Autism is a brain disorder that affects millions of people each day. "Today, it is estimated that one in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined" ("Symptoms of Autism"). Autism has not personally affected my life, but it has had an impact on the lives of families that I know. I work at a therapeutic riding center, Haven's Horses. There, we work with children and adults that are either physically and or mentally handicapped. We strive to help them overcome their handicap and live the most "normal" life possible. The most common handicap that we encounter is autism. We treat a seven year old boy with autism. For confidentiality reasons, I will call him Blake.
Blake has been diagnosed with mild autism. He has been receiving therapy at Haven's Horses for a year and he loves it! When he first began therapy, Blake was physically aggressive, yet shy in social situations. This is common for an autistic child; they tend to find social interactions difficult and when placed in strange situations they can become physically violent. Blake absolutely loves riding. In the beginning, when it was necessary to interact with the other riders and the workers, he struggled. He became very shy and would not communicate his needs. Blake would cry because he was so frustrated, and this frustration would lead to aggression. At this point, he would begin to hit us. This posed another problem. Not only did we have to encourage Blake to be more social, but we needed to encourage him not to hit when he became discouraged. Needless to say, we knew this would take quite some time. To our surprise, and to the surprise of his mom, it did not take long at all.
Helping Blake become more social and less aggressive took four months (16 riding lessons) to complete. The process was slow at first, but as time went on he became more willing to try new things. Also, as time went on, I became attached to Blake and his family. It became routine for me to be there before his class started so we could talk about the events of the past week. It became routine for me to lead his horse during his lesson. It became routine for me to be the "fun" worker, but also the one who encouraged him to complete his tasks. Blake and I grew close during his therapy and I am so proud of his accomplishments.
At first glance, Blake is an average seven year old boy. He loves to be loud, get dirty and have fun. Over the past year, his mom and I have also become close. I have had the chance to talk to her before and after his lessons. Blake's mom, Sarah, told me, "When we first found out Blake was autistic, we knew we had to do something. We brought him out here [Haven's Horses] in hopes that it would help him overcome his shyness. Look at him now; he is nowhere near the shy and aggressive Blake he once was. He is the new happy and loving Blake." These changes have not come without a cost to the family. They live thirty minutes away from Haven's Horses and must make this long drive each week. That's an hour in the car with a sometimes hyper, sometimes frustrated autistic child. "Yes, it can seem like a long drive when we are either on our way here or leaving, but when he is here with you and the other workers, the drive is worth it!" Sarah told me after one of Blake's lessons.
Working with Blake has been and still is a rewarding activity. I have seen him grow and achieve his goals. In this aspect, autism has had an impact on my life.
Sources:
"Johnson, Sarah." Personal Interview. 16 September 2010.
"Symptoms of Autism." Autism Speaks. Web. 2 October 2010.
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