'Agricultural specialisterne': rural employment revolution for those with Autism

[Visionary7903]

The subject of the last post was the Autism Skateboarding Foundation, or A.Skate. A.Skate (which stands for ‘Autism: Skating with Kids through Acceptance Therapy and Education’) is an Alabama-based nonprofit whose goal is to teach kids on the Autism Spectrum to skateboard and teach awareness to a demographic that might not otherwise know about Autism. A.Skate has established successful programs across the United States and in Ireland serving over 4,000 children with Autism each year. ‘Heart Child’ is a recently-made documentary film about 29-year-old Crys Worley, the founder of the A.skate Foundation and mother of nine-year-old child on the Spectrum, Sasha…

…Who is Chrys Worley? She is a mother you NEED to meet. She’s a single working mom raising two kids, Sasha (who is autistic) and Fallon. She realized early on that Sasha is drawn to skateboarding and that other kids like him may respond to this creative and athletic outlet. It turns out, she was right and A.Skate was born. The organization’s mission is unique: “Skating with kids through acceptance, therapy and education.” People that skateboard understand this. Skateboarding is certainly therapeutic.

…“Kids with autism are amazing… they don’t let life pass them by,” says Chrys. Sasha is fascinated by car washes, and Chrys encourages this hobby, even taking him to receive an award from a national car wash organization. She does this because it brings Sasha bliss. Chrys doesn’t let autism stop Sasha from experiencing life.

If you haven’t seen Heart Child, please, please, please figure out a way to make it happen. It got its start on Kickstarter and the enthusiasm is infectious. It’s important that people see it. Why? You will be in awe at Chry’s resiliency despite constant setbacks. It really empowered me to find the strength at the end of a long day, even when it is seemingly nonexistent. What would life be like without challenges? You will watch Chry’s composure and determination and feel enlivened.

If you haven’t heard of Heart Child there is a good reason why. It’s a completely independent film, and as such, is working within the parameters of an extremely low budget. It’s a lot like the organization that it is profiling: scrappy, full of heart and pure love at its core…

Here is a link to a trailer on the documentary, ‘Heart Child’: HEARTCHILD Trailer - YouTube

(source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eva-glettner/skateboarding_b_2251604.html)