Category Archives: autism

Sweetie and SuperPizzaBoy on Television

Guess What! SuperPizzaBoy’s school, Town and Country School, here in Tulsa moved into some spacious new digs over the summer. Everybody is under one roof and we have lots of extra room to grow. Town and Country School is a private school that specializes in kids that have learning differences such as ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome. SPB has been there since Third Grade and the school has been a life saver for him and other children.

Channel Eight here in Tulsa showed up last week to do a story on the school. Sweetie (aka Heather Bates) was interviewed. While she is talking there is video of SuperPizzaBoy doing his rarely seen academic act.

KTUL.com – Tulsa, Oklahoma – News, Weather

I’m so proud of everybody. The Head of School has provided a big dose of leadership doing the move and afterward. Of course at small private schools everybody has two or three jobs to do right.

And being the wicked witch at Halloween is one of them. Of course a smile like hers gives it away.

And here are the two stars of the show!

Do I need to get them an agent?

The Autism Revolution – Whole Life Strategies for Making Life All It Can Be.

The Autism Revolution is an extraordinary book. It is a book written by a Martha Herbert, MD, PhD a Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Karen Weintraub, a journalist. The book is extraordinary because the authors step beyond the research to talk about what they see and what they think about autism and how to treat it. They discusses the research into the causes of autism and how inconclusive they are. Yes there is a genetic component but it is much more complicated than one would think.

They gives strategies about what parents can do now, mainly the environmental and nutrition factors that can be influenced to maybe ameliorate the effects of autism. They concentrates on basic things that can do no harm such as eating a varied organic diet rich in fruits and vegetables and selected supplements. They admit freely that she is running ahead of the science in these matters.

I’m a hard edged guy when it comes to research and really prefer peer reviewed double blind crossover studies to anecdotal parent observations but you know something our kids are not science experiments and complicated genetic data doesn’t matter to most parents what they want to know is how they can help their kids now. This book gives some ideas for parents on how to help their kids and the advice given certainly won’t hurt anybody. The approach taken is that autism is something that needs to be “worked.” Something that most parents, especially the moms, understand

I give five stars out of five to this book. We got ours at the library but we are going get our own copy.

There is a companion web site to the book called AutismWhyAndHow. Lots of good information there.

Autism Center of Tulsa Ready, Set, Run 5K

Last Saturday the Autism Center of Tulsa had their Ready Set Run 5K and Fun Run. I got to help out getting ready on Friday night.

I’m on the sign crew. The race starts and ends at Hunter Park and extends out back along the Creek Turnpike Trail so the course is a little complicated and needs lots of signs.

Robert and Shannon my coworkers putting out signs.

I keep telling Shannon that drinking and driving don’t mix.

To the right everybody!

For the big sign out in front of the park Robert shows off his manly form.

And then it is Brian’s turn. I’d help, but somebody has to record these things for posterity, right? I’ mean I could do it, but my motto is not to mess with people who are in the groove, and these guys are definitely in the groove.

Then Michelle shows up and gives us all a lesson on proper zip ties.

Wow, that Brian is a steel post driving machine!!

The next day the 5K’ers show up for the race. I saw the famous Trail Zombie. Talk about machine he was running this race and then going to Turkey Mountain to run some trails with a friend and then headed to Stillwater for his third run and second race of the day.

So the race went on and everybody had a good time!

Ready Set Run 2012

What do you have planned on the morning of Saturday, May 19?
Do you like exciting racing?

Sports Mascots?

Do you want to be fawned over by cheerleaders?

Hang out with hot women?

See happy kids?

Or get a nice sweaty hug?

Join our team, Logan’s Free Time, (because as you may know, nothing is more important than free time to teenagers) raising funds for the Autism Center of Tulsa.

You can register for the race, or donate money by clicking the link below.

Logan’s Free Time Running Team

Temple Grandin Came to Tulsa

Temple Grandin, Americas’s most famous person with autism, gave a talk in Tulsa Tuesday night at a packed house at Tulsa Community College’s Southeast Campus.

She talked for an hour over a wide range of topics. Much of it was centered on different ways of thinking among people and also on how animals think. She is as famous in the livestock facility industry as she is in the autism world. Much of her success is because she is able to get inside a cow’s head and see what they see.

She talked about how that many people with autism and animals live in a sensory based world. They take particular notice and respond to the details of the sights, smells, and textures around them. She calls that “bottom up” thinking as opposed to “top down” thinking. In her view top down thinking is driven by verbal thinking and tends to drown out notification of details.

She told us that she is a visual thinker and talked about the advantage of visual thinking. One example she gave was the Japanese nuclear reactor that failed during the tsunami last year. She said that a visual thinker would have never put the backup electrical generators in the basement of building so close to the ocean. She also talked about the BP Macondo oil spill and how BP was worried more about slips, falls, and scaldings than they were about well safety. On the day the well blew out BP personnel on the drilling rig could have been written up for drinking coffee in a cup without a lid.

She spent some time on America’s educational system and how the “hands on” classes that are so important to sensory thinking people like sewing, welding, carpentry, and auto mechanics are being eliminated. She talked about how American corporations are moving their research and development facilities overseas because they cannot find enough scientists and engineers here in the USA.

She covered a wide range of topics. She was lively, spunky, and interesting and had a great sense of humor. The hour was up in what seemed like fifteen minutes and she got a standing ovation afterwards.

Of course, what she said was important but important, especially to those of us who are parents of children with autism, is the example she sets for us and our kids. She really is our hero.

If she comes to your city, I strongly recommend that you go see her.

Oklahoma Autism Conference

Sweetie and I attended the Oklahoma Statewide Autism Conference last weekend in Norman, Oklahoma.

The conference was about the nuts and bolts of autism and its treatment. Not about what causes autism or what is going to cure it. It was about basic information on therapies and interventions. Plus how to deal with the ongoing war that parents have with public schools trying to get the education and help that their children have a right to.

(I got a bad case of “conferencitis” and had to get outside and get myself centered. The conference was held out in the middle of nowhere. Nothing like good honest grass, trees, and skies to get my head back on straight.)

I attended three dynamite presentations. Dan Coulter gave the keynote address. He He got diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 2009 at age 59. He gave us Aspie parents hope about our kids future as he discussed his career as a public relations executive with AT&T and later Lucent Technologies and the business that he started and runs.

(I saw lots of places to place an “Autism Conference Geocache” next year. To help other folks with conferencitis who have to get outside and get some fresh air.)

Registered dietitian Elizabeth Strickland gave a great talk about nutrition and gut problems in kids with autism and what can be done about it.

(A general aviation airport nearby. I love the control tower, I love what I call “Okie mid century modern red brick” architecture. I hope the mid century modern Nazi’s stay off my butt. Then can’t even agree among themselves what mid-century modern but they jump all over my butt. whenever I venture a comment on the subject.)

Dianne Twachtman-Cullen, PhD, editor in chief of Autism Quarterly presented on the importance of Executive Function supports in the school setting. It was very eye opening.

There were many other presentations. It was nice to get away and learn new things. There were other Autism parents from Tulsa that we hung out with.

Check out my first link above. It will take you to links where you can download the presentations and notes.

Jenks Buddy Baseball

Sunday afternoon we ventured to the Tulsa suburb of Jenks to their high school baseball field.

The Jenks High School Baseball Team was having their fifth “Buddy Baseball” day. They invite children with autism to come play some baseball. Each child is paired with two “buddies,” baseball players who spend the time with the kids. This was SuperPizzaBoy’s first time to participate.

His buddies were Eric and Bryce, both varsity baseball players.

They went out and warmed up with SPB. Poor kid, he has bad sports genes. I was the worst little league baseball player ever. No lie.

The kids got to bat from a tee, field, run the bases, the whole deal.

Give each other high fives.

The Jenks high school cheerleaders showed up.

After the game there were smiles all around.

And of course pizza, of course pizza.

We are now big fans of Jenks High School.

Thanks so much Eric, Bryce, their fellow teammates and coaches, and cheerleaders. We appreciate you so much.

Our World

Camp Grey Squirrel

Our son, SuperPizzaBoy, attended Camp Grey Squirrel this week. Camp Grey Squirrel is Oklahoma’s first resident camp for children with autism. It is located at the Methodist Boys Ranch near Gore, Oklahoma in the Cookson Hills near Lake Tenkiller. Sweetie and I wanted him to have a good time at the camp and this is the first time he had been gone from family for more than an overnight stay with friends.

We walked in the door and we both could tell from the look on his face that he had a wonderful time. I have to admit that it brought tears to both of us. He was really happy.

We could tell that the campers and staff had bonded very well. They were a happy group.

Key to the success of the camp were the buddies that each camper had. The buddies were teenagers from Four Winds Church in Conway, Arkansas. Kudo’s to Four Winds Church, and to the buddies, is what the Yogi’s have to say. Here is SPB’s buddy, J from Four Winds Church.

The buddies help the campers stay organized and on task and help them as needed. They are all volunteers overseen by adults. The buddies even paid their own expenses. They were really a blessing to all the campers and the parents of the campers. We are very thankful for J, her fellow buddies, and the adults that accompanied the buddies.

The Camp is not a religious camp per se and no religious instruction or presented. The young people from Four Winds provided a powerful witness to their faith.

Of course, we peppered SPB what he did and he was long on adjectives and short on information, “It was great.”

Fortunately, he took his camera along and even participated in a photography class. So the following are SPB’s pics.

The above is not at the camp but is a pond near the swimming pool they used.

And of course a picture of dorky old dad.

He made lots of self portraits,

He and his friend found a dead bird so they buried it. SPB told me that it was bloggable.

The swimming pool,

No modern day tweenager is ever very far away from Legos.

The camp was electronics free, thank goodness!!

They went horseback riding. He tells me that he took this pic during his photography class. I kind of like it. But I’m biased.

Not a half bad reflections shot.

This is what it is all about.

We are big fans of Camp Grey Squirrel. He is going again later this summer. If you know somebody who might be interested send them the link to the web site.

Proprioception, Vestibulars, and a Trampoline

Our Son SuperPizzaBoy has a form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome. He has not only social issues but issues involving where his body is in space, (“proprioception“) and his vestibular system. You can check the links out for more information because I’m not sure what it all means except that SPB loves to jump on his trampoline and he wore it plumb out. It makes him feel better and he jumps a lot and he jumped on the trampoline so much that it just wore out.

So Sweetie and I had an emergency consult. I was at work, so we agreed that I would stop at Academy on the way home and get a new mat for our trampoline. I mean the frame was good but it is cheaper to buy a new trampoline than it is to get a new mat, new springs, and new spring cover. So that’s what I did.

Son liked the way we were thinking.

He even helped by taking the old springs off. I mean the dude not only wore the mat out, he wore the springs out also!! That kid is a serious trampoline jumper. You see it makes him feel better, it helps him organize his thoughts.

We got the new mat and springs going. He kept asking if it were done yet. “Not yet son, I’m still working on it.”

Of course, you have had heard the old joke, how long does it take Yogi to change a light bulb? All day, that’s how long.

The next day he was giving it a workout though.

He jumps almost every day if the weather is good.

He loves it. Jumping helps him organize his thoughts.

Do I understand it, no, not really, I just know that it works. Sweetie and I will do what it takes to keep the young man jumping for as long as he wants.

I’m sure you understand!

Ready, Set, Run 2011

Saturday, the Autism Center of Tulsa had their annual Ready, Set, Run 5K and Fun Run at Hunter Park. It is a major fundraiser for the orgainization and a celebration of the Heroes of the event which are the children who have been diagnosed with a form of autism. The idea is to form teams around the Heroes. Our Hero is SuperPizzaBoy.

(Don’t worry about the trampoline, the mat has been replaced and it is back in service. I am a little worried about the maniacal grin though. What do you think?)

His team was called “Logan’s Stormbreakers.” He had a scheduling conflict and couldn’t make it. Sweetie was his ride so she didn’t make the event either.

From left to right, Jonni, lucky Me, and Alyssa. I don’t know how I got in between two of the hottest women at the event. They are also two of the hottest mommybloggers in Tulsa. Jonni has That’s Baloney. She has a a great sense of humor and if you want to know what it is like being a mother to a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, hers is the blog to start with. Alyssa’s blog is Out on a Lam. She has a great sense of humor and blogs a lot about her children and her views on life in Oklahoma. Both are must reads whenever they post for me.

Alyssa was also nice enough to join SPB’s team and run in the 5K race. Kudo’s to you Alyssa. Jonni’s team for her son Michael was “The M Team.” She didn’t run the race, her husband “Doc” did. As usual, he kicked my butt, so I guess Jonni kicked my butt by proxy. Alyssa and Jonni are both killer facebook scrabble players.

The 5K is fun and all that but the big thing at this race is the Fun Run. This where the families who are affected by autism line up and walk around the pond at Hunter Park.

The line is incredibly long. The gun sounds and everybody proceeds in a leisurely stroll.

Since SPB wasn’t there, I started at the very last of the line with the team sign. It took about 10 minutes just to get to the starting line.

The event was very successful in terms of raising money, raising consciousness, and generating fun. I helped out a little bit before the run but there were some very hard working staff and volunteers.

Jennifer is a cofounder and codirector of the Autism Center of Tulsa, (“ACT”)and one of the nicest persons I’ve ever met.

Michelle and Robert. Michelle is also a cofounder and codirector of the organizaation. Her husband Brian is great guy and was SPB’s soccer coach for several years. Robert and I worked together the night before the event putting up signs and marking the course.

Christine is a hard working member of ACT and genuine nice person.

Shannon was in charge of the volunteers. She also put up signs and banners the night before the event. She is tireless and a demon facebook scrabble player besides.

We all had a lot of fun and am looking forward to next year.

YogisDen.us

Welcome to my world