*Reality Check - The Never-Ending Need to Protect and Prevent our Children from Wandering

     If you are wondering if I have lost my mind...no, this is a re-post of one of the very first posts I wrote when I started blogging last June. I consider it important enough to re-post with our Independence Day just around the corner. Please read and share with your loved ones, friends and everyone in the autism community. Thank you for your support! 
                                                                                          Lorrie


     Once upon a time, everything used to function at a much slower pace. We didn't have all the obligations that we have multi-tasked into existence. Now our days are slammed-packed full of schedules for work, school and all sorts of doctor's appointments. That's not counting the scheduled & unscheduled trips to the grocery store, pharmacy or health food store for our families. And it's so very easy for us to get distracted with the new technology that we use around the clock to communicate with each other. When you add in a child or adult with special needs, the chances of that individual wandering off increase dangerously.
     Wandering is not a subject to be taken lightly, by any means. It happens more often than just the particular instances we might hear about through the media, facebook or twitter. Every time I hear about a child wandering, it makes me check in on my own young children, sometimes more than once, during the night. I immediately start sharing as many details as I possibly can about the missing child on various networks while praying for the child's safe return to their family.
     Seriously, children and adults with the autism spectrum disorder are twice as likely to wander off, succumb to prolonged exposure and probable drowning. Individuals with ASD tend to wander because they are either looking to get closer to something of interest or away from something that is bothering them. A few examples of places they might be drawn to could be a neighbor's pool, signs they might possibly recognize that leads to a local amusement park or somewhere they have happy memories of spending time. Danger is constantly lurking around the corner, just waiting for victims.
     Everyone loves family picnics or gatherings at the lake but, many times a child on the spectrum may want to escape an overload of sensory input or something that is agitating them. It is automatically assumed, that with all the people around, that the child or adult with autism would be safe. Clearly, it is impossible to guarantee that an unforeseen distraction won't provide the opportunity to an over-stimulated child or adult on the autism spectrum to wander off without notice. Wandering in children & adults with autism tends to increase in new, unfamiliar or unsecured environments such as visiting a friend's or relative's home. These situations may trigger wandering, as well as episodes of distress, meltdowns or certain anxieties in a child, or adult, with autism. Especially in warmer months, when it's natural to be and play outside.
     In dealing with our son, we have found that having a particular person with him at all times works the best. It's like being on an assignment with the secret service, you're not allowed to leave your post until you have secured a replacement. That way there's never a question as to where he is. Most of the time, Nathan is right beside me, holding my hand, or at least within arms reach of one of us. If we are at home, he may be in his own room but, the front and backdoor deadbolts are always locked and I am constantly aware of what he is doing. His room is the one place where he can relax and have control of his surroundings.
     I can't say that Nathan hasn't ever given us a scare. Approximately five years ago, my daughter and oldest son had just spent the afternoon swimming in our above ground pool but, had forgotten to remove the ladder when they were finished. We had just walked around the corner to the side garage door for a few seconds when we heard that unmistakable "splash"! Nathan had decided that he didn't want to wait until Daddy came home when we said he could swim. I have always had a rule where I would never take Vincent & Nathan swimming by myself, especially before they had learned to swim. Unfortunately, Nathan had already noticed the ladder and being way too young to understand how dangerous it was, had climbed up it, with his cardboard flip-book in his hand, and jumped in! I am so very thankful that we were nearby when Nathan decided to go swimming and that he had learned to tread water!! When his sister and I got to him, he had his head above water. He looked surprised at both what he had accomplished and that we were dragging him out of his impromptu dip in the pool. I hate to think what might have happened if we hadn't heard that "splash"and been able to pull him to safety when we did. That was an eye-opener for all of us that day. It didn't matter that the little cardboard book or the cell phone in my pocket had to be replaced, only that our precious 4 year old Nathan was alive!
     Another instance of Nathan wandering, that I was not a directly involved in, was while he was at his elementary school. Out of loyalty and respect of everyone at our school, I will not being sharing specifics. Nathan had been in one of the portables for his scheduled lab time and, when it was over, had wandered around to the front of the building. Nathan had been trusted to return to his class and had gotten distracted by the great outdoors. Thanks to one of the school secretaries, she found him standing on the grass, under a shade tree, twenty yards from the front door of the school. The experience was one that our school doesn't want to have happen ever again. It was very terrifying to even think of him trying to walk the mile and a half home or him being picked up by a stranger! I found an opportunity later that afternoon, without any unwanted distractions, and I explained to Nathan the danger of a child going off anywhere on their own without an adult.
     For more information about how we can protect our children, please feel free to visit AWAARE. There are many resources on that website, as well others not mentioned, that can be utilized to prepare, prevent and protect a child that might wander. Have a safe and wonderful July 4th with your family.

FREE Training in Oklahoma on IEP Basics and Strategies

We're All on the Same Team! Strategies for a Successful IEP Meeting 
July 20, 2012 , Oklahoma City, OK

Developing an IEP that works can be complicated. In this course we will cover IEP basics and strategies for successful collaboration. 

This is a FREE training. 

Please email lorrieservati@yahoo.com 

so the registration form can be sent to you.

 Then simply complete the attached registration form 

and fax to 405.271.2630 or

e-mail your registration information to okautism@ouhsc.edu .

Visit our website at http://okautism.org for more information.

"Dreaming About Camp Noggin 2013!"

     I was fortunate to have had the privilege to serve as one of the camp counselors at "Camp Noggin" this last week. Camp Noggin is an autism-friendly camp that provides a place where children with the autism spectrum disorder can interact with others. Nathan, his brother, Vincent and the rest of the children were able to enjoy horseback riding, a visit from a nearby wild animal exhibit, a variety of outdoor sports and several other activities. A day out in the sun, swimming and a cookout was originally scheduled the last day of camp but, even with the weather keeping us indoors, the campers handled everything extremely well!

     It was an unbelievable experience! Now that we know how great it is, we are excited & really looking forward to attending Camp Noggin next year! I have attached a link to the newspaper article on the Autism camp that the Daily Oklahoman ran in today's paper. I hope you enjoy and share this with someone you know! 

     After reading the article on Camp Noggin, please consider making a donation to AutismOklahoma.org through our Family and Friends Autism Team "Nathan's Voice". Your donation goes to fund great resources in the community such as grants for education, research & this very AWESOME "Camp Noggin"! Thank YOU for your support!!

Nathan's 9th Birthday

"Happy 9th Birthday, Nathan!"

     Today, we celebrated Nathan's 9th Birthday. He had a relaxing morning playing games with his almost eleven year old brother. The three of us enjoyed a toaster sandwich and a slush from Sonic Drive-In before picking up his birthday cake. After completing the errands that we had time for, the boys cleaned up before dinner. Their father and I took them to meet Grandma and Granddad at our favorite Italian restaurant, Johnny Carino's to celebrate Nathan's ninth birthday. There is absolutely nothing like a good Italian feast and family to enjoy it with! At Grandma and Granddad's house, we had some birthday cake and visited before Nathan had to spend some of that birthday money that was burning a hole in his pocket!

Interview With Author, Bobbi Sheahan

     My friend, Bobbi Sheahan, has graciously taken the time to let me interview her for my blog, "Nathan's Voice". Many of you may already know Bobbi for her third book, What I Wish I'd Known About Raising a Child With Autism, which has spent several weeks in Amazon's Top 100 Autism Books since its publication in June 2011. Her book reviews have been published in Bookmarks Magazine. She is also a frequent and popular speaker, most recently at the Future Horizons' October Super Conference, which was keynoted by Temple Grandin, Dr. Jed Baker, and Dr. Tony Attwood. I hope you enjoy the following interview!  

Lorrie:  Please share a little about yourself with us.

Bobbi Sheahan:  Hi, Lorrie!!  It's so nice to get to chat with you and your readers!! :D  I love your blog.  I'm a mom of four, and my daughter's autism diagnosis in 2007 led to my book, What I Wish I'd Known About Raising a Child With Autism.  It was published by Future Horizons last year, and it's been thrilling to hear the feedback from parents.  Parents have told me that they've purchased a half-dozen copies for grandparents and teachers.  My co-author, Dr. Kathy DeOrnellas, helps me to explain the basics of autism in early childhood to parents, teachers, family and friends.

Lorrie:  Do you have any words of encouragement to offer parents or caregivers of individuals with autism?

Bobbi Sheahan:  You are not alone.  It's not always going to be as hard as it is at the beginning.  I think that coping with a new diagnosis is the scariest part, because there are so many unknowns.  It's helpful to think of it like being a new parent:  it gets better, and you begin to feel comfortable and confident more quickly than you might think.  Reach out! Twitter is a great place to start.  If you search the hashtag #youmightbeanautismparentIf, you'll find you are not alone.  Really, really not alone.  You'll also begin to see how funny life can be.

Lorrie:  Can you tell us how your online talk show, “Autism As They Grow” by Special Needs Talk Radio on every Wednesday evening at BlogTalkRadio*, came into existence?

Bobbi Sheahan: I was so delighted when Marianne Russo, Founder and President of The Coffee Klatch, approached me about joining her team.  She is an icon and a hero to special needs families, and Internet radio is an ideal forum for reaching out to parents. It can be hard to get out of the house and we are often too exhausted to find a support group meeting -- to say nothing of the challenges of finding childcare.  The radio show has also been an ideal way to introduce the special needs community to some really amazing guests:  Dr. Gil Tippy enlightened us about Floortime; Sara Winter told us about Squag.com, a wonderful online environment for exceptional kids and their siblings; and I can't wait to interview President/CEO of the Golden Hat Foundation and Kate Winslet's co-author, Margret Ericsdottir, this week.  And that's just to name a few.

Bobbi Sheahan:  I'm also crazy about my co-host, Amalia Starr, who has so much experience and wisdom to share with special-needs families.  She's a friend I'll keep forever. Our last live broadcast will be Sunday, May 27th, and our episodes are always available on demand on the website and iTunes, so we're always just a mouse-click away when someone is feeling isolated.  

Lorrie:  What's next for you now that the show is winding down?

Bobbi Sheahan:  I'd really love to have a lazy summer with my husband and kids!!  I am doing a regular column for SI Focus Magazine, and I have a couple of articles coming out in Autism Asperger's Digest Magazine.  I have been speaking at seminars and teaching at family camps, and having a great time.  We're honored to be nominated for a Benjamin Franklin Award by the IBPA, Independent Book Publishers' Association, and we'll soon find out how that turns out. I have begun doing some freelance editing, and I love it.  Absolutely love it! And I hear that I have another book in the works...we'll see...


Lorrie:  Thank you for joining us here on "Nathan's Voice", Bobbi! We wish you the best with your recent nomination for a Benjamin Franklin Award and look forward to hearing more from you, after the summer of course! 


     In addition to the current GIVEAWAY here on "Nathan's Voice", of Bobbi's book, What I Wish I'd Known About Raising a Child With Autism, you can get 15% discount + free shipping on her book, and ANYTHING Future Horizons* sells, by using the promo code BOBBI at checkout.

     I encourage you to visit Bobbi's website, and she always loves to hear from her readers on Facebook and Twitter. Read more of Bobbi Sheahan's featured guest articles on "Nathan's Voice": 

• The First Five Things to Do When You Learn That Your Child is on the Autism Spectrum 
• Autism and the Holidays 

Shhh! I Have A Secret!!

     Are you wondering what I am talking about? Could it be that my sister and I love to eat at Ted's Escondido's Mexican Restaurant, especially for our birthdays each year? This year, we had lunch first and then celebrated at our normal "haunt" ....

 Courtesy of Renaissance Salon & Spa

     I really don't know why it's taken this long for me to tell anyone! It wasn't my intention to keep it a secret. It's possible that I was being selfish or that I just hadn't been ready to "share" our annual birthday celebration at the Renaissance Salon & Day Spa here in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We always have such a fantastic time and leave feeling so relaxed, there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be telling everyone!!

 Courtesy of Renaissance Salon & Spa

     One of the things that we look forward to each year is the relaxing hour long body massage. This year, my sister scheduled us for the ninety minute massage, mostly to see if an additional half hour made a difference. We enjoyed the longer massage appointment and have decided to make it part of our "revised" birthday celebration each year!

                                                                   Courtesy of Renaissance Salon & Spa

     Another ritual that we indulge in during our visit to the spa is letting someone pamper us with paraffin based manicure and a relaxing foot soak with a pedicure. This year, they did our fingernails before our feet, giving our hands more time to dry before it was time to leave. 

Courtesy of Renaissance Salon & Spa

     As a parent of a child with autism, I really look forward to my birthday celebration and getting to spend it with my sister is a BONUS! The day before my sixth birthday, I was blessed with a new sister and a swing set. I had been an only child up to that point and wasn't so sure about having to share the spotlight with a new baby sister. I have come to my senses, though...I am proud to have such a wonderful sister and that we were both born as Mother's Day girls! And to be able to share our birthday is even more fabulous!!

FREE Vision Screenings

Oklahoma Vision Development Center is hosting a FREE vision screenings for children ages 5-18 during the month of June. The screening will test eye tracking, eye teaming, visual processing and acuities. Please call 918-633-9085 to schedule your appointment today.

When?  Mondays-Fridays in June

Where? 4520 S. Harvard Ave. Ste. 100, Tulsa, OK

Why? To determine whether or not a child has a learning related vision problem

Dr. Monte Harrel's training is in development and children's vision. He has a passion for helping kids and educating parents and professionals on the options that are available for kids.