Breaks are always interesting for Leo. His school prefers for doctor visits to happen outside school times, so I tend to pack non-school weekdays full of medical appointments. And outings! The former are generally tolerated with mild to moderate protests, the latter are tolerated and often enjoyed -- but all are discombobulating because Leo's off routine, the constants that help keep him oriented are elusive, and anything different is bad.
How much more disorienting, then, to have a sudden heatwave in the middle of a "ski week" break, as we did today? It was 80°F in our town! The heat upended the weather constant, and had Leo all done with being at the mercy of caprice. He demanded that he be afforded the privilege that usually accompanies warm weather: a dip in the pool. So what if it is February! He is also not one to risk the whims of his capricious mother: he got himself into his swim gear before I could tell him no.
I opened the pool, figuring it would only take one toe in that icy water and he'd be back in the house -- but no. He and his not-to-be-outdone little sister spent a good half hour jumping in and out of the pool; both even jumped in fully a few times.
Leo's a tough kid, it takes more than a Polar Bear Plunge to scare him away from one of his favorite activities. And he demonstrated more of his increasingly characteristic tolerance today by letting the ophthalmologist examine his eyes with an auto-refractor machine, which he's never done before. Yesterday he let his dentist give him a relatively thorough exam without me needing to sit with him too. Years of practice and years to mature, they make a difference for our boy.
He's put in his time with the medical community; tomorrow we'll start the outings. Tomorrow we'll be going to CalAcademy, Friday I'm hoping we can hit Muir Woods. And then Monday Leo will head back to school, and all will be well -- or at least predictable -- in his world.
Showing posts with label excursions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label excursions. Show all posts
4.25.2011
Spring Break: Beyond Fabulous, Beyond Exhausting
We could approach spring break casually, I suppose, but we don't know how. Leo is happiest when he's busy, so we don't chill -- we schedule. Or, as some concerned friends and perhaps husbands have pointed out, overschedule. But the kids and I had so much fun during their two tandem weeks sans school! Look:
We kicked our week off with a favorite, Butano State Park near Pescadero. The redwoods, coolness, and quiet act like a giant body sock on me and our kids. This is the hike we take new friends on, so they can see our kids at their best. When I am frazzled, I want to see our kids at their best, too. And so we went. Leo always enjoys hiking at Butano.
Mali always knows how to put herself together for the trail -- straightened hair courtesy of big sister Iz, and an animal-print tutu. She was delighted to discover so many blooming trilliums, and introduced herself to nearly a score of banana slugs:
QUEST on KQED Public Media.
(Banana slug video courtesy of Seymour and team. If you want some good randy banana slug backstory, take the man out for a beer. He's got material.)
On another day, our friend Laura Shumaker came for a neighborhood hike with me & Leo, which was too fun -- Laura knows everyone, and always shares the best stories about raising her not-at-all-like-Leo-but-still-autistic son Matthew, who's now a young adult. And Leo adored Laura, as you can see by the hand-holding. A warning, though -- Laura likes to pounce on the lunch check. Next time, I won't have Leo with me, so she should ready herself for a preemptive check strike.
Leo and I always plan a Sebastopol day when we have a good stretch of free time -- the area has endless hiking, fun, & funkiness opportunities. We're fans particularly of People's Music on Main Street, which has nearly any instrument you could imagine, and where the generous staff lets Leo explore them however he likes -- which is how I now know that the steel drum I'd long considered getting him would have been met with meh.
We also make a point of hitting Screaming Mimi's conjured on site and sold by weight ice cream, especially if we can meet up with smart Twitter friends whom I will not out, while we're nomming.
Sebastopol also has playgrounds designed by people who understand that kids crave varied gross motor/weight bearing activity. We hadn't visited the relatively new Ragle Ranch Playground before, so that made it doubly-motivating for Leo. But what I really enjoyed was watching him cross this webbed rope bridge repeatedly, until he could do so without losing his footing. Love watching our boy persevere.
The trails at Ragle Ranch itself were rather mucky with mud, but it was still a lovely day and we banked at least a mile. So not entirely a wash. Leo thought the gloompy mud and the sound it made when he extracted his foot were delightful; I have not yet washed those shoes. *shudder*
We also always hit Harmony Farm Supplies, since they really do have the region's best plant, seed, bulb, & gear selection. But more interesting than their Himalayan strawberry and broccoli starters was this flyer on their community billboard! A goat source! Just wait, one day I will have my own herd of tiny aponkyes (Twi for goat), you'll see. Not kidding. Enrolling Mali in 4H, come Fall.
There are so many places to hike in our area, it's almost embarrassing. We can walk out our back door to one set of trails, and two more regional parks are within homemade catapult distance. And if we're willing to drive or bike a couple of miles, then the possibilities near innumerable. Arastradero is one such place - a lovely, earnest park where the nature center features straw bale construction, native plant restoration is active and ongoing, the toilets are clean and plentiful with paper towels intentionally amiss, and the hiking is mellow. We like it.
Mali complained a bit during our two-miler, but she can't really be blamed. Neither Leo nor I are dawdlers, and her legs are short. She did have fun, this is evidence.
We have to keep up our energy somehow during all that hiking. Thankfully a local place started making spectacular cupcakes, so good my kids' squeals of excitement spiral into wavelengths only bats and dogs can hear, and I was willing to risk Iz's godfather's displeasure. Leo gives them his seal of approval.
Oh, and hey! Our new iPad 2 arrived. We were busy folk and kept missing the FedEx truck, and had to go pick it up at local HQ, where the girls had no problem telling the employees that Leo was not just any iPad 2 owner, in their opinion. Posts on cases, new apps, raffling off Leo's original iPad, and apps in the classroom coming soon. As in this week.
Seymour and I had exactly one night off together during the two weeks of madness. We used it to celebrate the 20 years since our first date on April 12, 1991 under Sr. Procopio's watchful eye. We had a lovely dinner eventually, though Seymour's arrival was delayed 90 minutes by a really unfortunate CalTrain accident. Can't really complain about that.
Leo decided that the best way to start off week two of spring break -- the week his sisters, not he, was out, was by jumping on Iz and torturing her awake. She was not pleased. (Note stack of heavy books over Iz's head. This girl has been warned, but has obviously not yet experienced an earthquake.)
Happy Leo! But not-much-for-sleeping Leo, unfortunately. I'm not sure if it was because of meds changes (more on that soon, most likely with a request for advice) or just growing and changing, but he's had a shitty sleep pattern lately, not going to bed until 11 PM some nights, waking up as early as 3 AM others, remaining as happy as you see him here.
The second week also brought my brother Chet and his Mali-energetic son P. to stay. For a whole week! Chet always has a lot of information to share, for instance Oman has great beaches, did you know? Though I did break out the tiny violin when he complained that he'd only been skiing twice this winter, as that gripe included indoor skiing in Dubai. But he taught the girls how to eat kiwifruit with a spoon, and he gave us an excuse to eat Mexican food almost every day (it's not nearly so good in his part of the country, he says). And he's straight-up good company.
Also, Mali & Iz have completely converted P. to the ways of Akiko
and Babymouse
, so their trip was a success on the literature front as well.
Of course we went to the Pebble Beach at Año Nuevo State Park. It's what we do! It's the most remarkable beach in the area, as long as you don't equate "beach" with "sun" or "swimming."
And who doesn't like to find a good Turkish towel? Sometimes I dream of what this beach might look like, what shells and creatures and discoveries would litter it, were beachcombers barred from removing their finds.
Until we get that herd of goats, we have to clear our hillside by paying lots of money to humans. Which we did last week. One benefit: We can get to our see-saw! Since our pool is not warm enough for Leo to swim, he now asks us to go see-sawing every hour on the hour. Which is understandable, given how happy it makes him (here with his uncle).
We've become official CalAcademy devotees. Which means we can now drag guests along at a moment's notice! I'm looking forward to the opportunity to explore more nooks and crannies, but the kids (and my brother) enjoyed even our quick five-hour visit.
Then, of course, we took Chet and P. rock climbing at Castle Rock state park. It always feels weird, going without Leo since he loves bouldering so much, but the kids' enthusiasm made up for my guilt. And the day was so so beautiful, and the park practically empty of other hikers/climbers.
We went straight from climbing to picking up Leo, so his cousin could see his school -- and were greeted with a sick boy who'd gone through four changes of clothing -- all of which were handed to us in plastic bags. At the time, I thought Leo had food poisoning, so we took him home and washed him off and let him rest. He went from green (literally) to pink and healthy by the time he went to sleep, so we thought he was fine.
So I didn't worry much as Jennyalice & I drove up to San Francisco and hung out with some of our favorite people -- all of whom we know through blogging, btw -- and celebrated a birthday. We know cool folks, is all I can say -- and, also, now I know what the cool lofts by Seymour's work look like inside!
My brother had never experienced anything like Dynamo Donuts, so the next day we indoctrinated him. He approved. I have to say, the proprietors are extremely kind with chatty, possibly overenthusiastic six-year-old girls.
We also took Uncle Chet & his boy to Franklin Square playground. Merry-go-round FTW! Though Mali got spun off once, and she was not pleased.
We then took our vistors to the Cartoon Art Museum, where we met up with friends who share Chet's love of all things Looney Toons, and exercised extreme self-control in emerging from the gift shop with only a single Amelia Rules!
volume.
We had plans to way laste to more of the city, but unfortunately Leo's school called with the news that our boy was sick again. Nothing quite like having to make a 50-mile dash. Leo was actually in good spirits rather than ashen this time, but we took him home and decided that he would stay home the next as well -- his first-ever sick day at his new school.
Which meant Leo got to come watch Iz and P. go indoor skydiving! Poor Leo, he really wanted to skydive too. But participants have to be extremely good at following directions in a sensory-overload environment while wearing ear plugs -- wasn't going to happen. Iz's paratrooping uncle said she was a natural, though (while noting that parachuting and skydiving are different skill sets). Iz then used her newfound aerodynamics knowledge to pooh-pooh Margot Kidder's flying sequence with Christopher Reeve in Superman, which I made her watch that night after she asked "Who is Christopher Reeve?"
After the Superman showing, almost everyone in the house became sick. (Causation! Superman causes stomach flu!) I ceded our room to Seymour and went to sleep with Mali, who didn't appear too bad off but who woke me at 2 AM with a vomit shower. Our guests had planned to leave that morning anyhow; I'm guessing they'd have found an excuse regardless. And I'm worried we seeded the entire Bay Area with the dreaded ick. Good thing I'd already written my Easters With Elvis BlogHer post! And Iz is still home sick today.
I won't deny that these two weeks laid me low by the time they were over. But I like to think the exhaustion has to do with the stomach flu's five-day Rosenberg campaign (I alone have not puked as of this writing) coupled with several of Leo's respite sessions getting canceled. I wouldn't change the rest. I love my family, I love our friends, I love where we live -- I can only feel grateful for getting two weeks to embrace them all so fully.
QUEST on KQED Public Media.
(Banana slug video courtesy of Seymour and team. If you want some good randy banana slug backstory, take the man out for a beer. He's got material.)
We also make a point of hitting Screaming Mimi's conjured on site and sold by weight ice cream, especially if we can meet up with smart Twitter friends whom I will not out, while we're nomming.
Sebastopol also has playgrounds designed by people who understand that kids crave varied gross motor/weight bearing activity. We hadn't visited the relatively new Ragle Ranch Playground before, so that made it doubly-motivating for Leo. But what I really enjoyed was watching him cross this webbed rope bridge repeatedly, until he could do so without losing his footing. Love watching our boy persevere.
Mali complained a bit during our two-miler, but she can't really be blamed. Neither Leo nor I are dawdlers, and her legs are short. She did have fun, this is evidence.
Oh, and hey! Our new iPad 2 arrived. We were busy folk and kept missing the FedEx truck, and had to go pick it up at local HQ, where the girls had no problem telling the employees that Leo was not just any iPad 2 owner, in their opinion. Posts on cases, new apps, raffling off Leo's original iPad, and apps in the classroom coming soon. As in this week.
Seymour and I had exactly one night off together during the two weeks of madness. We used it to celebrate the 20 years since our first date on April 12, 1991 under Sr. Procopio's watchful eye. We had a lovely dinner eventually, though Seymour's arrival was delayed 90 minutes by a really unfortunate CalTrain accident. Can't really complain about that.
The second week also brought my brother Chet and his Mali-energetic son P. to stay. For a whole week! Chet always has a lot of information to share, for instance Oman has great beaches, did you know? Though I did break out the tiny violin when he complained that he'd only been skiing twice this winter, as that gripe included indoor skiing in Dubai. But he taught the girls how to eat kiwifruit with a spoon, and he gave us an excuse to eat Mexican food almost every day (it's not nearly so good in his part of the country, he says). And he's straight-up good company.
Also, Mali & Iz have completely converted P. to the ways of Akiko
and Babymouse, so their trip was a success on the literature front as well.
And who doesn't like to find a good Turkish towel? Sometimes I dream of what this beach might look like, what shells and creatures and discoveries would litter it, were beachcombers barred from removing their finds.
We've become official CalAcademy devotees. Which means we can now drag guests along at a moment's notice! I'm looking forward to the opportunity to explore more nooks and crannies, but the kids (and my brother) enjoyed even our quick five-hour visit.
We went straight from climbing to picking up Leo, so his cousin could see his school -- and were greeted with a sick boy who'd gone through four changes of clothing -- all of which were handed to us in plastic bags. At the time, I thought Leo had food poisoning, so we took him home and washed him off and let him rest. He went from green (literally) to pink and healthy by the time he went to sleep, so we thought he was fine.
So I didn't worry much as Jennyalice & I drove up to San Francisco and hung out with some of our favorite people -- all of whom we know through blogging, btw -- and celebrated a birthday. We know cool folks, is all I can say -- and, also, now I know what the cool lofts by Seymour's work look like inside!
My brother had never experienced anything like Dynamo Donuts, so the next day we indoctrinated him. He approved. I have to say, the proprietors are extremely kind with chatty, possibly overenthusiastic six-year-old girls.
We then took our vistors to the Cartoon Art Museum, where we met up with friends who share Chet's love of all things Looney Toons, and exercised extreme self-control in emerging from the gift shop with only a single Amelia Rules!
volume. We had plans to way laste to more of the city, but unfortunately Leo's school called with the news that our boy was sick again. Nothing quite like having to make a 50-mile dash. Leo was actually in good spirits rather than ashen this time, but we took him home and decided that he would stay home the next as well -- his first-ever sick day at his new school.
Which meant Leo got to come watch Iz and P. go indoor skydiving! Poor Leo, he really wanted to skydive too. But participants have to be extremely good at following directions in a sensory-overload environment while wearing ear plugs -- wasn't going to happen. Iz's paratrooping uncle said she was a natural, though (while noting that parachuting and skydiving are different skill sets). Iz then used her newfound aerodynamics knowledge to pooh-pooh Margot Kidder's flying sequence with Christopher Reeve in Superman, which I made her watch that night after she asked "Who is Christopher Reeve?"
After the Superman showing, almost everyone in the house became sick. (Causation! Superman causes stomach flu!) I ceded our room to Seymour and went to sleep with Mali, who didn't appear too bad off but who woke me at 2 AM with a vomit shower. Our guests had planned to leave that morning anyhow; I'm guessing they'd have found an excuse regardless. And I'm worried we seeded the entire Bay Area with the dreaded ick. Good thing I'd already written my Easters With Elvis BlogHer post! And Iz is still home sick today.
I won't deny that these two weeks laid me low by the time they were over. But I like to think the exhaustion has to do with the stomach flu's five-day Rosenberg campaign (I alone have not puked as of this writing) coupled with several of Leo's respite sessions getting canceled. I wouldn't change the rest. I love my family, I love our friends, I love where we live -- I can only feel grateful for getting two weeks to embrace them all so fully.
11.23.2010
Seeing iPads Through Chestnut-Colored Glasses
Leo has had his iPad for six months now. It's hard to imagine our lives without it, honestly. What did we do? What did he do? (A hell of a lot more advance planning and materials set up, that's what we did.)
It's not that Leo uses his iPad all day long -- he does plenty of hiking and puzzling and snuggling and hanging out and working and playing and doing chores -- but the iPad really helps when Leo needs self-directed distraction, or engagement, especially during the kind of activities or errands that a typical kid would be expected to tolerate, and which have historically been challenging for our boy. Here are four iPad-made-easier Leo scenarios from just the past five days.
Waiting during sisters' activities
Just as his sisters have had to wait during Leo's various therapies, activities, and appointments, he sometimes has to wait for theirs. But this waiting hasn't always been easy for our boy, especially during his traditional winter grumpiness -- In the past I often begged off waiting on the sidelines, then piled unhappy Leo and his spare sister into the car so we could drive around until pickup time. But here's Leo contentedly hanging out at the restaurant/pub next to Iz's new soccer practice field, playing Letter Tracer. We made it through her whole practice, no problem. (Locals: guess our location!)
Sister homework time
A time when tempers have been known to flare, if three kids are clamoring for attention and needing keeping-on-task, and two of them are possibly whining and making excuses. Since Leo can now navigate his iPad & apps himself, I check in with him occasionally (he does have autism, he has been known to perseverate on certain apps, like Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, pictured) but I can now give his sisters 95% instead of the previous 50% - 70% or my attention.
Costco Runs
Sometimes our boy's not in the mood for Costco. I understand; I'm not a fan myself -- but our weekly runs are part of our family schedule, and there are complicated consequences to aborting a trip or trying to go on a different day. Leo can usually get through a Costco trip without incident, but he has been prickly lately, plus he has been exhibiting unpredictable irritation towards his little sister. If it occasionally takes playing Tappy Tunes in a shopping basket nest for Leo get through Costco, so be it.
Going to the Library
Three kids quietly engaged at the library. Two of them are reading books, one of them is playing ShapeBuilder on his iPad (with the volume turned down). Library visits like this were simply not possible before the iPad, as Leo only likes the books that Leo likes, and he doesn't like them in new scenarios, e.g., the children's room of the local library. But now the girls can suggest a library trip without bracing themselves for a No!
So, yes, I still consider Leo's iPad a near-miracle. And Leo still considers his iPad the most motivating and entertaining item he owns. (I urge you to consider helping near-miracles happen for other kids like Leo, through the HollyRod Foundation's Holiday 2010 iPad Campaign.)
----
Liz, Jen, & I spent part of our Saturday night at local parent & author Susan Walton's reading for her new book Coloring Outside Autism's Lines
. Susan stressed the importance of getting out and having fun as a family, finding full-family activities that everyone enjoys. I think our family does a decent job, and we're always pushing ourselves, taking risks, and trying new things. Like local chestnut-gathering, which I've never done but which Leo enjoyed and we all found addictive (the chestnut gathering and the eventual chestnut gorging, oh my goodness they are delicious).
----
Turns out my fretting over Mali's leaning in to read signs at Muir Woods was justified. She has an astigmatism, which makes her nearsighted, plus she's also farsighted. The ophthalmologist was able to get her a prescription that will give her 20/20 vision, and the real glasses should be here in a week (these are the clear-lens model of the frames she chose).
I wonder if a non-fuzzy version of the world will blow her mind. Moreover, I wonder if a non-fuzzy version of her classroom will lead to improved behavior.
I only have one worry, which is Mali's concern about a specific friend at school not liking her glasses. This not unkind but definitely bossypants-why-wouldn't-my-opinion-be-the-only-one-that-matters little girl also pooh-poohs my explanations about Leelo's autism, saying, "Well, he just shouldn't do that." I know it's not realistic to expect empathy and consideration from most six-year-olds; I just wish our exuberant and usually supremely self-assured girl would hitch herself to a more thoughtful friend.
It's not that Leo uses his iPad all day long -- he does plenty of hiking and puzzling and snuggling and hanging out and working and playing and doing chores -- but the iPad really helps when Leo needs self-directed distraction, or engagement, especially during the kind of activities or errands that a typical kid would be expected to tolerate, and which have historically been challenging for our boy. Here are four iPad-made-easier Leo scenarios from just the past five days.
Waiting during sisters' activitiesJust as his sisters have had to wait during Leo's various therapies, activities, and appointments, he sometimes has to wait for theirs. But this waiting hasn't always been easy for our boy, especially during his traditional winter grumpiness -- In the past I often begged off waiting on the sidelines, then piled unhappy Leo and his spare sister into the car so we could drive around until pickup time. But here's Leo contentedly hanging out at the restaurant/pub next to Iz's new soccer practice field, playing Letter Tracer. We made it through her whole practice, no problem. (Locals: guess our location!)
A time when tempers have been known to flare, if three kids are clamoring for attention and needing keeping-on-task, and two of them are possibly whining and making excuses. Since Leo can now navigate his iPad & apps himself, I check in with him occasionally (he does have autism, he has been known to perseverate on certain apps, like Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, pictured) but I can now give his sisters 95% instead of the previous 50% - 70% or my attention.
Sometimes our boy's not in the mood for Costco. I understand; I'm not a fan myself -- but our weekly runs are part of our family schedule, and there are complicated consequences to aborting a trip or trying to go on a different day. Leo can usually get through a Costco trip without incident, but he has been prickly lately, plus he has been exhibiting unpredictable irritation towards his little sister. If it occasionally takes playing Tappy Tunes in a shopping basket nest for Leo get through Costco, so be it.
Three kids quietly engaged at the library. Two of them are reading books, one of them is playing ShapeBuilder on his iPad (with the volume turned down). Library visits like this were simply not possible before the iPad, as Leo only likes the books that Leo likes, and he doesn't like them in new scenarios, e.g., the children's room of the local library. But now the girls can suggest a library trip without bracing themselves for a No!
So, yes, I still consider Leo's iPad a near-miracle. And Leo still considers his iPad the most motivating and entertaining item he owns. (I urge you to consider helping near-miracles happen for other kids like Leo, through the HollyRod Foundation's Holiday 2010 iPad Campaign.)
----
. Susan stressed the importance of getting out and having fun as a family, finding full-family activities that everyone enjoys. I think our family does a decent job, and we're always pushing ourselves, taking risks, and trying new things. Like local chestnut-gathering, which I've never done but which Leo enjoyed and we all found addictive (the chestnut gathering and the eventual chestnut gorging, oh my goodness they are delicious).
----
I wonder if a non-fuzzy version of the world will blow her mind. Moreover, I wonder if a non-fuzzy version of her classroom will lead to improved behavior.
I only have one worry, which is Mali's concern about a specific friend at school not liking her glasses. This not unkind but definitely bossypants-why-wouldn't-my-opinion-be-the-only-one-that-matters little girl also pooh-poohs my explanations about Leelo's autism, saying, "Well, he just shouldn't do that." I know it's not realistic to expect empathy and consideration from most six-year-olds; I just wish our exuberant and usually supremely self-assured girl would hitch herself to a more thoughtful friend.
6.16.2009
Visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium With Your Child With Autism
Last week I took Leo to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. My son is a huge fan, and would visit every day if he could; but the Aquarium is a very popular and often crowded place, and so not always the ideal environment for a child with autism. Not for my active, vocal, unpredictable, and easily overwhelmed boy with autism, anyhow.We are fortunate to live nearby and visit frequently. After many, many successful visits and a few catastrophic ones, I now know what helps my son have The Best Visit Ever. Here's what I recommend for Aquarium-bound families like ours.
Locals: Buy a Membership
At $120 for one year, the basic family membership pays for our family of five on the first visit. Every visit after that is essentially free. As members, we have never had to wait more than two minutes to get in, which really helps squirmy boys who are still learning to stand in line. (Note: our current membership expires at the end of this month, but I'm not going to renew it until September because we don't visit during seethingly-crowded July & August.)
Out-of-Towners: Buy Your Tickets Ahead of Time
Leo doesn't like to wait in line, and neither do most of his friends. Plus the ticket lines for the Aquarium can be quite long. If we weren't members, I'd buy my tickets online so we could walk right in.
Go Early
We arrive the moment the doors open, 9:30AM during summer and 10:00AM the rest of the year. Timely arrival makes the difference between Leo getting to bliss out and commune with the jellies in relative solitude:
... and Leo fighting his way through jellyfish-ensorcelled mobs one hour after opening:
Prioritize
Since our recent visit was technically during summer (i.e., after Memorial Day) even though many local schools are not yet out, I knew we wouldn't get primo viewing or access to all of Leo's favorite exhibits. We had to make some choices. After the jellies, my son is most obsessed by the Outer Bay tank and its sharks, so we went there second. (And fifth. And seventh. And ninth.)
Sometimes, if the main Outer Bay viewing area's crowds aren't too tightly packed, we can shoehorn ourselves between a wall and one of the tank's corners, where Leo's spinning and glee and squawks only elicit questioning glances from one side.
Other times we turn around and head upstairs to the tank's viewing balcony. This last time, Leo was content to sit in the dark on the balcony for a good thirty minutes, while I bounced him in my lap and sang to him and gave him my full attention. This was possible because -- for the first time -- it was just the two of us. No sisters, no friends, no helpers. I had thirty precious minutes of uninterrupted joy with my son. I think there's a MasterCard commercial to be made from our experience.
During really bustling times, we head downstairs to the Outer Bay tank's ground floor viewing area, which is tucked away in the Vanishing Species exhibit between Wild About Otters and The Secret Lives of Seahorses. Few visitors seem to know about this alternate viewing area, which is nice for families like ours. The experience is not as immersive nor as dark as it is upstairs, but you get even closer views of the rays (that's *Mr. Ray* to Nemo-loving kids like Leo) and hammerheads. And Leo loves all the levers on the adjacent displays.
Cut Your Losses
We managed to get into the excellent new exhibit, The Secret Lives of Seahorses, but it got too bustling for us very quickly. So I kept us back from many of the tanks, as Leo's unpredictable behavior makes me leery of close quarters with strangers and their tiny children.
Both of us thought the seahorses were a trip, and Leo enjoyed the tactile experience provided by the giant seahorse statue. Next visit we will hit this exhibit first, so we can spend more time wondering at the seahorses and their hemispheric aquarium habitats.
Eat EarlyWe staked out the self-service cafeteria so we could get in right when the doors opened (11AM on weekdays, 10 AM on weekends). Otherwise, the chaotic mass of perplexed food-seekers in the slightly confusing kitchen area couldn't be more overwhelming for a child who dislikes noise, disorder, and crowds. Should you choose to brave the cafeteria during peak hours, note that grab-and-go beer and wine are also available.
Early diners also get the best seats in the cafeteria's dining area, with views of seals and cormorants, boats and divers, and sometimes even kayakers. Later diners can't always find a place to sit down, one of my worst-nightmare scenarios for an outing with Leo because he doesn't understand why we can't just eat all the food on the tray I'm holding right where we're standing.
If the cafeteria doesn't work for you, or if your kids aren't going to eat that early, you can bring your own food to the main amphitheater outside the cafeteria dining room, or the exterior amphitheater just past the Groups & Will Call entrance. You're not supposed to eat in any non-restaurant/cafeteria areas inside the Aquarium.
If you really, really don't want to worry about where you're going to eat, and your child can tolerate a waiter-service restaurant meal, the Aquarium's swanky reservation-taking restaurant is open from 11 to 3 (its bar is open until 5:30, which is good news for those who've had a grueling visit and are accompanied by a designated driver).
Make Use of Bolt-Holes
Like many kids with autism, Leo craves small enclosed spaces. There are several throughout the Aquarium. I prefer the two pictured below (exterior of the Wave Tunnel pool, Wild About Otters), because they are small -- Leo is not going to get overwhelmed by jostling kids -- and they're shallow enough that if need be I can easily reach in and yank him out.
Unless you're visiting on a really slow day, you're going to have a long walk between your car and the Aquarium. If you've also had a long drive, and your child is still mastering bathroom skills, you might be anxious about ticketing areas delays impeding a critical pit stop. Please know that the Aquarium thoughtfully provides *outside* bathrooms opposite the Groups & Will Call entrance.
Take BreaksEven on busy days, the Aquarium has many underused areas to take overwhelmed children who need to chill out. We like the area outside the Touch Pools (pictured, see if you can find Leo), but the benches between the Skywalk and the Anchovy Dome entrance to the Jellies Gallery are also rarely used. On slower days, the decks past the Splash Zone slide or opposite the Outer Bay/Jellies Gallery are good places to exhale.
Make It a Learning OpportunityLeo likes the Aquarium so much that it qualifies as a motivator, and we've incorporated it into his learning. I made him this simple sight-reading grid in Gimp, and then laminated it so we can bring it on our visits.
At home, I've turned the grid into a two-sided sight-reading and matching game. He can match pictures to the picture and word, or just word to word -- but either way he stays engaged, because he's looking at pictures and words from one of his favorite places.
SurrenderLeo thinks the Aquarium is a magical place. There are few other places he can have so many self-guided positive sensory and engaging experiences. He can commune with the "Nemo" fish in the Splash Zone coral reef tunnel indefinitely, he would dance in the Wave Tunnel forever. Though I am usually an impatient sort, when I see my son having the kind of fun the Aquarium provides, I surrender. I'll stay with him as long as he wants, doing whatever he wants. And I'll keep bringing him back.
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Please note that the Aquarium has its own list of tips for visitors, including disability access. For families that need accommodation, and with two weeks' advance notice, the Aquarium will arrange special tours.
6.15.2009
Bay Area Hikes With Children With Autism
Summer has officially started, not because Leelo's last day of school was five days ago, but because at this moment all three kids are swimming in the pool while I watch them over the rim of my laptop and wipe drops of chlorinated water from its screen.
Leelo and I have already started our daily summer excursions, to help exorcise his "this is not my usual routine!" tantrums, and keep his summertime soul intact. Today we did a three-mile trek through the forbidding poison oak groves of otherwise much-loved Edgewood County Park. It was just the two of us as the girls have a few more days in school.
Leelo is often at his best as a 1:1 boy, and was at his truly very best today. I decided to experiment with not letting him have new straws or snacks on the trail (he has been obsessing over both recently), and he not only resigned himself to being denied, but asked for kisses and hugs instead. He was a cheerful, happy, engaged boy for the entire hike. He didn't complain or dawdle, not once.
It was one of the best mornings we've ever had together. Positively blissful. His Superman shirt and forehead curl didn't exactly curb my adoration.
Leelo and I hike a lot. A lot a lot. Sometimes with family, sometimes with friends, and sometimes as a dynamic duo. We both need the exercise, and he needs an outlet for his excess energy. If we put in real mileage, it makes us both more cheerful.
We've spent so many hours trekking through so many Bay Area parks and preserves; it's time to formalize our opinions about the best San Francisco Bay Area trails for kids like Leelo. (Note that every one of these parks has a bathroom in the parking lot or at the trailhead.)
UPDATE MAY 2011: Castle Rock State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park are both slated for closure in July 2012 due to state budget cuts.
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Families With Small Children: Summer
Little Butano Creek Trail, Butano State Park
Little Butano Creek Trail, in Butano State Park, is an ideal hike for kids with autism or ADHD, and toddlers. It is a 1.5 mile (3 miles return), easily followed trail with plenty for kids to look at (banana slugs, caves, shallow creeks, bridges, boardwalks). It is mostly flat, shady, and surrounded by my favorite kind of Redwood splendor.
Be mindful: There is much to tempt children who love to play with water.
----
Families With Small Children: Winter
Crystal Springs Cross Country Course, Belmont
Not great for families with members in wheelchairs because at the moment you have to squeeze through the bike barriers to access these trails, but otherwise excellent for winter trekking. We don't go during the summer because it is on an exposed ridge, with not one tree. Lots of gently sloped trails that turn back on themselves, so you can hike as minimally or as much as you want to.
Be mindful: Do not go during a cross country event!
----
Families Who Like to Clamber
Castle Rock State Park, above Saratoga
Bouldering opportunities and the small enclosed spaces so beloved by my son and his friends abound. It's a popular site for rock climbers, so if you want to avoid people, go early or on a weekday. It's an uphill, half-mile hike to get to the bouldering area.
Be mindful: Keep an eye on your kids, even if you think they have common sense (none of mine do; not really, not yet). There are quite a few drop offs on the backsides of the boulder clusters.
----
Families With Kids Who Never Run Out of Energy
Sweeney Ridge from Sneath Lane Trailhead, San Bruno
This is a history-rich trail that just keeps going up, up, and up. You can even bring dogs, if you keep them on-leash. The clear-day views are fantastic.
Be mindful: Not for the easily winded.
----
Families With Kids in Wheelchairs
Sonoma Coast State Beach Vista Trail, near Jenner
A fully-accessible trail with cut-out picnic tables, mostly level trails, fabulous views, and accessible bathrooms. Note that this trail is north of Jenner, and so not a casual outing for most Bay Area residents.
Be mindful: It can be windy, so make sure everyone brings layers.
----
Families Who Like Tidepools and Sensory Soothing
Bean Hollow/Pebble Beach, Año Nuevo State Park
This one gets two pictures. Pebble Beach at Bean Hollow is one of our all-time favorite places for Leelo to indulge in sensory play. The smooth pebbles that make up this beach feel so good on his hands and feet; he will dig in them indefinitely.
There are tidepools at the north end of the beach, and the very easy trail at the south end of the parking lot leads to even more of them. Great exploring for nimble children accompanied by watchful parents.
Be mindful: The water is cold, the waves unpredictable, and the submerged rocks plentiful. Stay on the upper part of the beach, and do not turn your back on the ocean. Beaches are not even remotely wheelchair-accessible.
----
Families Whose Children Like to Play in the Water
Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Lagunitas
Lovely place to take small children. On warm days, you can let them splash in the shallower areas of the creek, which is accessible from the outer rim of the plentiful picnic areas/parking lot. Wide, level trails (converted from rails) make for easy hiking, offshoot trails head up hills and into redwood groves. Mostly shady even in summer, and very picturesque.
Be Mindful: Cultivate mutual respect with visible cyclists, as you will be sharing trails with them.
Leelo and I have already started our daily summer excursions, to help exorcise his "this is not my usual routine!" tantrums, and keep his summertime soul intact. Today we did a three-mile trek through the forbidding poison oak groves of otherwise much-loved Edgewood County Park. It was just the two of us as the girls have a few more days in school.
Leelo is often at his best as a 1:1 boy, and was at his truly very best today. I decided to experiment with not letting him have new straws or snacks on the trail (he has been obsessing over both recently), and he not only resigned himself to being denied, but asked for kisses and hugs instead. He was a cheerful, happy, engaged boy for the entire hike. He didn't complain or dawdle, not once.
It was one of the best mornings we've ever had together. Positively blissful. His Superman shirt and forehead curl didn't exactly curb my adoration.
Leelo and I hike a lot. A lot a lot. Sometimes with family, sometimes with friends, and sometimes as a dynamic duo. We both need the exercise, and he needs an outlet for his excess energy. If we put in real mileage, it makes us both more cheerful.
We've spent so many hours trekking through so many Bay Area parks and preserves; it's time to formalize our opinions about the best San Francisco Bay Area trails for kids like Leelo. (Note that every one of these parks has a bathroom in the parking lot or at the trailhead.)
UPDATE MAY 2011: Castle Rock State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park are both slated for closure in July 2012 due to state budget cuts.
----
Families With Small Children: Summer
Little Butano Creek Trail, Butano State Park
Little Butano Creek Trail, in Butano State Park, is an ideal hike for kids with autism or ADHD, and toddlers. It is a 1.5 mile (3 miles return), easily followed trail with plenty for kids to look at (banana slugs, caves, shallow creeks, bridges, boardwalks). It is mostly flat, shady, and surrounded by my favorite kind of Redwood splendor.
Be mindful: There is much to tempt children who love to play with water.
----
Families With Small Children: Winter
Crystal Springs Cross Country Course, Belmont
Not great for families with members in wheelchairs because at the moment you have to squeeze through the bike barriers to access these trails, but otherwise excellent for winter trekking. We don't go during the summer because it is on an exposed ridge, with not one tree. Lots of gently sloped trails that turn back on themselves, so you can hike as minimally or as much as you want to.
Be mindful: Do not go during a cross country event!
----
Families Who Like to Clamber
Castle Rock State Park, above Saratoga
Bouldering opportunities and the small enclosed spaces so beloved by my son and his friends abound. It's a popular site for rock climbers, so if you want to avoid people, go early or on a weekday. It's an uphill, half-mile hike to get to the bouldering area.
Be mindful: Keep an eye on your kids, even if you think they have common sense (none of mine do; not really, not yet). There are quite a few drop offs on the backsides of the boulder clusters.
----
Families With Kids Who Never Run Out of Energy
Sweeney Ridge from Sneath Lane Trailhead, San Bruno
This is a history-rich trail that just keeps going up, up, and up. You can even bring dogs, if you keep them on-leash. The clear-day views are fantastic.
Be mindful: Not for the easily winded.
----
Families With Kids in Wheelchairs
Sonoma Coast State Beach Vista Trail, near Jenner
A fully-accessible trail with cut-out picnic tables, mostly level trails, fabulous views, and accessible bathrooms. Note that this trail is north of Jenner, and so not a casual outing for most Bay Area residents.
Be mindful: It can be windy, so make sure everyone brings layers.
----
Families Who Like Tidepools and Sensory Soothing
Bean Hollow/Pebble Beach, Año Nuevo State Park
This one gets two pictures. Pebble Beach at Bean Hollow is one of our all-time favorite places for Leelo to indulge in sensory play. The smooth pebbles that make up this beach feel so good on his hands and feet; he will dig in them indefinitely.
There are tidepools at the north end of the beach, and the very easy trail at the south end of the parking lot leads to even more of them. Great exploring for nimble children accompanied by watchful parents.
Be mindful: The water is cold, the waves unpredictable, and the submerged rocks plentiful. Stay on the upper part of the beach, and do not turn your back on the ocean. Beaches are not even remotely wheelchair-accessible.
----
Families Whose Children Like to Play in the Water
Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Lagunitas
Lovely place to take small children. On warm days, you can let them splash in the shallower areas of the creek, which is accessible from the outer rim of the plentiful picnic areas/parking lot. Wide, level trails (converted from rails) make for easy hiking, offshoot trails head up hills and into redwood groves. Mostly shady even in summer, and very picturesque.
Be Mindful: Cultivate mutual respect with visible cyclists, as you will be sharing trails with them.
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