“Mr. Don” urges two distracted children to dip fingers into the bowl of flour-and-water paste between them.
“You need to be close to share,” he reminds them.
They are supposed to be gluing newspaper strips to a balloon held by an adult, but have trouble seeing the point of the task and seem ready to spring away from the table at any moment. So Don Boulanger, a pediatric occupational therapist, gently herds eight young minds and bodies through the challenge of sitting still and making something together.
“I like how you’re sticking with it,” he says.
For most children, a lesson in social skills starts with ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ But for the quiet, watchful [children from the age of 7] who attend this weekly class at Children’s Therapy Associates in Bradenton, it is more about taking turns on an obstacle course, making eye contact when tossing a ball and not shrinking from the touch of papier-mache or another child’s hand.
The free class is sponsored by Face Autism, and designed for young people who have to put a lot of effort into a simple hello.
…Colleen Buccieri’s godson Jordan Soriano, 11, a tall and gentle boy who beams throughout the one-hour class, inspired Face Autism. Seeing few resources for parents in this area, she started a tiny but busy collective that offers free screenings for children from 18 months to 4 years, recommends doctors and specialists, and generally helps families affected by autism feel less alone.
Marina Manjarrez, 8, is on her second journey through the three-month course that her mother Vikki says ‘changed her life.’
…“Normally, she would not go into a group situation at all,” Manjarrez says. “Now she’s braver, and trying new things.”
Manjarrez and Robin Henderson perch on chairs on the play area’s edge, watching their daughters gently pummel each other with big, pink pillows. Because boys are three to four times more likely to be autistic, Henderson says, she was grateful when the girls found each other in class.
Marina “woke up this morning looking for Alexandra,” says Manjarrez. “Of course, when she sees her she has a hard time saying anything to her.”
Guiding the children through ever-changing activities, Boulanger and his fellow therapists remind them to say each other’s names, take turns and even hold hands. The way they process sensory information – a loud noise, or the feel of their own clothing – makes that difficult.
“They need to control everything that’s happening in their world, because they have so much anxiety and uncertainty,” he said.
But just getting through a craft session without a lot of hand washing can make regular school painful for a child with autism.
“Most are what we call tactilely defensive,” said Boulanger. “They have a tough time with messy mediums…”
