This is an oldie, but a goodie…last spring I had the joy and honor of telling the story about why I opened and run Jackson Autism Center. I love that I’m able to work with a variety of ages, stages, and abilities. I love offering hope when it may seem futile. And I love “never taking for granted those moments…whether they be small or large”
Recently, Dr. Rebecca Mullican along with one of her clients, had the joy to share their stories with the Aha Moment presented by Mutual of Omaha. Dr. Mullican shared about opening Jackson Autism Center while her client, Sabrina, shared about her daughter with autism and finding Jackson Autism Center.
Dr. Mullican’s AHA moment- the object Dr. Mullican is holding in her hand at the beginning is a flying pig. This flying pig is special to her because a few of her students’ parents gave it to her as an end of the year present to symbolize that she helped teach their child things that they didn’t think would happen “until pigs fly.” Guess what? Pigs fly every day at Jackson Autism Center!
This is Sabrina, whose daughter attends JAC. She is making progress every day and it’s so exciting to see what she will say or do next! Even on a hard day, she can push through to show her potential
We are excited to have an event for autism families and especially the kids this April. Premier Tumble and Cheer is hosting our second Bounce for Autism. This event is scheduled for Saturday, April 30 from 10:00 am-12:00 pm. This event allows families and kids with autism to come and play and be themselves while parents can mingle and feel comfortable in a relaxed environment.
Tickets are $10 per child and water and snacks will be available for purchase in the front room. Please come and help support families in the area who have a child with autism.
I was approached in October 2015 about hosting sensory friendly movies. I was excited, but apprehensive all in one…could such a small center take on such a big responsibility? How would people find out about the movies? Would they be a success?
Why was this important to me you may ask? I’ll never forget being a part of the first movie experience for one of my sweet students, who loved movies, but could not go to the theater because it was too loud. When I went with her on her first movie field trip and the theater accommodated her and turned the sound down, her mom cried to find out her daughter saw her first movie!
So what is a sensory friendly movie? Kids are allowed to move around as they need to, but are kept safe, lights are not as low as normal, and the sound is not as loud. These things make a huge impact for individuals with sensory needs because it allows them to better enjoy the movie!
We began with the Peanuts movie on November 5, 2015 and it was a success! Around 150 people came out to say “yes, we want sensory friendly movies in the area.” We have continued to have movies every month or every other month. We are excited to see what the future brings!
My favorite moment from our last movie was a dad coming up to me and telling me his son had told him I love you for the first time- at our sensory friendly movie! What an honor to be a part of that special moment!
Our next sensory friendly movie is Saturday, April 23 at 9:30 am. Tickets are $5.50 per person. This is not about making money; it is about providing opportunities for children and individuals to enjoy a movie stress-free or judgement-free environment. JAC has been so blessed by the employees and managers at Grandview Malco and look forward to many more movies!
In January, I had the opportunity to go to a book signing at Millsaps College for In A Different Key: The Story of Autism. I met the authors of the book, John Donvan and Caren Zucker, but the highlight for me was meeting Donald Triplett from Forest, Mississippi. Donald was the first person in the world to receive an autism diagnosis. He was diagnosed by Leo Kanner at Johns Hopkins in 1942, becoming “Case 1” in Kanner’s research. Donald grew up in Forest, under the protection of his family and community. He is now 82 years old. When I met Donald at Millsaps College in Jackson, his brother and a number of his church members had made the trip for the book signing in support of Donald.
In A Different Key describes the life of Donald Triplett but it also does much more than that. It outlines a comprehensive history of autism as a diagnosis. All of the well known names in autism and their stories are there: Hans Asperger, Ovar Lovaas, Eric Schopler (founder of TEACCH), Temple Grandin, Lorna Wing, etc. The field of autism has a complex and divisive history. In A Different Key explains how these differences came about, from professionals to grassroots efforts by parents desperate for services for their children to theories about vaccines, causes of autism, and treatment successes and failures.
In 1942 and for a long time after, most children diagnosed with autism or childhood schizophrenia lived out their lives in institutions. Donald Triplett’s life was unique in that he was raised in the small town of Forest, Mississippi by well-connected parents and a community that came together to look out for him. His story is interesting for anyone touched by autism. I’m so excited that I got to meet Donald and get him to sign my copy of In A Different Key. While I was waiting to get my book signed, I heard someone say that they would get “Uncle Donald’s” autograph at church on Sunday back in Forest.
*This post has been written by a guest author, Lisa Gerard. Lisa Gerard has been a special education teacher at Madison Avenue Elementary in Madison, MS for the past nine years. During this time she has been awarded Madison Avenue Teacher of the Year (2011), Jackson Metro Area Teacher of the Year (2015) and the Arts Advocacy Award from the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education (2015) for her efforts at integrating the arts into the special education curriculum at Madison Avenue. Lisa is currently finishing her Master’s degree in Special Education with a focus in Autism. She has done contract work in the past for Jackson Autism Center.
During April, as it is autism awareness month, it is my goal for you guys, my readers, to bring something to you each day of April! This is a pretty big challenge as I am the executive director and only interventionist at Jackson Autism Center currently, mom, student pursuing my BCBA, and recently began my supervision towards my BCBA…as overwhelmed as I am with life right now, I know you are too. I know you are tired when you come in and your child is pitching a fit about the ipad or getting up early or didn’t sleep last night…or has tummy problems. I see it as you fake a smile and say things are going well or you sit down as your sweet little (or not so little) boy or girl walks towards me to start our session.
But, I also see you light up when I tell you the awesome thing your son or daughter just did…or how well they sat to work or listened to directions…or looked at me. We are here for every single thing your child does- from the tiny glance my way to the “Hi Beka” or explanation about Easter weekend. No matter what skills your child is working on, we are thrilled to be a part of it. Even on the tired days. Even on the hard days. We. Are. A. Team! That is what makes it worth doing.
So this April, we may not have as many events as usual. And I hate that. I want to provide those fun things, lots of them, but can’t always do it. But here are some pretty cool things going on at JAC in April. And I hope to see you there!
April 23- 9:30 am Grandview Malco Theatre, Madison MS Sensory Friendly Showing of The Jungle Book. Tickets available for purchase.
April 30- 10 am-12 pm Premier Tumble and Cheer, BOUNCE FOR AUTISM. This event is $10 per child with concessions for sale. Come bounce and watch your child light up. Open to the general public.
Our first ever fundraiser t shirts! T shirts to promote autism awareness will be available for purchase through April 8, 2016. Find out more.
We have a support group meeting open to families affected by autism which typically meets the first Sat. of the month at 10 am, with child care available if signing up by the Wednesday prior to the meeting. This is open to all families affected by autism in the Jackson and surrounding areas.
One of the most joyous moments recently was with a teenager I have been working with for 2 years. We have been using LAMP Words for Life for over a year now and he will request where he wants to go eat and tell me step by step what to draw, including what color to use, but no completely spontaneous language beyond that. He reads using WFL and loves to spell.
Recently, he was hanging out before our session started and I was getting another student to tell about his birthday party and how old he was, what he ate, etc. My teenager was standing still or pacing during this conversation.
When we started our session, he kept going to different things on Words for Life, but not settling on saying anything. I could tell there was something he wanted to say and continued to wait and encourage him. After a few minutes, he said “party.” He wanted to talk about the other little boy’s party or perhaps have one of his own. He didn’t give anymore details. This was so exciting for him to take what we talked about as a group, when he seemed to possibly not be paying attention and want to talk about it again with me. This was a huge moment for us!
LAMP Words for Life celebrates April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day and puts WFL, which is only available through Apple, half off for April 1 and 2, 2016 only. This makes such an impact for so many families who are waiting and watching for their child to ask for “popcorn” or “tickles”…or “party.” Party on, Wayne!
Recently, Dr. Rebecca Mullican along with one of her clients, had the joy to share their stories with the Aha Moment presented by Mutual of Omaha. Dr. Mullican shared about opening Jackson Autism Center while her client, Sabrina, shared about her daughter with autism and finding Jackson Autism Center.
Dr. Mullican’s AHA moment- the object Dr. Mullican is holding in her hand at the beginning is a flying pig. This flying pig is special to her because a few of her students’ parents gave it to her as an end of the year present to symbolize that she helped teach their child things that they didn’t think would happen “until pigs fly.” Guess what? Pigs fly every day at Jackson Autism Center!
This is Sabrina, whose daughter attends JAC. She is making progress every day and it’s so exciting to see what she will say or do next! Even on a hard day, she can push through to show her potential!
Recently, Andrew Harrison, a WJTV news reporter, visited Jackson Autism Center and interviewed Dr. Rebecca Mullican and a few parents. The news story shows that Jackson Autism Center’s focus is on interventions specific to the child and family’s needs. These needs range from academic help to social, behavioral, communication, and even self help or toileting skills. Families receive special attention and answers to their questions as well as a guide along the autism journey. Children of all disabilities are welcome at JAC and will thrive with the attention they receive. Do not hesitate to contact us– whether your child was recently diagnosed or does not yet have a diagnosis, but you and your family need help. JAC is a growing community of help for individuals with disabilities and their families. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your community!
There will be free screenings for developmental delays on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015 at Jackson Family Resource Center located at 301 Adelle St. The screenings are sponsored by The Early Years Network: Special Needs at USM. Contact Shelley Ezelle, M.S. at 601-432-6179 to sign up for a screening for your child. Children ages birth to five are eligible for the screenings. If you are concerned your child is not meeting milestones, this is a great opportunity to find out for sure! Screenings are not specific to autism.
One of the scariest experiences a parent can have is losing their child…in a department store, at home, or in a crowded area…regardless of the length of time. Now, say that child can not communicate his/her name, their parent’s names, or any other pertinent information. This is a fear and nightmare for many parents who have a child with autism. Approximately half of children on the autism spectrum wander or “elope,” according to the Interactive Autism Network. It is important for families, neighbors, friends, police officers, and communities as a whole know about autism and about elopement. Some children with autism are nonverbal or verbal but unable to consistently answer questions when asked, which makes it difficult for someone who is unfamiliar with the child or autism to get any response they can understand from them.
Recently, WJTV’s reporter, Andrew Harrison, took the time to visit Jackson Autism Center and talk with Dr. Rebecca Mullican and parents regarding autism and elopement. You can view that news story video below.
What can someone in the community do? It is important for communities to: post signs if a child with autism who wanders lives in the area, have an emergency plan in place for the child (phone numbers for parents or local police), and STAY CALM. Do what it takes to get the child to stay with you until their parents or help arrives (show them something interesting, let them look at something they are interested in, encourage a conversation, turn on a TV or use a tablet device, etc.) Keep in mind that many children with autism have sensory issues that make touch painful to them, so try not to touch or grab them unless necessary because this could lead to a meltdown.
Parents are doing many things that are unseen to the community to keep their child safe- from privacy fences to extra alarms and locks on doors to hiding keys and remotes. GPS location trackers are becoming more popular as well as items like temporary tattoos/shoelaces/bracelets with family information written on it.
One JAC family has decided they need something else in addition to the above items. Dominic has been escaping more frequently and it has become a major safety issue for him and his family. He will leave when it is dark outside, head towards roads, and does not understand general safety concerns and rules. Dominic’s family is getting a service dog that will be able to stay with him constantly and keep him from darting off. If you are interested in helping them reach their goal and bring Krypto home, you can donate through sdwr.org and type “Brenda Tobin” or directly here. They are also doing fundraisers with local businesses so please ask if your business may be interested. You can follow their story here.
