Autism Dad Ernie Els WINS British Open - Did it for son

Ernie Els knew he had to keep the putts rolling in for his son, Ben - Other Sports - Sport - Evening Standard

Ernie Els has revealed how his autistic son Ben was the ­inspiration behind one of the greatest comebacks in Open Championship history.

Els had to call on all his immense talent at Royal Lytham and St Annes to fight from six shots down at the turn in yesterday’s final round and card a back nine in four under par that proved just good enough to beat an imploding Adam Scott by one shot.

But always in the back of the South African’s mind was the thought that nine-year-old Ben was glued to the drama unfolding on television back home at Wentworth in Surrey. Els, who was celebrating his fourth Major victory 18 years after he claimed his first, said: “I made a lot of putts with Ben in mind because I knew he was watching.

“He loves it when I hit golf balls. He loves the flight of the ball and the sound. He gets really excited and I wanted to keep him excited, so I made a lot of putts for him.”

More @ http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/other-sports/ernie-els-knew-he-had-to-keep-the-putts-rolling-in-for-his-son-ben-7965427.html

Has Disney changed policy towards Autism?

I hope this is not true.  We went to Disney World last Sept and they were INCREDIBLE.  We would never have been able to do it without the pass.  I hope this is not true or if so, it changes, as we were hoping to return.  Autism families have a lot of money to spend in the park too and it would not have been possible without their special accommodations.

Mama Be Good: Autism, Disney, and Accommodation

After we went to the rides, we realized, Disney had indeed changed their policy. At three rides, we presented our GAC to the ride attendant at the line and, at all three rides, we were instructed to wait in the regular line. None of the attendants took the card or even looked at it. They merely looked at our party, saw no apparent disability, and waved us back to the regular line. 

Waiting in lines took a mere ten minutes at the train, ten minutes at the Haunted Mansion, and ten minutes at Pirates (a detour since Snow White had closed). It doesn't sound long to me, having seen two-hour wait times there, and I'm sure it doesn't sound long to WDW employees. But remember all those challenges I mentioned? Hypotonia, high sensory reactivity, motor skills problems, auditory and visual perception problems? It doesn't matter how short the line is, these things are still a problem.

At the fourth line, after five minutes, I realized, too late, that Jack was past his breaking point. We ducked under the rope line and headed out.

More @ http://mamabegood.blogspot.com/2012/06/autism-disney-and-accommodation.html?showComment=1341595128985#c7452315583530766400

New York Mets Exploring 'Quiet' Section for Fans with Autism

New York Mets Exploring 'Quiet' Section At Citi Field For Families With Autistic Kids « CBS New York

NEW YORK (WFAN) – Yes, the Mets are exploring the possibility of selling tickets for a “quiet” section at Citi Field. 

The Amazin’s posed the question to their fans in an email survey Wednesday: “The Mets are considering adding a designated ‘quiet’ seating section with lower volume PA announcements and no music or cheerleading. How likely would you be to purchase tickets in that section?”
It “would apply to a section in the second-deck, left-field seats,” which sell for between $20 and $78 apiece under the team’s dynamic pricing plan, according to the New York Post. The paper quoted a few Mets fans who panned the concept, calling it “stupid,” “boring” and “just not baseball.” 

The idea is to make Citi Field more welcoming to families with autistic children, the Mets told WFAN’s Boomer & Carton.  More @ http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/06/14/mets-exploring-quiet-section-at-citi-field-for-families-with-autistic-kids/

Thomas The Tank Engine Speaks Out on His Autistic Following | Island of Sodor Gazette

Thomas The Tank Engine A Little Uneasy With His Broad Autistic Following | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

ISLAND OF SODOR—Thomas the Tank Engine told reporters Tuesday that while he's glad trains are a source of fascination and joy for so many children, he often feels uncomfortable with the attention he receives from the autistic fans that make up the majority of his fan base. "Don't get me wrong—I'm grateful that these kids enjoy me so much, but I think the way they're enjoying me is not really so healthy, and honestly not the way I would choose to be appreciated, personally," the anthropomorphic locomotive said between stops on his Mystery On The Rails tour, where he observed that children with autism "outnumber the normal kids by at least three to one." "It would be nice to have some indication that my messages about friendship and sharing are being heard rather than have a pack of totally silent, open-mouthed 6-year-olds stare unblinkingly at my shiny wheels for an hour. It creeps me out." 

Jackson, TN Autism Summer Camp @ The KITE Center

It's not too late, West Tennessee.  The K.I.T.E. Center Summer Day Camp starts June 4th.  Space is limited.  Contact Margaret @ 731-267-5007 for more details.