A Boy Named L.

I want to tell you a story about a boy named L.

A boy who struggles when his routines are changed. A boy who has always wanted to play a team sport but his anxiety and sensory processing difficulties have always stopped him.

Several years ago, L expressed his interest in playing rugby league. We found a club who were willing to have him as a member of one of the junior teams and joined him up.

L was ready and raring to go. He went to and participated in every single training session and thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. He'd often run off and join another team that was training but he was at the field.

But when it came time for the weekly matches, it was a completely different story. When the matches were held at the home ground, we'd be able to get L to the games and he would go and stand near field but the sheer number of people watching the game and the noise would send him into sensory overload. He'd end up retreating into himself and hiding behind one of us or he'd run off from the field.

When the matches were held at away grounds, L did not cope with the change. This wasn't where he trained so in his mind, this was not where his games where, even though he could see all his team mates at the field.

For the entire league season, L played a total of about 15 minutes on the field. We wrote social stories, we took photos of all of the away fields but nothing seemed to help him. So we stopped going to rugby league as it was too distressing for him.

Jump forward to 2018 and L expressed an interest in soccer.

After his experience with league we weren't sure how he would go but he was even more insistent that he wanted to play than he was with league. We found a club that openly said that they were special needs friendly. This time we were armed with a publication called "Autism in Sport" which has been specifically written for coaches which we've given to L's coach to read through. Both myself and Daddy superhero were well prepared that we'd possibly have to be actively involved in the training sessions and the games.

We are about 6 weeks into the current season. L has gone to and participated in most of the training sessions but he's yet to play a game. On all the previous games, his anxiety has set in about the change of field or the crowds and he's not wanted to go. From our experience with league we haven't wanted to push L out of his comfort zone.

Well that changed today.

It was a home game for both O and L, so we suggested to L that we go along to the game just to watch his team play. This he was okay with.

When we arrived at the field, his coach gave us a team shirt for L to wear. This he was not okay with. The shirt was thrown, tears were had and L retreated into himself.

Until about ten minutes into the first half when L told me "I wear shirt now?"

Sure buddy. I suggested to L that I could go onto the field with him if he wanted to play (which the coach was fine with) to which L replied "Nah, I do a self!"

And off he went. I started to follow him but he physically pushed me off the field telling me "No, I do on me owen!"

I can honestly say that my eyes were watering a little with pride as I watched him run off onto the field without either myself or Daddy. I was also honestly expecting him to run off of the field a short time later.

But nope, my little man found his bravery and joined his team mates on the field.

He did come off for short breaks and drinks of water. He came off to get his soccer socks and books put on. He chased the ball down. He did some huge kicks of the ball. He tried to stop the other team from scoring goals.

L stayed on the field, in the game, for over 20 minutes.

Keeping in mind that when he played league, he only spent a maximum of 15 minutes on the field for an entire season, 20 minutes in a single game is a huge step for L.

And when the game finished, L said "I had fun. I going to play more."

From his efforts today, I have no doubt that by the end of the current season, L will be playing full games.

Then to top his morning off, his coach awarded L the player of the match award for not only overcoming his fears to play in his first match but also for being a great team player.

Well done L, no words can ever express my love for you and just how proud I am of you. You are a little superstar!

The future is looking very bright L, very bright indeed.

Autism Rocks 2018

Unless you have been living under a rock, pun intended, you may have heard of the movement in which people all over the world are drawing or painting on small rocks and then these rocks are left in public places for others to find.

It is a wonderful idea. Decorate a rock, leave it for others to find and once found the rock is relocated to another hiding place for others to find. Quite often people will write their postcode on the underside of the rock so that it can be tracked to see just how far the rock travels.

I'm honestly not sure where the idea started - many people in many countries around the world are laying claim that they were the ones who started it. I do know that the rock movement is now worldwide.

There are many social media sites that you can join in which you can leave clues as to where you have left rocks or to show the rocks that you have found.

We became involved in the rock movement in April 2017 when an Autism advocate in the United Kingdom decided to put an Autism spin on the rocks.

For the month of April people, particularly those who are on autism journeys, were asked to decorate rocks with an Autism Awareness or Autism Acceptance message. The hashtag that was used during that month was #autismrocks.

When I mentioned to O and L what we were going to be doing, they were hooked. They loved decorating the pebbles that we purchased. After decorating some pebbles, we embarked on a playground adventure during which we hid rocks around the parks that we regularly visited in Perth, Western Australia.

This April we're going to be painting a few more rocks but this time we will be hiding them on the East coast of Australia!

So why not become involved? We purchased small pebbles from our local hardware store and then decorated the rocks with coloured permanent markers. It is a good idea to seal the rocks after decorating them. I found that a thin layer of clear PVA glue works well - it doesn't smudge the permanent markers. Then once the glue was dry, I painted a layer of clear nail polish over it all just for good luck.

You could write messages such as ....

"Autism is not a word to be feared, it is a child to be loved."

"Autism did not stop Einstein!"

"Autism is my super power, what's yours?"

"Why fit in when you were born to stand out."

"Grow your awareness."

"Autism is seeing the world differently."

"Autism - a different ability."

"Autism is challenging and rewarding."

"Autism rocks ... and spins and flaps ..."

Why not put your spin on the idea. And don't forget to add your postcode and the hashtag #autismrocks.

Let's see just how far and wide we can spread some Autism awareness and acceptance through a humble rock!

A perfect winters day for a playground adventure!

If you have been following my blog, then you've probably gathered or heard by now that Tuesday is my day off of paid work. A typical Tuesday for me usually consists with running the little superheroes to and from school, therapy sessions and specialist or funding appointments. Tuesday is normally a very busy day with barely enough time to stop!

Well not the Tuesday just gone.

For a change there weren't any appointments or therapy sessions to attend and as it was still the school holidays, I wanted to do something fun with my little superheroes.

When we woke, it was the perfect winters day for a playground adventure - rain was forecast for the afternoon but the sun was shining, the wind was low and what is a little rain between friends anyway! When I mentioned to the little superheroes what I had in mind, they both leapt into action. I haven't seen them get ready that fast in a long time!

First up was a new playground, well new for us anyway, called Livvi's Place Playground in Whiteman Edge. It was established last year as a joint initiative between Stockland and the Touched by Olivia Foundation. The play area was designed as an all abilities play space with features especially designed for those children with special needs, in particular Autism Spectrum Disorder, physical, visual, hearing and mobility impairments. Although obviously it is open to any families wanting to enjoy the space. I'd been wanting to visit the play space for some time with my little superheroes and we'd just never got around to going.

When we first moved to Perth in 2010, I made a conscious effort to take O to a different playground in the Perth area each week. There are literally hundreds of play areas to visit, some small and some very large, but all are great fun. We've yet to find a playground that isn't fun. We've had many a playground adventure!

I'm a big believer in letting children play outside, either in the backyard or in a playground. There are so many benefits that can be gained from just playing.

Play really is a fundamental part of childhood and if you have ever read the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, you will know that it states that "it is a child's right to enjoy play and leisure!"

Aside from having fun, children learn so much through the simple act of play!

There's the hand-eye coordination, hand-foot coordination, the development of fine motor and gross motor skills. Children learn to problem solve and take calculated risks.

Then there is the social aspect of play - children learn the art of playing and socialising with other children, they can practise turn taking and sharing. This in turn assists in the development of their communication skills!

Mmm, play is beginning to sound like a therapy session, isn't it!

Without realising, both my little superheroes were participating in a spur of the moment unofficial therapy session. And they both had a ball! 

There was lots of climbing, spinning, sand play and sliding. Livvi's place really does have it all and the play equipment was accessible for children (and adults) of all ages and skill levels.

There was an abundance of sensory equipment as well which was fantastic to see. L spent a lot of time on the spinning equipment. This kid just does not get dizzy, ever!

The twirly slide was also very popular. Both O and L went DOWN and UP the slide numerous times! There was lots of "yee haaing" and "woo-hooing" to be heard!

After roughly an hour of play, they both tired of the area and wanted to go somewhere else. So it was onto one of our favourite play spaces, Woodbridge Riverside Park. Now considering that rain was forecast for the afternoon, I was hoping that the park would be relatively clear of other people. I was completely wrong.

Woodbridge Riverside Park, or the pirate park as my little superheroes know it as, is a fantastic play space. It has a flying fox, a sunken pirate ship, climbing equipment and a lot of natural play areas and it is a very popular play space for families.

Unfortunately for us, there were loads of people enjoying the area and the busyness of the area became too much for both O and L. We weren't there for long before they were both begging to go somewhere else.

While this wasn't a great thing to hear them asking to go somewhere else, it did mean that they were both recognising the signs of anxiety within themselves. This is a good thing!

One of the aspects of this park that I just love, apart from the fact that it has an on-site coffee shop, is that scattered throughout the park are keyword signs. It really is an inclusive play area. We are already familiar with these signs as we regularly use them with L when he struggles to verbally communicate with us. L's face really does light up when he sees the signs that he recognises and can use.

Before we left the Pirate Park, O and L were fortunate to spot and collect a painted rock. Throughout the month of April we participated in the #autismrocks project. The idea behind the project was that people would decorate small rocks with autism awareness messages and they would then leave these decorated rocks in public places for people to find.

The #autismrocks project was based on a similar idea, I just can not recall where the idea originated. Well since then, the idea of leaving painted rocks in public spaces has really taken off and it is now popping up all over the world. Here in Western Australia there are a huge number of people who participate and while we have left a lot of decorated rocks in play areas, we had yet to find a rock.

You should have seen my little superheroes faces when they realised what they had found. L guarded the rock with his life and I am sorry to say that their first rock is probably never going to be re-hidden! The idea is that when you find a decorated rock, you re-hide it for others to find. Not this little gem though! L has not let it out of his sight!

After finding their very first rock, both O and L were keen to find some more rocks, but at a different park!

So off we went -  a dual adventure, playground and rock hunting!

We located a new park that was completely devoid of other people, albeit it was a little wet at that stage. O and L had so much fun, there was lots of squeals of joy as they found rock after rock.

They both re-hid several rocks and I currently have two in my car to re-hide at another park at some stage. I had to bribe them back into the car with the promise of buying them lunch, chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers of course!!

O was stoked to find out the next day that some of the rocks had been painted and hidden by one of her school friends!

And that was my Tuesday, so much more fun than sitting in a car or at specialist and funding appointments. Although I'm not sure what is more tiring, a typical Tuesday or running around like a head less chook on a playground (and rock hunting) adventure.

I know which one I'd prefer to do on a regular basis! Bring on the next school holidays!