Heading to our second session with supported typing teacher Lisa Romaine this past Saturday, we were just expecting an hour of working on Clay’s typing skills. The little guy had bigger ideas.

We started, as usual, with a few minutes in the play area to get the kinks out following a two-hour drive. Then Clay headed into the work room, where he spent most of the session typing one statement. He started with this, as Lisa blocked him against the wall to type:

“the way i see it is i am going to be famous some day  people will look to me for advice about all things autism  i am excited about the enormous potential to improve society”

Quite a start. Read the rest of this entry »

On our first visit to a stable, Clay surprised all of us by getting on a horse and taking it for a spin. He exhibited an instant comfort level and connection with horses, resting his forehead against their muzzles, touching their flanks. Sadly, his first group of lessons lasted only about a month before issues with insurance led to a need to look elsewhere. Easier said than done, it turned out.

After about a year of staring at painfully long waiting lists for therapeutic riding sessions (and 18-page applications), my wife recently connected with a newly invigorated program that had openings for lessons. So, Saturday morning, we made the 40 minute drive to Rainbow Ridge Farm Equestrian Riding Center to get the little guy back in the saddle, hoping the layoff didn’t dampen his enthusiasm or connection. Read the rest of this entry »

Last year, when Clay was asked to show off his typing skills for a class held at Arcadia University, I was on the road and had to watch it later on video. This year, I wasn’t about to miss it live.

Clay was typing for the Communications Mentors’ Network, a group that supports communication skills for everyone. The class was meeting in the campus library on an overcast afternoon. Read the rest of this entry »