Adventure #16: We got a dog!

Meet the newest animal in our home:  Sully!  He is a Labrador and Staffordshire Terrier mix.  And yes, as my sister Erin quickly busted me, a Staffordshire Terrier is a sneaky way of saying pit bull.  But rest assured, we aren't drug dealers.

He is a super sweet, smart dog.  Now, I do hate puppies, so I am hoping his need to eat my shoes and jump up on everyone passes quickly!

ABC News article About Getting Special Needs Kids Out!

This is a great article about the expanded access of activities that can be so difficult for special needs kids.  Movie theaters, Santa Claus visits, restaurants, all things we have to avoid with Noah but would love for him to participate with us.  The article addresses whether setting up a movie theater showing as "Autism Friendly" is isolating these special needs kids.  I strongly disagree.  It allows parents to INCLUDE their child in something that they are normally excluded from because they can be so disruptive to others who don't understand and don't want their experience distracted by a special needs kid.  To speak for many, I would say all parents of special needs kids would like to expand their child's skills so they can attend any event.  These special needs events give children practice they would otherwise likely not have and give parents a far less stressful time out with their child.  And that haircut experience is exactly like the last time Noah had a professional cut...uggh.

From Haircuts to Movies, Businesses Reach Out to Autism Families By DAN CHILDS ABC News Medical Unit Oct. 21, 2009—

go.com

Judith Ursitti was not the first parent to dread taking her child to get a haircut. After all, kids fidget. They protest. And most will not be content until the cape comes off, the loose hair is brushed away and the stylist hands them a piece of candy or gum.

But for Ursitti, the experience with her 6-year-old son, Jack, was far worse.

"It would just be such a tantrum – he would just fall apart," said Ursitti, who lives in Dover, Mass. "Jack just wouldn't have any of it – he was just fighting a clawing. Basically it always ended up being a headlock situation, where I would hold him down and tell the stylist to cut as quickly as possible.

"We did manage to get a haircut, but never a good one. It was just so traumatic."

Doctors diagnosed Jack with autism four years ago. Ursitti said Jack today is considered to be on the severe end of the autism spectrum. And while he is making progress in communicating with others, there are still hurdles when it comes to certain activities – in many cases, activities that other families take for granted.

"Going into new places and transitioning into an environment where something unusual is going to happen is very, very difficult for children with autism," Ursitti said.

But today, a growing number of businesses are learning to make special accommodations for parents of children with autism. For Ursitti, a joint effort between the support and awareness group Autism Speaks, the salon chain Snip-Its and Melmark New England proved to be a godsend. Working together, the organizations developed a guide to help professionals and parents avoid some of the problems that arise when an autistic child gets a haircut. The principles of the guide are applied at Snip-Its, where Jack now gets his haircuts.

"There's something about that experience that really can be very challenging," said Peter Bell, executive vice president of Autism Speaks. "One part may be sitting still in a chair. Some of it also has to do with sensory issues – the clippers going close to the ears. All of these things really seem to interfere with a child with autism, and all of these things can be very harrowing for parents who want to get their child's hair cut.

"There's just a lot of tricks, so to speak, to make sure it's as pleasant and expedient as possible."

These "tricks" have now been incorporated into a brochure and a video to help parents and hairstylists. Today, Ursitti said Jack, who used to have to be taken into a back room to have his hair cut -- far away from the noise of hair dryers and the bright lights – can now have a haircut in the main area of the salon.

"Now he is able to sit in a regular chair with the cape on, sit patiently, and end up looking beautiful," she said.

Marianne Ross of Elkridge, Md., had her own epiphany, seeing how one business could be more autism-friendly, in the summer of 2007. She and her daughter Meaghan, then 8 years old, were asked to leave a showing of "Hairspray" at a local movie theater.

"She jumps up and down and flaps her hands, as do many children on the autism spectrum," Ross said. "Some of the patrons got the manager and wanted to get Meaghan to leave.

"I thought, 'how unfair,'" she said. "It just made me think, 'There's got to be some way she can go to a movie.'"

Ross met with Dan Harris, who, at the time, was the manager at the AMC Columbia Mall 14 in Columbia, Md., to discuss the possibility of renting a theater after hours for one night in order to let families with autistic children enjoy a night out. Harris went one step further -- he set up a special screening time for the families and only charged them normal admission. Together with help from their local Autism Society chapter, the movie screening became a reality.

"I really didn't know what the turnout was going to be like," he said. "But in the end, we had 300 people show up for it. Talking with the families coming in, we realized that we had something special."

The special showings have been taking place once a month since that first show in November 2007. Ross said her daughter, who after her experience with "Hairspray" was too scared to even enter a movie theater, now looks forward to the screenings. She said that as a result, Meaghan has gotten comfortable enough in a movie theater that she can now also sit through an entire show of a public movie screening.

As for the "Sensory Friendly Films" program, as it has come to be known, 81 AMC theaters across the country now feature special screenings for special needs children – a fact that still impresses Harris.

"I had no idea at that point it would expand that much," he said. "Just over the past 13 to 14 months it's grown eightfold."

Programs that accommodate kids with autism are not just haircuts and movies. Some restaurants around the country now feature special "family dinner" nights for families whose children have autism. Dental visits, like trips the hair salon, can pose challenges for some parents and their autistic children; as a result, Autism Speaks is also exploring a partnership with Colgate to disseminate information to help these visits go more smoothly.

A number of companies also offer special business cards to parents of autistic children. If their child is disruptive in a public setting, the parent can hand out the cards, each of which is printed with a brief description of what autism is and why their child is acting out.

Massachusetts General Hospital participates in a program called Autism Escapes, where private jet owners donate flights so that children with autism can travel to distant clinics for treatment -- something that is usually very difficult because the kids have a hard time staying still long enough for long car rides or staying quiet enough for commercial flights.

And Walt Disney World also caters to families with autistic children by offering them special passes that allow them to skip long waits in crowded lines.

"More and more businesses are recognizing this and creating opportunities to make their products or services available to the autism community," Bell said.

For the companies involved, it is good business. Not only do these businesses reap the positive PR from these efforts, but they also build brand loyalty with the families who seek their services.

In many cases, these accommodations also foster integration – an important aspect of the Snip-Its services, said Joanna Meiseles, who was president of the Snip-Its at the time the company began to develop ways to help families with autistic kids.

"I think that integration is an aspect that is very important," she said. "We are not hiding special needs children. It is so hard for parents with autistic kids to go out with them in public, so non-special needs children never really see special needs kids. I think it is good for them."

Dr. Wayne Fisher, director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, agreed. He said the integrative aspect of these events is good for the kids as well.

"When theatres, museums, churches and restaurants set up times when children with autism are specifically welcomed to their establishments... this sets up learning opportunities for the children with autism to learn the behaviors that are and are not appropriate for a given social event," he said. "Parents can correct inappropriate behaviors and teach appropriate ones in a comfortable environment without feeling like they have to leave the first time their child displays an inappropriate behavior."

Integration or Separation?

By and large, autism experts agreed that the programs are a good thing, both for the children involved and their families.

"We all need a time when we can be ourselves," said Wendy Stone, a clinician and researcher at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD). "For some of us it might mean going to a casual restaurant instead of a formal one, or wearing jeans and a T-shirt to spend time at a friend's house after a day at work. For children with autism it might be getting to see a movie in a theater that sells popcorn or sitting at a table in a restaurant and ordering from a menu."

Dr. Michael Wasserman, a pediatrician at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital in New Orleans, La., said, "Providing these children with an environment in which they can thrive is always desirable. The businesses described are performing a public service."

But, he added, "At the same time, a long term view of not always isolating these children from their typical peers should be maintained. The public health view over the last decades has been to be inclusive for those with special needs, and care to strike a balance between special needs and 'mainstreaming' should be considered."

But sometimes even programs that set aside "special" events for special needs kids can act as a bridge to other public activities later on. Carin Yavorcik, spokeswoman for the Autism Society said that like Ross, many other parents may find that the AMC movie program lets kids with autism take become more familiar with certain public situations – and thus be more prepared to deal with them again in the future.

"For people who are affected by autism, it can often be very isolating for them," she said. "So this provides a really great opportunity for people to go out together and do something normal for a change."

For Ursitti, the very fact that some businesses are reaching out to parents like her makes a big difference.

"I think that shows a kind of attitude from businesses that recognizes that there is a large population of people on the spectrum who need these services," she said. "They need to have their hair cut; they need to be able to walk in the world and have these services. They're stepping up, and it's great."

Courtney Hutchison contributed to this report.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Autism/haircuts-movies-autistic-families-businesses/story?id=8874925&fb_ref=.Tt1K3FGGrWQ.like&fb_source=profile_oneline#.Tt5bL2Od7SZ

Adventure # 15: our Quest for a Dog

Anyone who knows me is probably a little confused right now.  I have a reputation for not being an animal person.  I do like animals, a lot!  I think its more that I just don't gush over anything, dogs, babies, the newest, cutest YouTube video.  I am low key.  Geoff has been itching for a dog for years.  Owen is a little nervous about dogs, but excited and Noah would love a wrestling companion.  I started thinking I would like a running and walking partner (besides my lovely sister, Andrea!). So, we have started a quest for a dog.

I think a dog would be great for Noah.   A large study done in Great Britain (http://bit.ly/vI9Pny)  demonstrated that dogs can help children with Autism with their social skills, self-care skills, provide comfort and reduce stress and anxiety.  Well, I'd say we could all use a little of that! Noah would also love all the tactile sensation of petting a dog.  I have visions of the perfect "Nana", the dog/nanny in Peter Pan who lovingly cared for Wendy, John and Micheal.

We saw a cute one on the Oregon Humane Society website and took the long drive out to the pet shelter to meet him.  Going there is a little like going to the Olive Garden, you check in and they give you a beeper and beep you when your dog is ready.  While waiting for our dog I was walking Noah around.  Noah started running.  Too late, I noticed a man kneeling down looking at leashes.  Side note about Noah, he loves men and he loves when they are crouched down because then he can dive on them.  I knew I wasn't going to get to Noah before he reached the guy.  So, I started calling out pre-emptive "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over again.  Noah dives on the guy's back and nearly knocks him into the leashes.  I issue one more apology while I scoop up my kid and thankfully our beeper was going and we were ushered to our room to meet our potential doggy friend.

In comes Oscar.  He is an 18 month old beautiful black lab.  The handler with him is giving us all sorts of information that wasn't on the website.  The handler is saying that he is "mouthy" and likes to give "bear hugs". While I am kneeling down petting him, I am instructed not to look at Oscar in the face because he will take it as a "challenge".   This is so not the charming guy we saw on the website.  The handler also keeps emphasizing that Oscar is being abnormally good with us right now.  So, I have to say to her that he is beautiful but maybe not a good fit with the kids.  What I am thinking is "no to psycho Oscar".  She seems relieved to tell me that she "110% agrees".  

We walk around to look at the other dogs held there.   We saw a cute little Dauschaund.  I have a fondness for these little guys because my Grammy had one when I was little.  This guy hated Noah.  Every time Noah ran by his cage he barked and growled.  We visited with two more dogs.  But didn't find our perfect boy or girl today.  We are going to take our time to find a good match for our family.  My "Nana" is out there somewhere!

Adventure #14: Get the Hunt Family Christmas Tree!

Every year we drive out to the country to cut our own tree down.  This involves a long drive in fog that wasn't there when we left the house but is now so heavy I am worried we are going to drive off the road.  Each  Christmas tree farm just doesn't "feel right" to Geoff, so we pass countless ones until he finally settles on the farm that has whatever magical combination of attributes he needs.  Mine just need trees for sale, I still have no idea what he requires of his.  We all get out of the car and find ourselves ankle deep in mud.  Noah refuses to walk  because the ground is uneven and its cold.  So I carry my 50 pound child while we troop around the farm.

Just like Geoff requires some unknown formula to stop at the "perfect" Christmas tree farm, there is also some combination to create the "perfect" tree.  As my hands are falling asleep and my back is killing me hauling Noah around we look at trees.  We find countless ones that seem great to me.  But somehow they just aren't "right" to Geoff.  We continue with him pointing out trees, me saying, "let's get it", and him deciding its just not "quite right".  We keep looking as I am getting more short tempered by the moment.  Finally, after a good 20 minutes the tree is selected.  Oh, the joy of a U-Cut, Geoff realizes he is going to have to lay in the mud to saw down the tree.

Once we get the tree to our car we are forced to acknowledge that it will not fit in the back of our small SUV.   Even if we had remembered to remove Noah's push car before we left the house. Another 20 minutes pass us by while Geoff wrestles the tree onto the roof.  After many swears and some cut up hands, we are ready to take the treacherous foggy path back home.

Once home the real battle begins.  Our standard operating procedure is Geoff trying to screw the tree into the stand while I hold it steady.  Geoff lays under the tree while critiquing my holding of the tree.  He likes to argue that the tree isn't straight.  At this point my holly jolly holiday mood is gone replaced by something much crabbier.  I have to say (yell), "HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THE TREE IS STRAIGHT!?  YOU ARE LAYING UNDER IT!"  After far too long we have the tree up.  At this point decorating the tree while listening to carols and sipping hot cocoa is far from my mind.

I had been thinking maybe it would be OK to let go of the Christmas tree farm experience.  Last year after the tree collapsed on me and I was stuck until Geoff got home from the store. I decided I really am done with the tree farm experience.  Honestly it is a hassle we don't enjoy.

This year we packed the kids into the car to get our tree.  We drove 5 minutes on a blissfully fog-free street to our local Target.  Putting Noah in the cart we strolled through the store and browsed the ornaments.  We looked at their lovely assortment of trees while we were warm and I wasn't holding a heavy child.  Picked out our tree, conveniently boxed small enough to fit in our car even though we again didn't remember to remove Noah's push car from our car.  It is also light enough for Owen to carry it.  Erecting the tree took 10 argument-free minutes.  Forever I have fought the artificial tree.  But I am now a convert.

What is Sensory Processing Disorder? Or why is Noah so "hitty"?

Anyone who has spent time around my little Noah has experienced him throwing himself on you, biting or hitting you.  You have probably seen his odd choice in toys: sand, dried beans, anything he can fill and dump (and throw).  These are more than just naughty or quirky behavior.  Noah has sensory processing disorder in addition to his other diagnosis.

 Most children with Sensory Processing Disorder are sensory avoiders, the kids who won't walk barefoot on grass or eat food with a certain texture or can't stand the seam on their socks.  Noah experiences some of that, but he is mostly at the opposite end of the spectrum, he craves sensations.  This is a disorder that is difficult to explain, below is excerpts of an article by Beth Arky of the Child Mind Institute that I think does a pretty good job explaining sensory processing disorder.  (here is a link to the entire article http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2011-10-26-sensory-processing-issues-explained)

At first, SPD parent blogger Hartley Steiner couldn't understand why her son Gabriel's psychologist suggested that he had SPD; after all, he didn't fit the avoidance profile most people think of when they hear "sensory issues"—kids who cover their ears or won't try new foods. As she wrote in her blog, Gabriel was "fine with loud noises, loved water, mud, hot salsa," Steiner says. "He would climb to the tippity top of a play structure—and stand on top of it. No, my kid was not at all adverse to sensory stimuli—as a matter of fact, he couldn't get enough."

It took a year, and reading Carol Stock Kranowitz's seminal book, The Out-of-Sync Child, for Steiner to realize there are two types of kids with SPD: sensory seekers and sensory avoiders. Those like Gabriel, who seek input, "are often considered 'behavior problems,' 'hyperactive,' 'difficult,' 'stubborn,' 'coddled.' Many of us parents have been blamed, told our kids need more discipline, or that they are 'in need of a good spanking.'" Those who perceive things too intensely are avoiders; this can translate into refusing to brush their teeth or have their faces painted. To make things even more complicated, kids can be both seekers and avoiders and have both proprioceptive and vestibular challenges, along with issues relating to the traditional five senses.

Proprioceptive receptors are located in the joints and ligaments, allowing for motor control and posture. The proprioceptive system tells the brain where the body is in relation to other objects and how to move. Those who are hyposensitive crave input; they love jumping, bumping and crashing activities, as well as deep pressure such as that provided by tight bear hugs. If they're hypersensitive, they have difficulty understanding where their body is in relation to other objects and may bump into things and appear clumsy; because they have trouble sensing the amount of force they're applying, they may rip the paper when erasing, pinch too hard or slam objects down.

The vestibular receptors, located in the inner ear; tell the brain where the body is in space by providing the information related to movement and head position. These are key elements of balance and coordination, among other things. Those with hyposensitivity are in constant motion; crave fast, spinning and/or intense movement, and love being tossed in the air and jumping on furniture and trampolines. Those who are hypersensitive may be fearful of activities that require good balance, including climbing on playground equipment, riding a bike, or balancing on one foot, especially with eyes closed. They, too, may appear clumsy.

Peske sums up the way sensory issues can affect kids this way: "If you're a child who is oversensitive to certain sensations, you are not only likely to be anxious or irritable, even angry or fearful, you're likely to be called 'picky' and 'oversensitive.' If you rush away because you're anxious or you're over-stimulated and not using your executive function well because your body has such a powerful need to get away, you're 'impulsive.' If you have trouble with planning and executing your movements due to poor body awareness and poor organization in the motor areas of the brain, you're 'clumsy.' Because you're distracted by your sensory issues and trying to make sense of it all, you may be developmentally delayed in some ways, making you a bit 'immature' or young for your age."

See, Noah isn't a jerk!  Noah's sensory issues are his most exasperating behavior for me.  His behavior gets defined as aggressive which makes spending time with peers extremely difficult.  Time with peers would be incredibly helpful for him, but he is too "hitty" for other kids to want to play with him.  Hopefully with continued therapy and time at school these sensory issues will lessen or at least manifest themselves in another, more socially acceptable, way.  Unfortunately this isn't an issue with a quick fix.  But we will keep working on it.  Our outings are one way we hope will help him learn to control his impulses and learn to manage himself in public.  Wish us luck!

Adventure #13: Giant SpongeBob Lego Build

All this weekend at Washington Square Mall, the Lego Store is hosting a free mega building event. http://www.shopwashingtonsquare.com/events/Details/40661  If you have ever been to downtown Disney, the Lego Store at that location has giant Lego creations of Darth Vadar, animals, and the like.  Our local Lego Store is getting their own 8 feet tall Sponge Bob Square Pants and you can help.

As the kids had no school on Friday, we headed down to participate.  Now this isn't really Noah's thing, he lacks the coordination to build with Legos.   He'd really rather just throw them.  But Owen, at 7 years old is a Lego fiend, so this was really for him.

This free event is really well organized with several tables set up by the food court (where Santa will be in about a month).  At each station are different colored bricks and Lego personnel walk around to instruct the kids how to turn their small bricks into a giant brick to assist in building Sponge Bob.  Geoff and Owen got to building while Noah and I cruised the mall.

Most stores, although they may technically meet ADA standards, are way too tight for me to get Noah through with his stroller.  Build-A-Bear Workshop is a nice exception.  Noah does love a stuffed animal, so we walked around in there.  I kept petting his cheek with different stuffed animals for which I was rewarded with sweet smiles.  We then found some pink monkeys that he decided he needed 3 to join him in his stroller. Like he literally kept pointing and grunting until he was at 3 then satisfied, he allowed me to move on.  We then found cute little "Woodstock" dolls from Peanuts that sang the Peanuts theme song.  Noah wanted 2, but when I showed him Charlie Brown he gave all the other toys back to have Charlie.  So decision made we paid and decided to walk around a little more.

When did Washington Square Mall become a Middle Eastern Bazaar?  All the kiosk shop keeps are shouting  at me to try their products and a Shakira look alike nearly chased me down the mall.  Weird and unpleasant.  We walked around for a few more minutes then went to rejoin Owen and Geoff.

Owen proudly holding his certificate for participating in a Master Lego Build was very happy with his contribution to the giant Sponge Bob.  We got some lunch.  Owen and I some Mexican, Geoff Japanese, and Noah an odd mishmash of tater tots, yakisoba, and cinnamon crustos (the worst possible name for a food item).  We finished up and headed home.  Now we just need to go back on Monday to see the finished Sponge Bob!

Adventure #12: The pumpkin patch

We are finally all healthy at the same time and ready to go on an outing!  As Halloween approaches a trip to the pumpkin patch was in dire need.  We headed back to LakeView Farms http://www.thelakeviewfarms.com/.  LakeView Farms is located in North Plains and I think it is the only thing located in North Plains besides the McDonald's by the freeway.  We went there 2 years before with friends and it was overwhelming.  Noah was out of control and it was insanely crowded.  We went by ourselves and mid week this year to help Noah hopefully have an easier time.

When you get there you drive down a long dirt road to the gift shop.  Right next to the gift shop is a petting zoo with some pigs, goats, bunnies and cats (?), literally kittens in a cage, don't know why.  After purchasing our train tickets we headed over to take a ride on the rails.  I didn't know how Noah would do.  When we came two years ago he spent the train ride punching me in the head.  This year we got into our seat and Noah kept trying to climb out, not a good start.  But after the train got going he sat next to me with a sweet little smile on his face.  It made me think a trip to Disneyland may be in our future!  But really everything makes me (or my sisters) think a trip to Disneyland should be in our future.

We disembarked at the pumpkin field and Owen proceeded to grab a wheel barrow and load it up with pumpkins.  Geoff leaned over to me and asked, "are we getting all those?"  I had to reply, "no, we are getting one but it makes him happy to load up the wheel barrow."  Noah, true to form, refused to walk on the uneven ground of the field.  So Geoff and I alternated carrying his chubby self until he decided to climb into a wheel barrow and got big brother to wheel him around.

LakeView Farms has a train and a boat you can take.  We have never taken the boat ride.  Owen is a little nervous of the boat and Noah has no understanding of personal safety and a love of water that just reeked of a bad combination.  We took the train back.  The train engineer, who was a very nice man, asked Owen why he didn't want to take the boat.  He then asked Owen what he was going to be for Halloween.  Owen answered a pirate and I thought about the irony of a pirate who hates boats.

We paid for our Cinderella pumpkin, which Owen told me was definitely not a Cinderella pumpkin and stared at the animals before heading to our car.  Nice little outing to the pumpkin patch.  Noah was calm and happy, Owen got to go to his favorite pumpkin patch and we just barely dodged the rain.  Perfect.  

10 Things I would love everyone who knows me and Noah to know...

I didn't write this but I wish I did.   The author (found at the blog below) called this post "10 Things my Autistic Children Wished You Knew".  I can't honestly tell you if Noah cares if you know this stuff or not, but I would love for everyone who knows me, my family, and my sweet Noah to know this.

http://lostandtired.com/about-me/

Written by me, Rob Gorski (Lost and Tired) and dedicated to my amazingly beautiful children. 

1. I’m sorry I have fits but I’m not a spoiled brat. I’m just so much younger on the inside than I am on the outside.

2. I’m easily overwhelmed because I see and hear everything. I hear the lights hum and clock tick. Everything is so loud it makes my head hurt all the time and my eyes hurt from all the bright lights.

3. I’m not stupid, I’m actually very smart. I just don’t learn the way you want me to. Please learn about Autism so you know how to help me better understand what you are trying to teach.

4. Please don’t be mad at mommy and daddy because we don’t come over for holidays or birthdays. They really want to go but I don’t do well at another person’s house. It’s too overwhelming for me and they know that. They don’t go because they love me, NOT because they don’t like you.

5. Please have patience with me. I try really hard to make good decisions but I can be very impulsive at times.

6. Yes, I have Autism but that doesn’t mean I’m less of a person because of it. If anything, I’m actually more of a person in spite of it.

7. My house might be messy sometimes. It’s because my mommy and daddy spend all their time trying to find new ways to help me or teach my brother to talk..

8. Just because I can’t talk doesn’t mean I don’t understand what you are saying. My feelings can be hurt just like yours.

9. I wish my mommy and daddy knew how much I love them. I have a really hard time with emotions and I don’t always like to be touched. But I love them more than anything in the world, even more then my Lego’s.

10. I know I can be frustrating but don’t tell me I won’t amount to anything because I have Autism. If you love and support me I WILL do great things in my life in spite of my challenges.

A Pause in Adventures...

We have had to take a little break from our adventures for a couple of reasons.  All of us came down with that nasty cold, that I have taken to calling the Black Plague.  We are heading into week 4 and still are all coughing with sore throats and head congestion.  No fun at all.

Last Saturday, I was at the beach for my annual Beach Bunco girls' weekend and Geoff had planed a fun weekend of visits with Grandma and going to the toy store with the boys.  The first hitch to their plan was that both boys were borderline sick.  Owen had stayed home from school Thursday and Friday and Noah seemed to be coming down with the cold too.  Then Saturday morning Noah experienced a huge seizure.  This seizure started out like his regular seizures and then after about 4 minutes Noah went completely limp and started to struggle to breathe.  Geoff gave him emergency medication and after another minute the seizure ceased and Noah went to sleep.  The combination of the medication, the seizure and the cold wiped Noah out for days.  He couldn't walk for a day afterward and missed Monday and Tuesday at school.

Noah's seizure is a reminder that all of our plans have to be tentative.  We never know when Noah will have what we call "bad days" and we need to spend time at home with him.  Those days are an odd combination of fear and boredom where you worry about Noah and sit next to him watching endless hours of preschool television.

But we will be back, in a week or so...

Adventure #11: Apple Orchard

In order to enjoy a gorgeous fall weekend day, we decided to visit an apple farm!  One of the great things about living very close to a rural area is the access to farm stands, pumpkin patches, Christmas tree farms, and all that good, fun stuff.  The one downside, it occasionally smells a little like cows outside.  And by a little, I mean a lot.  

We drove about 5 minutes from our house to Oregon Heritage Farms.  If you have driven down Scholls Ferry Road you may have noticed their cute rhyming signs that lead you to their front gate.  This farm is not a u-pick, but picking the fruit sounds suspiciously like work, so I am great with just purchasing at their quaint store.

We have a routine when we go, explore the grounds, then hit the store.  We start with the animals, goats and pigs are live in pens right next to their field.  And, if you head to the far back fence, there are some secret horses.  No one seems to notice these beauties, but we head over there every time we go.  They usually will let Noah pet their noses.

After our animal visit, we climb into the hay ride wagon!  Then we go through the hay bale maze.   Owen loves the hay bale maze, which as you can see from the photos is intended for children.  Noah doesn't like walking around the grounds too much.  Uneven ground makes him feel especially unsteady.

We finish up in front and I head to the store with Noah while Geoff takes Owen to the bouncy apple.  If you don't mind being crammed into an apple shaped bounce house with billion kids that you have seen no where else on the farm grounds, then this is for you.  It is a little to much for Noah and I so we gather serveral different apple varieties to purchase.  We also browse the cute store with other produce and crafts.   We grab the kids honey sticks, bag up our apples and head home.  Fun Autumn adventure for just the price of some apples!


If you go:  2 apple farms that are close enough to each other that you can easily do both in one outing.  They both have upcoming festivals, but are also open each weekend for impromptu farm fun.





Apple Fest at Oregon Heritage Farms -http://www.oregonheritagefarm.com/
Sunday, October 9th
22801 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123. Phone: 503-628-2775. We will have Good Old Country Music, Face painting, Hay Rides and other activities to help raise funds for the Aloha and Southridge High School Ski Teams. 


Heirloom Apple Festival at Smith Berry Barn -http://www.smithberrybarn.com/scripts/openExtra.asp?extra=6
Saturday, October 16th and Sunday October 17th
24500 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Hillsboro, Oregon, 97123 Phone: 503-628-2172. Many other fruits, vegetables and nuts, honey, jam, hayrides, country store open daily thru Dec. 23, & more. Local crafts, antiques, gifts, and much more. We also feature herbs, perennials, and hanging baskets.  March - Dec. 23, Monday to Saturday. 9 am to 7pm, Sunday 10am-5pm , 

Adventure #10: Bad Times at the Costco

Yeah, I know, Costco isn't much of an adventure.  Sometimes though Geoff and I will make a fun trip out of places like Costco or Lowe's.  We will take our time and browse the holiday decorations, look at the toys, in the case of Costco, eat our weight in free samples.  So, that is what we decided to do last Saturday.  I was working on a cold, which I have convinced myself is Whooping Cough, or maybe Avian Flu, so something pretty low key seemed best.

We looked at electronics and kid jammies before making our way back to the books.   We all like the book section and spent some serious time here.   Then we headed for toys, where no good things happened.  Costco has tons of toys right now as they are getting in all their Christmas merchandise.  So we are looking and playing with different toys.  Owen calls us over to see a Lego set he has his eye on.  We all go over, Geoff and I and Noah in the shopping cart.  Owen is subtlely begging for this Lego set as are two other boys who call over their mom.  As their mom walks by our cart Noah goes and smacks her upside her head!  Those of us who know and love my little Noah have all been smacked upside the head by him.  But we generally try not to let him tag perfect strangers.  Geoff and I both apologize multiple times and Geoff adds the "he's Autistic" just so she understands his badness is part of a diagnosis rather than we just raised an asshole.

We tell Owen to grab the Legos just so we can get off that aisle and go hide somewhere else in the store.  We grab a big stuffed bear so Noah has something to occupy his hands.  That lady was a wonderful person, she just blew it off as no big deal.  I really appreciate she didn't make us feel any worse than we already did.

We continued our shopping at Costco, ate some samples and grabbed some things we needed.  Noah, ironically, was an adorable angel the rest of the trip.  He just kept resting his head on his big teddy bear.   We were able to conclude our trip with no more mishaps.  Day in the life of raising my special needs kid often keeps me on my toes.  Really all we can do is apologize when Noah is inappropriate and laugh.

Adventure #9: The Beach

I hate missing out on any sleep, ever.  I love my sleep.  We wanted a trip to the beach this summer, but didn't want to stay the night.  Until we get Noah used to a regular bed we don't plan to spend any more sleepless hotel nights.  We realized something, when you live in Hillsboro, the beach is only a little over an hour away.  There and back in one day is not only doable, but makes a beach trip incredibly affordable too.

 Packing a lunch, kite, sand toys, and more clothes than a day trip should ever require (but weather at the Oregon Coast is fickle) we set off for the beach.  Now we were pretty sure we had all the makings for a great day.  All the supplies were packed, Owen loves the beach, and Noah lives in his sand box.  Here we are taking him to the world's biggest sand box.

We found a parking spot in Cannon Beach right next to beach access and walk on down.  Two initial obstacles hinder us.  We have a ton of stuff to lug down the beach.  Geoff just wants to give up and set up our spot pretty much as soon as we hit sand.  I insist we trek closer to the water for water play and sand castle glue.  While Geoff and I have our hands full we are making the kids walk.  Owen has no problems, Noah however, quickly decides he is not walking.  At first I wasn't giving in.  It took me a minute to understand what his reaching up to me while trying to stand on one leg meant.  Noah has terrible balance and never tries to stand on one leg.  His little piggies were burning up on the hot sand!  So, we re-shuffle gear, so I can carry 50 pound Noah and fewer toys.

The one photo of our cameraman Geoff, his fingers!

Noah is a happy little clam all set up with his sand toys and a bucket of water to play with.  Owen is my surfer, heading straight for the water regardless of how freezing the Oregon Coast Pacific is.

We play and eat lunch.  Geoff and I remember why we hate eating on the beach as we enjoy our rather sandy sandwiches.  Owen decides he doesn't like seagulls when they fly off with his chips.  We were there on the one non-windy day, so Owen's totally awesome fighter jet kite doesn't really fly.  He had fun running around with it, trying to get it to anyway.

Before we go, I want to try out the water with Noah.  He has never been in the ocean.  He loves swimming pools and bathtubs, but this is totally new.  We go down to the waters edge and the first wave totally startles Noah.  The water is cold and rushing fast.  I think he couldn't quite decide if he liked it or not.  He would reach out to me with each wave.  When Noah decided to pelt the waves with wet sand, I think he was declaring he did not like the ocean.

As we finished up, we hauled wet kids and all the gear back to the car.  We changed each kid into dry clothes and headed home.  We had such a fun day.  And outside of gas money, it didn't cost us a thing.  

Future Adventures

We went on vacation once without our little Noah and we all missed him so much.  As we are planning our future vacations we are trying to find places that can accomodate Noah.   It is a tall order, we need a place that we would all enjoy, that doesn't overwhelm Noah or us, and where his quirkiness wouldn't be too big of a problem.

There was a great article on Ability Path about traveling with you special needs kids.  Here is a link to it:

http://www.abilitypath.org/health-daily-care/daily-care/playing/articles/travel-guide-disney-special-needs-disability.html

Adventure #8: The Oregon Zoo

One of my own personal goals is to live more during the week.  You know, not save all the fun stuff for the weekend.  So to further that goal I took the kids to the zoo on Tuesday.  The Oregon Zoo http://www.oregonzoo.org/  offers a great deal with $4 admission on the second Tuesday of every month.  This typically means that the zoo is insanely crowded.   However, by getting there after school at 230pm many people with preschoolers are heading home, so it wasn't too crazy.

Usually Owen and I get into an argument at the zoo because he just wants to rush around to whatever animal pops into his head, "let's see the polar bears!  Now let's go to the farm!  Now the bats!"   Whereas I prefer to do a more orderly exhibit to exhibit.  We compromised by starting in the zoo where he wanted, Stellar Cove, and then followed the paths around the zoo.  Watching the sea lions is amazing.  The exhibit is a full wall of windows into their swim tank.  Both boys enjoy watching the sea lions surprisingly serene swimming in the water.

As we walked around I realized a real problem with the zoo.  Many of the exhibits, especially in some of the older parts of the zoo aren't very wheelchair/stroller friendly.  Noah couldn't see the animals in most of the exhibits because the viewing area is at waist height.  So Noah was just hanging out while Owen and I looked at the animals.

There were a few animals Noah did really get to interact with.  The goats were in their petting zoo pen.  We were able to stick our hands through the fence and pet them.  Noah is always more engaged if he can use more than one sense to notice something.  For example, with the goats he could see and touch (and smell) them.  When we used the hand sanitizer afterword Owen just kept pumping the lever.  It took me a second (and Owen about 6 pumps) for me to realize Owen couldn't feel the sanitizer because it was foam.  He thought he wasn't getting any.  When I told him to check his hand he had a mount of sanitizer about 5 inches tall and 4 inches wide!  We were very clean.

Baby Sumara

After finishing up the African area of the zoo we went to get a snack.  I enjoyed this part the best.  And no, not because I love to eat!  It was really nice just to sit down with the kids and talk about what we had seen.  Noah loves salty foods, so he had some potato chips and Owen has a wicked sweet tooth, so he had cotton candy.  I let Noah hold his own bag and he did well not dumping all the chips out.  When Owen was done with his cotton candy, he looked at me to ask if he had any on his face.  I swear the entire lower half of his face, from his eyeballs down, was covered in cotton candy!  We cleaned up and finished the zoo.

We walked up the Great Northwest exhibit on our way out.  Noah liked the salmon I think because he could really see them and the water was splashing a little out of the tank onto us.  His hands down favorite was the bears.  Two of the bears were really lively.  They were snuggling and playing with each other.  Noah tried to crawl into their exhibit!  Mostly, I think he wanted to play in their dirt.  

We left the zoo after two and a half hours.  I was pretty pleased with getting out and having a fun afterschool afternoon for $12.  The very best part of my day was when Owen spontaneously hugged me and told me "thank you for bringing us here".

Adventure #7: Fishing trip

We went on a real adventure today:  fishing!  The Tillamook Anglers, along with other sponsors, hosted their 20th annual fishing day for disabled kids.  This event is entirely free for particpating families.   The Tillamook Anglers are a non-profit, volunteer group who maintain the Whiskey Creek Fish Hatchery in Tillamook.  They raise 100,000 Chinook Salmon to release in the ocean every year.  They also support their regional food bank with salmon donations. 

Our first adventure was just getting there.  For some reason, Geoff and I both were thinking that Tillamook was about 40 minutes from our house.  Yes, we should have determined this before we left, rather than assuming it was going to be around each bend.  So, after an hour and a half, and turning around twice, we finally made it to the Whiskey Creek Hatchery.                            http://bit.ly/n1UKBs

Owen was just itching to fish as soon as we got there.  Noah wouldn't understand fishing, so he opted just to come along for the ride.   The fishing was set up inside the fish hatchery.  It was like fishing in a barrel!  Plenty of volunteers were lined up along the hatchery to help the kids bait their hooks and get their poles into the water.   Noah and I walked around the hatchery where I made the unfortunate discovery that in his chair Noah is butt high to everyone.  As we were walking through he decided pinching butts in the crowd was such fun!  I walked through issuing apologies along the way.   Noah and I decided to explore the grounds where it was much less crowded while Owen and Geoff fished. 

The hatchery sits right on Tillamook Bay.  Noah and I followed the path around the rainbow trout pond to look out on the bay.  It is beautiful with the spooky ghost trees, calm water, and seagulls.  After catching 4(!) fish, Owen and Geoff came to join us.  We did some more exploring and played a game of bean bag tic tac toe.  The game was set up with large tarp mats on the ground to make a board where the kids could throw the bean bags.  Noah decided that he wanted to lay down on the tic tac toe mat in the grass and then run around to lay on everyone's tic tac toe mat.  After we gathered him back up we went to get lunch.

Lunch was a provided part of the event and it was awesome.  A choice of hamburgers, hot dogs, or fried chicken with sides, ice cream (Tillamook of course), soda, coffee and hot cocoa were offered.  We took our picnic lunch to enjoy in the grass by the bay.  We ate our lunch while various prizes were raffled off.  Alas, I did not win the smoker I was coveting.

After lunch we packed up our fish and headed home.  We had a great time.  I never thought we'd be able to try out fishing as a family.  I am always so touched when organizations reach out to the special needs community to help us and our kids do family fun events.  Many activities are just so much more difficult to pull off if you are trying to do it with someone who is disabled.  This well organized event allowed us to try out fishing in a fun and no stress way.  The best part is on the way home Geoff and I realized we had this amazing outing and hadn't gotten out our wallets once.    Thank you Tillamook Anglers!

Adventure #6: Kindergarten!!

This has been a slow week as far as us getting out into the community.  For one really big reason:  Noah started kindergarten today.  Geoff and I, with knots in our stomachs, drove him to his new school.  We had plenty of worries that any parent experiences sending their child off to kindergarten and a few more that may be unique to a special needs parent.  Like all parents we worried about the transition to a school setting and how well he would get along with his teacher and the other students in his class.

One of our biggest, and maybe more unique, concerns is that Noah is non-verbal and can't communicate to us about anything.  This made explaining what was happening difficult, because we really don't understand how much he comprehends when we talk to him.  It also means he can't tell us if anything goes wrong during the day that he needs our help with.  Like if there are any mean kids he needs us to beat up. 

Another unique concern was we weren't sure if his teacher and classroom aids had experience with someone like Noah.  Noah has been difficult to diagnose for a reason, he doesn't quite act like other kids.  He is considered Autistic because he meets the criteria for a diagnosis, but every doctor believes there is more going on with Noah than ASD.  Noah can hit, kick, bite, head butt, oh, and his new one, pinch your swishy bits when he feels overstimulated, like he needs attention, when he is mad, or just thinks being naughty will be funny.  Would the teachers be prepared for that?

With all of our reservations and concerns we brought Noah into his classroom.  He explored with interest and we quietly left while wringing our hands.  Geoff and I gave each other pep talks and went home.  While we anxiously waited for 10:45am to pick him up, the school called twice.  In utter panic I answered the phone both times.  First was the school nurse, calling to say he was having a good day.  The second was the classroom teacher calling to give me a report that he was doing really well.  Apparently our nerves were pretty obvious!  We were able to return to school much calmer than we left it.

Noah's first day of kindergarten was a success.  I am excited for him to spend time with new people and learn new skills.  Now we just need to conquer the school bus, but we are putting that off until next week!

Adventure #5: the dreaded Restaurant

Dining out with Noah is like taking a monkey to a restaurant.  He won't sit, he's trying to either run through the restaurant or climb on the table, he throws food, he decides squawking is really funny.  We haven't taken him to a restaurant in about a year.

Dining out isn't about eating a meal usually, its about having a fun, relaxing experience.  With Noah, its about one of us bolting down our food while the other walks around the block with him.  Totally not worth the $40-50 a typical restaurant bill runs!

Our goals for Noah (not just my little blog!) is to help him learn to be out in the wider world.  Sometimes you have to dine out.  For example, if we are traveling there is no choice but to eat out.  He will also be eating in a school cafeteria at some point and doesn't need to be scrambling up on the table.  Well, we decided to brave dining out with him again!

We did our best with the factors we could control:  went to a quick service restaurant and ate at a non-busy time.  Rachel's Classic Burgers   http://bit.ly/oskkbD  is a new burger place by our house that styles their burgers after In N' Out, every California transplants dream burger.

After placing our order, things were not looking good.  I tried placing Noah in the high chair, but he is 5 years old and super tall, so he just wanted out.  I tried distracting him with games of peek-a-boo and a granola bar, but he kept signing he wanted out.  Not a good start.  We get him out and try the chair.  He scrambles out and runs through the restaurant.  I have no idea where he was planning on going, I don't think he had thought it that far through.

We were back to our old Geoff walking him around and me wolfing down my burger so I can switch places with him.  After inhaling my burger I look out the window to tell Geoff I can switch spots with him.  But I see that Geoff is experiencing a moment of brilliance:  he is putting Noah in his push chair.

They stroll back into the restaurant and Noah is calmly sitting in his chair.  No frantic struggling to get down, no disruptively loud chirps, just sitting.  He even eats a little from his special seat.  The rest of our meal is peaceful and Noah sits in the comfort of his chair.

I wouldn't call this a home run, but we were able to problem solve to save the situation.  It is going to take many more outings to hopefully get him to understand the routine.  I left the restaurant thinking we could go back again as a family. 

Adventure #4: local parks

I am sure everyone out there has their favorite local park.  There is one special park you may not be aware of:  Camp Rivendale.  This large playground is specifically designed for special needs kids.  With chair style swings and a structure made to accommodate a wheel chair, every child should have access to all the fun.  Part of the Jenkins Estate complex, the park is located at 8385 SW Grabhorn Road (just up the hill from Farmington Road), in Beaverton.  The park is open from 8am to at least 4pm daily.

During summer days a day camp for Special Needs kids is offered to residents in the Tualatin Valley Parks system.  You can also rent the park for private parties.  We looked into this for Noah's birthday and it would have been about $600, so we passed.  Those are the two reasons you may find this park closed when you try to go up and play.  It is really worth coming back to find them open. Able bodied Owen calls this his favorite park. 

We went up on Tuesday to play and unfortunately found it rented for a party.  So, we went up the hill a little further to Cooper Mountain Nature Park.  Taken from the Tualatin Hills Parks Page:

Overlooking the Tualatin River Valley, Cooper Mountain Nature Park is located on the edge of Beaverton. The 230-acre park, at 18892 SW Kemmer Road, Beaverton, offers visitors 3½ miles of trails (with varying levels of difficulty) that traverse the park and pass through each of its distinct habitats - from conifer forest to prairie to oak woodlands. Visitors will be rewarded with grand views of the Chehalem Mountains, close-up looks at Oregon white oaks and a small prairie that has sat relatively undisturbed for hundreds of years.  

The park also has, near the parking lot, one of those new modern playgrounds.  You know the ones, that have play equipment you aren't exactly sure what to do with. There is also a sand box, where we met with an unpleasant child.  This is officially our first experience with some kid being a jerk to Noah because Noah is different.  We have lived in a very happy bubble where all of our families and friends and their kids know Noah and love him for his quirky self.  This kid at the park was very vocal that Noah was really bothering him with the way he was playing.  Now, Noah can be a notorious sand thrower, but this time he really wasn't!  He was just chirping to himself and filling his cups with sand.  With no parents in sight I couldn't involve this child's parents and just had to tell him he needed to play nice and I would take care of Noah.  I took the kids on a walk and Owen was much more upset by this kid than Noah, I don't think Noah noticed.  I felt like we did leave the sand box to escape this child, but I would have done that with any kid that annoyed me! 

It takes more than one jerky kid to put us off our plan.  Noah is a part of this world and deserves to use the sand box as much as any other kid.  We will be back to Cooper Mountain Nature Park. 

Adventure #3: the Library

I know, I know the library doesn't seem like much of an adventure.  But if you haven't taken advantage of all the wonderful and free classes at your local library you are missing out.  Many of the classes we have tried out are for elementary aged children.  Owen has really enjoyed Jackson Bottom Nature Preserve talks and walks, Lego building, math camp, magic shows, book themed parties, musical performances, break dancing demos, drawing classes and sing along Christmas Carols.  Again, all of this fun, hours and hours of it, were free.  To view the Washington County Library Services events go here:     http://www.wccls.org/.  If this isn't your local library, check out your own library's page.  

Our local library doesn't offer any classes for Noah.  I have seen them listed in other library event calendars.  In the Washington County Library System the Beaverton branch at 12375 SW 5th, offers a once a month Special Needs Storytime.  We haven't check it out yet, I will report back when we do.  The next one is Saturday, September 3rd from 10:30-11am.  Here is their description:

This storytime is an option for families with children who have special needs that require a multi-sensory, yet low-key presentation.  Program content is intended for preschool/primary grades and features routine cues, alternate story formats, and a take-home activity.Registration is required.  Please phone (503)350-3600 to register or sign-up in person at the Children's Desk on the first floor of the library.  Registration begins one month before the program.

We went to the library yesterday and checked out a few titles.  Noah has become extremely hard on books, he is either tearing out pages or burying them in the sand box, or sneaking them into the tub, so no check out for him!  At the Hillsboro Main library at 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway, has the prettiest corporate park I have ever seen.  Several ponds and streams are surrounded by trees, plants and trails and benches.

We took a walk around the paths and brought bread for the ducks.  These ducks are VERY people friendly.  Before I knew it we had about 50 ducks and geese surrounding us and I was a little scared about what was going to happen when we ran out of bread.  Noah loved the ducks.   He really engaged with the ducks, he even tried to pet them, which had me a little concerned about tiny fingers.  


We walked the trails and brought a picnic to enjoy by the lilypad pond.  Yes, they have a lilypad pond!  So beautiful and fun and totally free (less library fines!). 

Adventure #2: Camping, sort of.

Every summer we make a "summer goals" list for the boys.  Owen's is filled with fun stuff, like going to Oaks Park and picking blackberries. Noah's is less fun, filled with therapy themed activities, for example "Learn 2 new ASL signs".
As we cross off goals from the list, one of the few we have left is one of Owen's;  to go camping.  I am just not sure how we are going to manage this one.
 
Noah still sleeps in a crib.  This is an incredible obstacle for getting him to sleep in hotels/tents/yurts, basically anything that is not his crib.  Geoff and I tag teamed sleep during our last hotel stay because Noah was up all night.  I mean, literally 11pm to morning.  So, I wasn't sure how we were going to fulfill Owen's camping goal as a family. 

I remembered the newest state park is not too far from us.  Here was the plan:  we go out as a family and spend the day, and then Noah and I go home to bed and return in the morning.  Brilliant. 

L.L Stub Stewart State Park, here we come!  Located in Buxton, just past Banks and before you get to Vernonia, on highway 47, The park is only about a 40 minute drive from our house.  The park has over 20 miles of trails for hikers, bikers, horsepeople, and even disc golf players.  It is absolutely beautiful.  Geoff just kept saying over and over, "It is so beautiful and quiet here."  Forests and fields abound and Dairy Creek runs through many of the trails.  The park even offers a Junior Ranger program on most evenings and mornings where kids 6 to 12 can be led on a hike by a Park Ranger.  The evening we were there the kids were going on a hike out to a beaver pond.  There are 2 large car camping loops, rustic cabins, a hike-in camp, and a horse camp.  There is a day-use area (with a $5 fee) and a off-leash pet area.  For reservations 1-800-452-5687.

We took the easy way out and rented a cabin.  For one night with service charges we paid $51.  It was so worth every penny!  Our cabin was really cute and not spider-filled like I feared.    With 2 double beds and a twin, there would have been plenty of sleeping room if we all planned on staying.  Our cabin had a table with 4 chairs inside, picnic table outside, and fire ring.

My two fears regarding camping with Noah were that he wouldn't understand staying in our camping area and that he'd dive head first into the fire pit.  He did enjoy roaming a little, but as soon as he discovered the dirt and gravel at our site, he sat down to get dirty.  We watched him close around the fire but no trips to the ER were required.  Both boys enjoyed a long hike (Noah in his push chair) and seeing the horses on the trails. 
No tears, no fussing, no complaining.   We had a homerun, perfect day.  Noah had so much fun, Owen got his wish to go camping.  Noah and I stayed until dinnertime.  He fell asleep before we even made it back to HWY 26.

Daddy and Owen had a far rougher night than Noah and I.  A brief thunderstorm and a irrational fear of bears robbed Owen and consequently Geoff of much sleep.  Noah and I, well rested, returned in the morning for more campsite play and to pack up.  Next year I think we may try all of us staying the night.  If Owen gets over his fear of bear attacks. 

Adventure #1: the Oregon International Airshow

While browsing the Oregon International Airshow website last week, I read:

Margaret Teufel Day
On Comcast Sunday, the Oregon International Air Show, presented by Standard TV & Appliance will continue its tradition of honoring special needs children by providing free Comcast Sunday admission to various non-profit organizations including the Special Olympics, The Portland MS Society, the Oregon Youth Authority, and the Make a Wish Foundation. If you have a child you would like to be included in this day, please contact the Air Show office via email or call us at 503-629-0706. 

 Well, I sent them an email Saturday afternoon and was shocked with a call Sunday morning that they were holding tickets for us!  So off we went, on Sunday, August 21st on our first adventure:  the airshow.

The airshow with a child with Autism can be tricky.  It is really loud, crowded, and in late August, super hot.  Right from the beginning though, the event for special needs kids was really well organized.  We had parking passes that allowed us to park on the air field right across from all the display planes.  We looked at all the planes and military vehicles and Owen was nearly recruited into the Army.  Noah wasn't really interested in this part.  He just enjoyed his box of raisins while we pushed him around in his special stroller.

Next, we went to watch the actual show.  With the Margaret Teufel passes we had reserved seats and a provided lunch of hot dogs, chips, and bottled water.  Best of all, the planes were taking off right in front of us.  Noah still didn't care...until the big military jets took off.  I am pretty sure if he wasn't already wearing a diaper, he would have peed his pants.  It scared him, but Owen was loving it.  We stayed to watch a few more planes and Noah grew no more interested.  He may not have gotten much out of the planes but I think he really enjoyed being out with his family.