Sequoyah/Macomb Intermediate School District student Duane Jones is just 9 years old; but autism has ensured he has already endured a lifetime of doctor visits, pokes, prods and therapies, as well as curious stares from other children.
His mother Shell Jones, a Shelby Township resident, has formed a non-profit organization she hopes will give her son, and many others with autism, an opportunity to experience the fun of childhood.
“Because I had to take my son to different therapies and things like that, I want him to see the other side of the coin - that life is not all about doctors and blood drawing and therapies. Kids will be kids and they like to have fun,” Jones said.
Jones is hoping to create a place of understanding, therapy and fun for autistic children and their families, a place called Play Place for Autistic Children. The focus of the Play Place would be to create an environment that combines fun with the stimulation and therapy that autistic children need in a comforting environment. Not only could autistic children enjoy a 4D movie theater, playscape, carousel and other activities in a 15,000 square foot facility, but they could also take necessary therapy sessions such as speech therapy and learn to better endure chores such as getting a haircut, according to Jones.
A fundraiser for Play Place for Autistic Children will be held at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Macomb Township at 8 a.m. on June 29. Cost to participate is $125 per golfer. The event will also include meals and a silent auction. Reservation deadline is June 25…
Jones hopes to locate the play place on property along Hall Road, as it is a high visibility area at a mid-point in Macomb County. Fundraising will help obtain property and also help with the expense of building the facility itself…
“Going through the necessary steps to get where we wanted to be, with therapists and doctors visits and things of that sort, I found that there was a need of a community support in terms of families and the kids themselves,” Jones said.
The play place will offer parents of children with autism the opportunity to form support groups, share coping ideas and medical or therapeutic information.
“I take the approach where everyone else is doing research and therapy and biomedical sources and things like that,” Jones said. “No one focuses on the family scenario.”
Families who have children with autism often feel that they must retreat into their own homes due to children who do not want to go out due to socialization issues, and divorce rates among families where a child has autism are as high as 80 percent, according to Jones.
“I want to create a community that embraces the families and lets them know they are not alone,” Jones said.
Jones envisions play place as a spot where families with autistic children can let their guard down and have fun in a place where other families are sympathetic and understanding.
According to Jones, one source of inspiration for the Play Place was Dr. Richard Solomon, the medical director of the Ann Arbor Center for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The center offers the Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters Project, which teaches play-based intensive intervention techniques.
“I found that to be very, very helpful as a parent,” Jones said.
Taking Duane to Chuck E. Cheese also helped inspire the idea, according to Jones. She said her son needed to use occupational therapy to try to put coins into slots in order to see, for example, Sponge Bob Square Pants running across a stage.
As a precursor to an actual Play Place, Jones’ organization held a free family fun festival for autistic children in April …that was attended by 225 people.
“It was amazing, it was so electric,” Jones said. “The parents were so elated and very appreciative and grateful.”
Jones first founded Play Place for Autistic Children as a non-profit organization in February 2011. Its board of directors consists of four members, and a fifth is being sought.
Eventually, Jones hopes that there will be Play Places for Autistic Children nationwide.
“I think that everywhere that these families exist, this should exist,” Jones said. “Michigan is the perfect place for it to start. We are the fourth most affected state in the country.”
Jones said her son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 1/2 …She became concerned about him following a visit to a friend’s house. The friend had a son six months younger than Duane, and he was able to copy simple behaviors he had observed, such as sticking out his tongue when someone stuck their tongue out at him. Jones knew her son would not do this.
“I watched him as a mom and I thought something was wrong,” Jones said. “I did not know anything about autism, but I knew something was wrong. I did not know what it was.”
Jones began to suspect autism after hearing a report on it that was featured on the “Today Show.” A few doctors’ visits later, her suspicions of autism were confirmed.
Duane has shown significant progress, as he is now able to command a few phrases. Jones said he has not yet become conversational. Hyperbaric chamber therapy and biomedical treatments have also been helpful in making an impact on Duane, according to Jones. Kori, Duane’s 3 year old sister who is not autistic, has also made a difference in terms of getting Duane to interact, Jones said.