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I wrote a little story a while ago when I was spending a lot of time outside with my 3 year old autistic son Thomas. My wife & I utilize a home based, parent directed teaching method called the Son-Rise Program. One important thing we learned through that instruction was how to take time to really see what makes our son motivated, and break it down so we could better understand him.
He was at the time obsessed with rocks. We have been able to redirect his interests somewhat so that he does look for other things to do now, but at the time of this story, he found absolute ecstasy with his rocks. I hope you find this story insightful and relative to something that your child was ever obsessed with.
He silently inspects the ground as he walks. Not too little, not too big. Not "just one of the crowd". No, only Thomas knows what his idea of perfect may be.
He chooses, then quietly validates each choice with a scrutinizing eye, holding them delicately in his fingers. He turns to view each side, each corner, each rounded edge. It is then selected and carefully placed into his basket, only if it fits his idea of what is "perfect."
Any water.
A puddle, a lake, a storm drain, it does not matter.
What matters is water.
He plucks the lucky one from his basket, careful again to view it in his determined way. Will he throw it in? Drop it? Push it? He seems to make those decisions with importance equal to that of what choosing his candidates was before.
Big splash.
Little splash.
Sometimes no splash at all.
But his eyes see circles, predictable and sure. His ears pick out the sounds with a joy that only Thomas knows. The instant silence sweeps the surface, another rock.
And then another, then another, until all are consumed. Time to get more rocks for Thomas.
I broke it down, step by step. I realized then just how important each little step that he took, from the ground to the water was to Thomas. Thank you for letting me share this with you.
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Any one who has organized a birthday party, planned a holiday gathering or helped to put together a company picnic has the basic skills to host a group gathering. Here are a few ideas for getting that first support meeting off the ground.
Start with a notice to ASW of your interest in forming a local support group. Many times the office gets calls from different people around the state who are also interested in forming a support group. This will save future misunderstandings and also save time in "reinventing the wheel". The State Chapter may also have some suggestions on how to gather forces.
Take advantage of other special events (conferences, educational programs, workshops, general meetings) that are going on to advertise your interest in having a support group. Have flyers made up stating the basic information, contact phone number & email, and purpose for your proposed support group.
Write an article or letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating that you are looking for people interested in forming a local support group. State the benefits of the flow of current information and having a local opportunity to connect.
Contact ASA or ASW for names of ASA members in your area who do not currently belong to a local chapter.
Submit an article to the ASW newsletter advertising your interest in forming a support group in a particular region or county.
Write and submit an announcement to the local school district(s) and request that the information be added to their students' take-home bulletins.
Drop off a few of your informational flyers at local medical clinics or pediatric offices along with a few ASW Autism brochures (available from the ASW office).
After you have gathered a few responses from all the above, set a date, time and location for your meeting. Notify your contacts via mail (preferred), email, and a final reminder by phone. Submit a notice to local newspapers on the specifics of your meeting.
Have light refreshments available if possible at the meeting, take time for greeting, attendance taking, introductions, and equal opportunities for participation. Try to keep the meeting positive, keeping in mind that when people have gone for a long time with no opportunities to vent frustrations, things can get a bit emotional.
Discuss as a group the benefits of regular meetings and plan for the next meeting.
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