his son] was autistic? > "I think the word autism was floating about somewhere. I still remember it was something of a shock going for the first meeting in that we had a really bad time. We went to the health centre locally where there was a paediatric specialist. He was quite flustered. He looked at Danny - and at this stage we were still very tentative about what the problem was - and he suddenly said: ‘Global development delay . . . don’t really know . . . the hardest time is when he’s five or six; he’ll be much further behind the other kids . . .’ > “It was all a million words a second and devastating information. That was the real shock day. But then it was a year after that that Danny was finally diagnosed autistic. By then it was no surprise: we had come to our own conclusions. It seemed fairly certain to us.” > [Autism](https://www.theguardian.com/society/autism) is, as Hornby says, “a very, very wide term” - a spectrum condition: “It can be anything from not being able to recognise your own parents to being a bit funny when you’re studying Maths at Oxford.” Danny is probably somewhere towards the more severe end of that continuum, but each autistic child has particular characteristics, their own specific deficits of language acquisition and socialisation. > The common feature of autists is that they do not copy and therefore cannot learn as normal children do. Locked in their own private world, they are very sensitive about their personal space and ignore or actively repel attempts to engage with them. And, left to their own devices, autistic children often resort to extremely repetitive behaviour. TreeHouse’s approach is a constant effort to break down the barriers autists erect around themselves, to socialise them seemingly despite themselves. > TreeHouse, which now looks after 20 children daily for an extended school year, uses a system imported from the US called Applied Behaviour Analysis… Hornby takes me to see it. In the newest class, one teacher seeks to get a child who cries and constantly turns away from him to follow a simple drill. Compliance is encouraged by lots of praise, rewards, cuddles and tickles. To witness the therapy you might think it utterly thankless and pointless; but the results are also evident. In an older class, the children are sitting around having a picture-book story read to them. In the context, astonishing progress. > > “The process has gone far enough with Danny that he is beginning to spark a bit now,” says Hornby. “He is discovering more toys. He does become bored more easily. We are definitely seeing the benefits.” Danny even has a friend at TreeHouse: Toby. Until lately, this was inconceivable. > Another two schools, one in Wandsworth and another in Surrey, have just opened using the same system. Like TreeHouse, they have been voluntarily founded and are voluntarily funded. Five London boroughs now pay for children to attend TreeHouse, but before that few made much provision for autistic children. Hornby prefers not to be specific about the extent of his personal investment in the school, but he has signed a film deal for About a Boy and big publishing contract with Penguin “and TreeHouse has got a reasonable chunk of both of those”. > TreeHouse, which is now housed in borrowed premises in Bloomsbury, began in a room in a library at Swiss Cottage in north London. Hornby quips: “It could almost be a figure of speech like ‘a bull in a china shop’: ‘an autistic kid in a library’.” Humour, the kind of deadpan black humour that Hornby likes, seems to be a survival strategy he has developed. > “There is a lot about autism that is very funny, and you’d have to be the parent of an autistic child to appreciate it,” Hornby explains. > “Yesterday when I picked him up from school and we’d got back to the house, he had to come out again because we hadn’t rung the doorbell. I don’t know where that’s come from. It’s clearly something new that’s just started, but it’s done with such a neutral face that it’s actually very funny.” > Danny is doing well at school but, while there is no prognosis for autism, Hornby knows he has to be realistic about Danny’s progress and his future: “Autism, more than any other condition, leaves the parents with the sense that there might suddenly one day be a breakthrough,” he says. But he feels it is “unhealthy” to hold out too much hope of improvement, especially since autists seem to resist change. > “There are weird things like almost a constant need to be misunderstood,” Hornby observes, "so that the language he has acquired, which is in itself obscure, he then changes subtly - as if you’re understanding too much, which is an odd thing. > > …“There is a great temptation every now and then to say: ‘Cut this out, Danny. You know and I know . . . The joke’s over.’ Really!” > The TreeHouse curriculum includes drama and PE: “I don’t know what they do in drama,” Hornby chuckles with rueful irony. “It always says on his report at the end of the day, ‘Danny did very well in drama today.’” > But there hasn’t been a school production yet? “Not as such. Nor indeed a school football team.” > He jokes, but this must be a very real loss to him. “The only real way to survive is not to dwell on what isn’t going to happen,” he responds. "It is about living day to day with the pleasures I get from being with Dan. > “I think what kicks in is a sense of loyalty to him. In the same way that you’d be appalled by a parent obsessed with having a boy who wasn’t really interested in having a girl. I think that sense of who he is takes over very quickly, and you think: ‘OK, I’ve got a kid who doesn’t want to play football, doesn’t want to read, and that’s my kid and I love my kid.’ It would seem like a great act of disloyalty to him to wish he was some other way.” > Yet the strain of bringing up an autistic child has exacted a price. Although he speaks to and sees Virginia every day because of Danny, the couple are now divorced. The pressure of looking after Danny was, Hornby concedes, “a huge part” of why the marriage broke down. > “Obviously there are other things as well, but you never know whether they would have actually counted for anything, had we not had this,” he elaborates. "It’s like a barium meal. It exposes immediately whatever flaws there are. You can imagine a lot of couples who stay married with the same flaws but they kind of rub along fine, and maybe they have another child, and there’s not even the time to examine. > “Having Danny is like the stress of having a newborn permanently - that kind of disruption with a newborn’s first weeks, and there’s no change to that.” > How happy is Hornby now? A pause. “Not thinking too far ahead is one trick,” he says carefully. “Basically, each stage of Danny’s life seems just about cope-able with if you’ve got the right systems in place . . . For anyone who has any kind of crisis to deal with of a permanent nature, then eventually things fall around it. And, yes, writing is a solace and an escape. But I think it ends up informing your work.” > For all the struggle, anxiety and depression, I wonder, are there things that Hornby could be grateful for in the whole experience? > “Absolutely. I think in a way it makes you more intelligent about things, because you’re faced with harder choices and more complicated problems. You end up thinking about what constitutes love, what constitutes being human, what makes someone happy - what makes Danny happy. There is much more sense of thinking about what you want your life to be.” > …On November 23 there will be an evening of readings from the book and music at the Hammersmith Palais, London in aid of TreeHouse. Rob Newman will compere and Teenage Fanclub will play a set… Here is a link to a video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oxlPnE\_uvs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oxlPnE_uvs) (source: [About Nick's boy | Fiction | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/nov/08/fiction.nickhornby)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 8:55am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1268 "2018-01-24T08:55:07Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. To the north, _OHEYS_ is a Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada-based nonprofit that promotes the principles of healthy children and the full and active participation of children with Autism in its community. Its mandate is to provide affordable, accessible, direct activity programs to children and families with autism… > [@](#): > > What do an adult comedian and a 16-year-old scarf making queen have in common? > > Joking aside, when you meet Adam Schwartz and Sarah Erenberg you’ll see that both can wrap you in warmth; one will warm your heart with the gift of laughter and the other will wrap your soul in a cuddly and creative scarf. > > This dynamic duo both live with a diagnosis within the spectrum of autism. Both have giant hearts, and both are actively promoting autism awareness by giving back in their own unique ways to individuals with autism and to autism services in Manitoba. > > Sarah has been making her Heartistic Creations scarves with me (her mom) for two years, and has been giving a portion of her sales back to OHEYS (Optimal Health and Early Years Sports Club) autism programs in Winnipeg. In fact, it was the potential closing of her favourite OHEYS program, Games Club, that moved Sarah into making some money from her scarf creations and donating back to OHEYS. > > “Well I got started selling my scarves because my favorite autism group, Games Club – where I met lots of friends and played board games – was going to close because there wasn’t enough money to run it,” explains Sarah. “So, Mom and I had already made a few of these scarves together as gifts and I said let’s make more, sell them and make money for the Games Club so we can all go back, play games and have fun there,” she says. > > “We sold over 100 scarves in three months and the Games Club opened up again with the help of my big cheque. I’m actually in three OHEYS groups just so you know but Games Club was my favourite one,” adds Sarah. > > Just three months of scarf sales, through email and word of mouth, made it possible for Sarah to present a cheque for over $500 to Bennetta Benson, convenor of OHEYS programs. > > Sarah’s favorite selling pitch: “Just so you know, I’m a scarf maker now but I’m going to be a reporter later, but you can buy a scarf anyhow to keep you warm and so we can all go back to Games Club.” > > By the spring, after selling 128 scarves, her favourite OHEYS autism program was up and running again, and her scarves were adorning the snowy streets of Winnipeg in all the colours of a rainbow. > > So how does this scarf queen connect with comedian Adam Schwartz? > > Schwartz was on his own quest to give back to autism. > > …Now, Schwartz is preparing an evening of comedy later this month called, ‘Awareness Through the Auts’ featuring his own work, and that of five other comedians. > > All profit from this show will go to Autistic Productions (which is part of Asperger Manitoba Inc.), that is creating business grants for artists on the spectrum, like Sarah. > > Schwartz got connected to Sarah when the President of the Autism Society Manitoba passed on her name as an artist on the spectrum from whom she had purchased some lovely scarves. The rest, as they say, is history. > > “It’s important to do this because there are so many misconceptions about autism,” says Schwartz. “Art is a way of getting people to change their perceptions, but getting them to think that the realizations that they come to, they achieved on their own, therefore changing opinions and attitudes with the least amount of resistance,” he explains. “I saw that through my Fringe show and therefore, wanted to expand on this initial attempt by getting others involved.” > > Schwartz believes that Winnipeggers ‘aut’ to meet ‘autists’ on a spectrum that screams talent. So, he’s inviting everyone to experience ‘Awareness Through the Auts’ at the …September 27, featuring comedians …as well as ‘autists’ like Sarah promoting their businesses and talents. Sarah will be there in person selling her colourful scarves; she will be joined by other local artists on the spectrum, including author David Perlmutter, who will be selling his latest book. > > Together with the tremendous help of Adam Schwartz and the support of her parents, Sarah also now has her own website, where she sells her cuddly, radiant scarves. She hopes to one day receive one of the business grants that will eventually be offered by Schwartz, because she thinks it would help her to promote her scarves, get them into some stores and cover packaging costs. > > Schwartz says, there’s a lot we all ‘aut’ to know and support about autism. So, he’s encouraging the public to support these ?autists? who are giving back to each other, to autism projects, and to the public through their warmth, creativity and sense of social responsibility. > > ‘Awareness Through the Auts’ comedy show is on …September 27 …at 8 p.m. But, you may want to arrive by 7 p.m. to participate in a silent auction of beautiful creations by local ‘autists’… Here is a link to a video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hdc5uqh2ek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hdc5uqh2ek) (source: [A comedy show you ?aut? not to miss! ? Community News Commons](http://www.communitynewscommons.org/our-city/education/a-comedy-show-you-aut-not-to-miss/)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 8:36am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1269 "2018-01-25T08:36:55Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. On the other side of the globe, _Autism Surf Project_ is a Cape Town, South Africa-based nonprofit that teaches those with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including children to surf in in Cape Town… > [@](#): > > Sometimes, as surfers, we take for granted our ability to get away from the madness of life on land. The ease at which we can slip away for a few hours is overlooked, while we fill our stoke-meters. Not always, but sometimes. > > We should never take it for granted, nor should we keep it to ourselves. The joys should be shared, and that’s exactly what various organisations around the country have been doing. > > We’ve seen projects like Isiqalo, Umthombo and such sharing the joys of surfing with underprivileged youth from townships or the street. Last year we saw Surfing South Africa co-host the Extreme Abilites Adapted Surfing Day with stoked out organiser Dries Millard. > > And this Sunday, 20 October, the Autism Surf Project are hosting a Free Surf Day for autistic children and adults at Big Bay in Cape Town. They’ve extended an open invitation to parents with autistic sons or daughters to bring them along for a day of stoke. Volunteers are equally welcomed. > > The Autism Surf Project is an organisation based in Cape Town dedicated to teaching kids and adults with autism about using the ocean and surfing. The project teaches them the spiritual, emotional and physical power of the ocean, while also offering the opportunity to have some good, clean fun and make friends along the way. > > The event will kick off at 10:00am and those still looking to get involved are requested to please contact Catishka from the Autism Surf Project, so she may in turn let the lifeguards know how many can be expected. > > "Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. > > It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support. > > …Volunteers can get involved in many ways – whether as surf coach, or simply lending a board or a wetsuit. For those that don’t surf, there’s also help needed on land. If you’re interested in getting involved you don’t need to register, just bring down a beach bag and your family, and look for Katishka and her crew to assign you a role. > > The list is filling up with people registering for the day. Ages already range from three year-old grommets to frothing 29 year-end’s. On the beach there will also be a number of those beach games that we all love; bat and ball, cricket, soccer and some art activities once everyone’s surfed-out for the day. > > If parents are worried about their young ones having an anxiety attack, then it’s worth noting that ‘safe tents’ will be set up for kids to relax and read a book about the ocean. > > “It’s no secret that the parents of autistic children deserve a medal, it can be challenging at times. Relaxing on the beach can be a great way to have some down time, as well as learn from other parents and share advice about discipline, reward systems, therapies etc.” says Katishka. > > The Autism Surf Project is also looking for sponsors to help with financial aid to assist homes that have been effected by autism. They also hope that through sponsorship they’ll be able to make this a weekly event. > > So far the following sponsors have put their support behind the event: > Sunset Surf Shop, Joluka Wind Surfing (all the way from Joburg), Big Bay Lifesaving Club, and many individuals… (source: [https://www.zigzag.co.za/features/exclusives/spreading-the-stoke-autism-project-free-surf-day/](https://www.zigzag.co.za/features/exclusives/spreading-the-stoke-autism-project-free-surf-day/)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 5:50am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1270 "2018-01-26T05:50:14Z")
The subject of recent posts has been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. C. Dodson is an Autism Mum and Holistic Health Coach… > [@](#): > > …I remember when I started an autism nutrition diet for my son James. He was only 2 [and a half]. I decided to take out dairy first because I was still confused about what gluten was. I remember the first night I gave my son a little almond milk instead of regular cow milk before bed. He didn’t drink it. I felt like I was depriving him. I started questioning my decision already. The next night we tried the almond milk again, and once again he didn’t drink it. We sauntered off to bed, but this time when I leaned in to kiss him goodnight he didn’t turn away! This was the first time he let me kiss him square on the mouth! I remember cheering, clapping, and celebrating with tears flowing down my cheeks. I must have kissed him 50 times in a row. It was absolutely incredible! I decided right then and there that I would commit to doing whatever it takes to help my son. I felt empowered. I didn’t care that the pediatrician thought diets didn’t work. We just had to figure out how to help his little body heal so he would be able to express that love more easily. > > …The most important thing with autism nutrition is to get clear on your intention for changing your child’s diet. When you know your ‘why’ you can tolerate almost any ‘how.’ My ‘why’ was the fact that I wanted to connect with my son in a loving way. When I saw the spark of possibility in such a short amount of time, I decided that it didn’t matter how difficult it may be, it was worth it. The ‘how’ would come with dedication and practice. > > …There are several reasons a child may be limiting foods including food allergies or sensitivies; sensory difficulties; food and/or chemical addictions in processed foods; yeast, viral or microbial overgrowth; and control issues. > > …I started making meal time more of a game. If he didn’t eat what I made for him I told myself, “Great! Now there is more for me!” Don’t think of food as being wasted, but a valiant loving effort on your part to feed your child the best food possible. > > …Don’t worry if you offer a new food and your child doesn’t try it. It can take ten tries or more before a child might accept a new food. There are some people who save the food that wasn’t eaten and serve it for the next meal. (I tried this too. Unsuccessfully I might add.) I have found that waiting a few days before offering the food again will help the child be more willing to try it. > > …Kids love to play. With autism nutrition, consider the possibility that mealtimes can be a fun time to play. I know your mother probably told you not to play with your food. She probably wasn’t trying to feed a child on the spectrum either! > Here are some things I have tried that my kids enjoy: > > - Make faces on pizza with vegetables > - Cut fruit or veggies into fun shapes with mini cookie cutters > - Make a healthy dip they can dip their veggies in > - Use fun plates or utensils > - Read books with characters that eat healthy food > My kids are so competitive. They like to see who can finish first. The racing is not the best for digestion, but sometimes you just have to do whatever it takes to get the broccoli down! > > …I never realized how many steps there are to eating until I tried to feed James. When we started out he wouldn’t even tolerate certain foods on his plate. …Then I tried to just get him to take a bite. I remember putting the spoon up to his mouth to try and get him to taste it and he would start dry heaving before it even touched his tongue. My goodness. Once I got some food in his mouth I figured he would have to eat it. He refused to chew and would hold food in his mouth for over an hour. Through all this I have learned that there are many steps a child goes through to successfully eat a food. > These include: > > - Tolerating food on their plate > - Smelling it > - Touching it > - Putting food to their lips > - Touching it with their tongue > - Putting the food in their mouth > - Chewing the food > - Swallowing the food > Each step is one step closer to your child actually eating the food. Encourage your child when they make progress. “Wow, you touched it! So great!” Remember, patience is a virtue. > > …What foods could your child eat every day for the rest of his life? This is the key to getting your child to try new foods. Your job is to become a detective. What is it about the food that your child loves? Is there a certain texture, temperature, or flavor your child prefers? Are soft foods preferred over harder foods? Hot, cold, or room temperature? Spicy, bland, raw, or cooked? Once you discover what aspects it is about certain foods your child likes best, you can use that to your advantage when introducing new foods. > If your child likes crunchy textures you can make veggie chips. If they like soft textures you can make pureed veggies. Think mashed sweet potatoes. Veggies fries are also delicious too. My kids love dipping baked vegetable fries. They will gladly eat parsnip fries as long as they can dip it in ketchup. (Organic and gluten free ketchup without high fructose corn syrup, of course.) > > …I think we can all agree that the goal is to get our children to willingly eat a wide variety of nutritious fruits and vegetables every day. When your child has extremely limited eating habits it behooves you to get the food in whatever way is possible. This is where it pays to get a little sneaky. > Hiding veggies is one of my strong suites. There are many ways to do this. Shredded veggies can be added to breads or muffins. Pureed veggies can be added to muffins, meatballs, loafs, or patties, in pasta sauce or pancakes. (Use 1/4-1/2 cup of puree per cup of pancake flour mix.) > If you child likes juice or smoothies you are in luck! You can get just about any fruit or veggie down the hatch with a fresh juice or smoothie. This was my saving grace with James. I was juicing every day. I had four different juice recipes using different fruits and vegetables. When I knew he was drinking his juice at breakfast, it gave me peace of mind when dinnertime came. I knew if he didn’t eat anything for dinner, at least I knew he had a few servings worth at breakfast. > Now that I am working and the boys are going to school, I am so thankful to have found Juice Plus. It is an incredible whole food supplement made from whole fruits and veggies that comes in a capsule or chewable. Since taking Juice Plus, the boys have both been eating more fruits and vegetables. Once the body gets a taste of all those valuable nutrients, there is some metabolic reprogramming happening that helps them desire more! The trick is getting the food in the body in a way that is tolerated. > Trust your instincts when it comes to feeding your child. There are lots of experts out there with tips and tricks that are helpful, but nobody knows your child better than you do. You have a relationship with your child that trumps anybody else. The trust and love you share will be advantageous to your shared success. Trust that you can do it and then just go for it. Remember, if they don’t eat it, there is more left for you!.. Here is a link to a video: [https://vimeo.com/105280213](https://vimeo.com/105280213) (source: [Autism Nutrition for Picky Eaters - One with the Water](https://onewiththewater.org/autism-nutrition-for-picky-eaters/)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 5:44am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1271 "2018-01-27T05:44:57Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. Here is a link to a video from _Rosemary Hills Elementary School_, and specifically their Pre kindergarten classes for students with autism: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRJyH0a05GE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRJyH0a05GE) (source: [St. Adalbert’s takes first step in including autistic students | cleveland.com](http://blog.cleveland.com/newssun/2009/08/st_adalberts_takes_first_step.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 5:33am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1272 "2018-01-28T05:33:49Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. On the other side of the Atlantic, _Autism initiatives_ is an organization helping individuals in the United Kingdom… > [@](#): > > Autism Initiatives staff and service users were thrilled last Thursday to have a VIP visit from their [Liverpool Football Club] hero Steven Gerrard. > > Steven arrived at Autism Initiatives most recent Community Resource Centre, Kaleidoscope, in Kensington, to present the charity with a cheque for 12,000 [pounds]. The money was raised through the Steven Gerrard and Keith Duffy Charity Weekend last July which was generously supported by MACE in Ireland. The proceeds of the weekend have been split between Irish Autism Action and Steven Gerrard Foundation. > > Steven said "I’ve worked really hard to be where I am but I also know that I am very lucky and privileged, and it is a great honour to be in a position where I am able to give something back and help children that are most in need. > > Kaleidoscope was officially opened by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Sharon Sullivan, last December and as it’s name might suggest it provides a cornucopia of activities to people with autism, both in the Centre itself and using the local community facilities as well. > > Service users were delighted to see their famous visitor and sported …a red and white wig in celebration. Donna, one of our service users at Kaleidoscope, even made special cakes with red icing for the occasion. > > Autism Initiatives CEO Andrew Grainger said “This is a remarkable amount of money and Stevie can be certain it will be put to immediate and effective use. It’s also a great way of raising awareness about this condition which affects 1 person in every hundred. I cannot think of a …better way of heralding World Autism Awareness Day which falls on 2nd. April each year.” Here is a link to a video: [https://vimeo.com/249394058](https://vimeo.com/249394058) (source: [Steven Gerrard visits Kaleidoscope | Autism Initiatives UK](http://www.autisminitiatives.org/news-events/news-events-archive.aspx?ID=130)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 5:47am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1273 "2018-01-29T05:47:32Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. On the other side of the world, the _Autism Association of Western Australia_’s has a ‘First Steps for Autism’ therapy program. Co-located with _MercyCare Childcare Services_, the nonprofit’s centre in the Perth metropolitan area provides long day care for children with Autism, or those going through the diagnostic process, who are aged zero to five years… Here is a link to a video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cJ028TR-rs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cJ028TR-rs) (source: ) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 7:40am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1274 "2018-01-30T07:40:59Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. To the east, _ACEing Autism_ is a Boston, Massachusetts-based nonprofit that aims to enhance the lives of individuals affected by Autism, including children, through tennis. Its mission is to connect children with Autism through unique tennis programs, and to develop and advance proven methods to positively impact these children… Here is a link to a video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tSfCDM9eZ0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tSfCDM9eZ0) (source: [St. Adalbert’s takes first step in including autistic students | cleveland.com](http://blog.cleveland.com/newssun/2009/08/st_adalberts_takes_first_step.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 6:38am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1275 "2018-01-31T06:38:07Z")
The subject of recent posts has been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. To the east, _Sesame Workshop_ is the New York City-based non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street… > [@](#): > > It was a Thursday evening, and puppeteer Stacey Gordon was hard at work in her Phoenix, Arizona studio when she received the call of a lifetime. > Matt Vogel, _Sesame Street_’s Muppet Captain and Big Bird understudy, called to let Gordon know that the show’s producers picked her to play Julia, the first-ever autistic Muppet and a new addition to the broadcast. The call left her stunned – so much so, she almost couldn’t absorb the news. > “I thought he said a different name,” Gordon says, laughing. “And then I was like, ‘Wait. That was my name.’” > Now, as both a puppeteer and mom of a 13-year-old autistic boy, she’s “thrilled and indescribably honored” to operate a Muppet who will bring more awareness and compassion around autism into millions of children’s homes. > > Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind _Sesame Street_, [announced Sunday](https://mashable.com/2017/03/20/sesame-street-muppet-julia-autism/) that Julia would join the program’s regular cast. Julia isn’t exactly a new face ? she was [first introduced](https://mashable.com/2015/10/21/sesame-street-autistic-muppet/) in October 2015 as a digital Muppet through the organization’s broader autism initiative, _Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children_. But Julia’s creation as a walk-on character ushers in a variety of [new resources about autism](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8TioFHubWFtrZ_oqh1uqmijgSPt2ii_0) from Sesame Workshop, from English and Spanish-language ebooks to digital live-action segments on YouTube. > They’re resources Gordon wishes were around when her son was younger. His classmates often didn’t know how to react when he was having a hard time in preschool, and their parents would approach Gordon with concerns. > “If they understood autism, and if they were around this message of inclusion and understanding when they were in preschool, then I don’t know that we would have had to have those conversations,” she says. > > …The visibility of four-year-old Julia helps autistic children know that they aren’t alone, often teaching them what “autism” means for the first time. She can also teach non-autistic children about the disorder, and how to be accepting. > > “When you’re the parent of a kid with autism, you don’t ever leave it.” Sherrie Westin, executive vice president of global impact and philanthropy at Sesame Workshop, says reaching both of those groups of children was the goal, encouraging empathy and understanding. > > “The response to Julia was so enormous,” Westin says, referring to Julia’s appearance online and in animated storybooks. “When we launch an initiative like _Sesame Street and Autism_, it’s ongoing. It means there’s an area that we believe we should be addressing. It means there’s an issue that’s significant in terms of its impact.” > > Bringing Julia to life, she says, means reaching even more children and families. > > Sesame Workshop has worked with more than 250 experts and organizations within the autism community to help with its _See Amazing_ initiative. Gordon also uses her firsthand experiences with her son, as well as an autistic girl she used to work with, to portray Julia accurately. > “When you’re the parent of a kid with autism, you don’t ever leave it,” Gordon says. “You’re around it all of the time. So, I was able to see what he went through and his own sensory processing issues and things like that, and just kind of applied it to Julia.” > > “With any social impact initiative, we always start by learning.” For example, _Sesame Street_ viewers will see Julia get upset by loud sirens. She has trouble communicating with Big Bird when they first meet, leading Big Bird to think Julia doesn’t like him – something Gordon has seen happen with her son, too. The Muppet also has two separate sets of arms; one set is specifically for when Julia “flaps” her hands, a common form of stimulation for autistic kids. > > _See Amazing_ is one of many social impact initiatives from Sesame Workshop. Last year, it started [distributing high-quality educational resources](http://mashable.com/2016/05/23/sesame-irc-refugee-education/) to refugee children and also introduced [Zari](https://mashable.com/2016/04/07/zari-sesame-street/), the first Afghan Muppet, who talks about the importance of education for girls. It’s all part of inclusion and making sure a wide array of children are represented on-screen and online – what Westin calls “a core part of Sesame’s DNA.” And it starts with the community. > > “With any social impact initiative, we always start by learning,” she says. “We start by bringing together advisers. We have great in-house resources in terms of child development, but when there’s a particular area of expertise, like autism, we want to make sure we’re tapping those experts.” > > Gordon hopes Julia will help foster more acceptance, and also show that no one person’s experience with autism is the same. > > "It’s not in spite of autism that Julia brings gifts to Sesame > > Street, but it is through her autism." > “I asked my son once if he ever wished he didn’t have autism. And he said no, because he wouldn’t be himself without autism,” Gordon says. > She referenced a popular saying: It’s not in spite of autism that he does what he does, but it’s through autism. > "My hope is that – it’s not in spite of autism that Julia brings gifts to _Sesame Street_, but it is through her autism. > _Sesame Street_’s “Meet Julia” episode will air April 10 on HBO and PBS KIDS in the U.S., as well as Cartoonito UK, ABC Australia and Televisa in Mexico. A more global rollout of the episode is planned for later this year. Here is a link to a video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2iNFSSTugk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2iNFSSTugk) (source: [A puppeteer's personal story about bringing Sesame Street's first autistic Muppet to life | Mashable](https://mashable.com/2017/03/20/sesame-street-muppet-autism-julia/#FKxGZnfvkaq3)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 8:42am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1276 "2018-02-01T08:42:09Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. To the south, the _Booker Autism Foundation of Louisville_ (_BAFOL_) is a Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit that attempts to give Autistic individuals a chance… > [@](#): > > The Booker Autism Foundation of Louisville (BAFOL) was founded by Jasmine Booker who also serves as President and CEO. She has been implementing the overall development and managed all aspects of the foundation since April 2011 which includes organizing fundraisers, promotional management, strategic planning & development; marketing & social media; networking, event planning, and public speaking. In addition, Jasmine has been the sole financial contributor for everything towards BAFOL. > > HOW DID BAFOL GET STARTED? > Jasmine reached out for guidance from various organizations like NAA, ASA, and Autism One/Generation Rescue. Shortly afterwards, Jasmine collaborated with the Autism Society of America (ASA) in 2011 to launch a campaign with the 1 Power 4 Autism. Her drive and determination is exemplified through various functions she has sponsored in the community. Several examples include but are not limited to hosting a free fashion show for the Highland Business Association’s (HBA) BARDSTOWN BOWN BOOFESTIVAL where she raised $535.00 for ASA to bring more awareness for Autism Spectrum Disorders… She’s organized fundraisers for DCFW …participated in the ‘Toys for Tots’ Fundraiser Drive… Recently in December 2012, Jasmine was asked to sit on the Judges’ Panel for Dauphine of France Couture, LLC’s ‘Model Behavior’ Movie Casting Call. Directed by Chandra Peyton, the movie is set to be released in 2014. > > As of March 15, 2012, BAFOL was approved for its nonprofit corporation status… > > This Gonzales Family is one of BAFOL’s clients. Ms. Gonzalez is currently in search of proper employment and suitable assistance for herself and her four daughters, specifically Aimee. Her oldest daughter Aimee, who is Autistic and Intellectually Disabled, has a cyst on her pineal and tumor on her brain stem. Aimee’s medical condition causes her great pain and makes it difficult for her to live day-to-day normally. Only receiving minimum VA benefits and child support, Ms. Gonzalez is unable to fully cover living expenses or send Aimee to an Autistic Program that can work independently with her daughter. > > The video above features Aimee singing at BAFOL’s 1st Annual Fall into Artism Festival. As you can see, she’s a delightful young girl whose smile lights up a room. She has hopes of one day becoming a singer and dreams of helping others. When you first meet Aimee, her positive outlook on life is so contagious you wouldn’t think this precious young girl has a serious medical condition–The reality is she does. On 01/23/13, Aimee underwent surgery to relieve the swelling in her brain but, unfortunately, was readmitted back into the children’s hospital to undergo another surgery due to an infection that developed in her brain. BAFOL wants to do everything in its power to give this family all the love, support and humanitarian contributions necessary to assure the betterment of Aimee’s health. It’s going to take donations from kind-hearted strangers, like you, to make this possible. The act of kindness given to BAFOL will be reinvested in assisting families like Aimee’s who so deserve a chance to live a stress free life. > > …Let’s bow our heads and lift up our voices …so this young girl [has] the strength to endure and overcome. (source: [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/booker-autism-foundation-of-louisville#/](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/booker-autism-foundation-of-louisville#/)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 5:34am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1277 "2018-02-02T05:34:21Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. To the northeast, _Autism Cape Breton_ is a Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life of Cape Bretoners living with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Its programs offers typical social experiences in an environment that is safe and supportive to the needs of its participants… Here is a link to a video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsRufrJCcdk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsRufrJCcdk) (source: ) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 5:43am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1278 "2018-02-03T05:43:32Z")
The subject of recent posts has been on Autism-related events and organisations in the American state of Ohio. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the _Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School_ in Pontypridd, Wales, in the United Kingdom hosts a small Local Authority Communication Disorder Unit for students on the autistic spectrum. Students in the Unit follow individual learning programmes and are integrated as fully as possible into the life of the school. The Unit is recognised as a centre of good practice by _Autism Cymru_… > [@](#): > > Our Film of the Month winner for March 2017 is _Autism Awareness_, a film made by a group of young people aged 12 - 16 from the Communication Disorder Unit at Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School …who all have autistic spectrum disorder, and wanted to let the other staff and students at their school know what it’s like attending an institution with 100% non-autistic rules. > Engaging for those aged 7+, the film begins with a spy-thriller style musical theme, as _Autism Awareness_ sets the viewer up for the mission that the pupils of HQ have set themselves in trying to make the world 100% autism-friendly. Using animated personas set against playfully used documentary footage and photography of their school environment, the pupils of HQ give their point of view and ask others to think twice before making assumptions. > The filmmakers explain the challenges that the mainstream world presents, and how sometimes the reactions of their neurotypical teachers and fellow pupils make getting through a school day even more difficult. Through battling walls of noise, confusing figures of speech, and intense situations like the sport dodgeball, the pupils reveal how these situations affect them. Frankly stating their feelings and appealing for greater understanding, this short film is an important first step on their mission. Here is a link to an Autism awarenss video from the school: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSnlt5Sg6Is](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSnlt5Sg6Is) (source: [News & Views - 'Autism Awareness' is March's Film of the Month - News - Into Film](https://www.intofilm.org/news-and-views/articles/autism-awareness-fotm)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2018, 4:56am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1279 "2018-02-04T04:56:33Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. The _Children’s Home of Cincinnati_ is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based nonprofit that helps individuals on the Autism Spectrum… > [@](#): > > After the [Cincinnati Bengals](http://bleacherreport.com/cincinnati-bengals) defeated the [Baltimore Ravens](http://bleacherreport.com/baltimore-ravens) in Week 17, the [Buffalo Bills](http://bleacherreport.com/buffalo-bills) [promised](https://twitter.com/buffalobills/status/947647838741237760) to send them [food] as a token of appreciation for helping them clinch a playoff berth. > > They honored their word and shipped 1,440 from Duff’s Famous Wings to Cincinnati on Thursday night. > > Following the Bills’ charitable lead, the Bengals served the wings at the Children’s Home of Cincinnati. > > Safety George Iloka [helped distribute them](https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/madisonville/buffalo-bills-send-wings-to-bengals-fans) at the center’s autism high school. > > The Bills will play their first postseason game in 18 years Sunday against the [Jacksonville Jaguars](http://bleacherreport.com/jacksonville-jaguars). Fans have shown their gratitude to the Bengals by raising [over $315,000](https://twitter.com/andydalton14/status/949131546405023745) for [Andy Dalton](http://bleacherreport.com/andy-dalton)’s foundation. They also contributed at least $20,000 ([Tyler Boyd on X: "Thank You to the Bills entire fan base. What great people you are 🙏🏾🙏🏾. We have reach our primary goal with 20k and any other donations will still be excepted as well" / X](https://twitter.com/boutdat_23/status/948708659873353728)) to Tyler Boyd’s youth football organization in light of the duo’s game-winning touchdown connection that eliminated the Ravens. (source: [Bengals Serve Buffalo Wings Sent by Bills at Children's Home of Cincinnati](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2752738-bengals-serve-buffalo-wings-sent-by-bills-at-childrens-home-of-cincinnati)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 8:09am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/1280 "2018-02-05T08:09:07Z")
The subject of recent posts has mainly been on Autism-related events and organisations in the state of Ohio. Over in California, _Air Hollywood_ is an aviation motion picture studio located in Los Angeles that has been the used in hundred of films of television shows. The production facility administers several public programs to encourage confidence in flying by using an immersive environment including ‘Open Sky for Autism’… Here is a link to a video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrbAZ3-wemI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrbAZ3-wemI) (source: [Oakstone Academy educates students on spectrum - CityScene Magazine](http://www.cityscenecolumbus.com/communities/westerville/oakstone-academy-educates-students-on-the-autism-spectrum/)) [Previous page](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615.md?page=63) [Next page](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615.md?page=65)