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Autism 'may be missed in girls'
Tuesday, 16 September 2008 00:22 UK
23:22 GMT, Tuesday, 16 September 2008
news.bbc.co.uk (England)
Girls with mild autism are less likely to be identified and
diagnosed than boys, a study suggests.
Researchers examined 493 boys and 100 girls with autistic
spectrum disorders.
They found the girls showed different symptoms, and fewer
signs of symptoms traditionally associated with autism, such
as repetitive behaviour.
The researchers, who presented their work to a Royal College
of Psychiatrists meeting, said this might mean cases among
girls are missed.
Autism is thought to affect four times as many boys as girls -
but the latest study suggests this might not be the case.
Most of the children featured in the study had been seen at the
Social and Communication Disorders Clinic at Great Ormond
Street Hospital in London. Additional cases came from
Sunderland and Finland.
All the children were classified as "high-functioning". They did
not have classic autism, but did have difficulties with
socialising and communication.
Relationship obsessions
The researchers, who have yet to publish their research, found
that the girls were more likely to have obsessional interests
centred around people and relationships.
However, these interests were more likely to be acceptable to
their parents, and therefore tended not to be reported to
doctors.
In addition, these types of obsessions were less likely to be
discovered using standard diagnostic questionnaires.
The investigators said more research was needed to analyse
how autism spectrum conditions manifest differently in the
sexes.
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, an autism expert at the
University of Cambridge, agreed.
He said: "This is an important clinical issue and there are too
few studies addressing it.
"We shouldn't assume autism or Asperger syndrome will look
the same in both sexes.
"There may be many factors leading to these conditions either
being underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in females, or leading
females to require a diagnosis less often."
Judith Gould, of the National Autistic Society, said: "We hear
from many women who have been diagnosed later in life.
"The way autism is presented in women can be very complex
and so can be missed.
"It might be that due to misconceptions and stereotypes, many
girls and women with autism are never referred for diagnosis,
and so are missing from statistics.
"This may mean that many women who are undiagnosed are
not receiving support, which can have a profound effect on
them and their families."
Ms Gould said it was also possible that girls were better at
masking difficulties in order to fit in with society.
"Characteristics such as shyness and oversensitivity, common
to people affected by autism, are sometimes deemed to be
typically female traits.
"However if a boy were to display such characteristics,
concerns may be raised."
BBC © MMVIII
Autism is caused by a 'supercharged' mind, scientists claim
By Richard Alleyne
Last Updated: 3:50PM BST 17 Sep 2008
www.telegraph.co.uk (England)
According to a theory developed by Swiss neuroscientists, the
condition is not caused by a brain deficiency but by a system
overload which causes the world to seem frightening and
overly intense.
Husband and wife team Kamila and Henry Markram of the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, believe the
idea could explain the erratic nature of the condition.
"Our hypothesis is that autistic people perceive, feel and
remember too much," Kamila Markram told the New Scientist.
Faced with this "intense world" , autistic infants withdraw, with
serious consequences for their social and linguistic
development, she added.
Repetitive behaviours such as rocking and head-banging,
meanwhile, can be seen as an attempt to bring order and
predictability to a "blaring world".
Most of the theories surrounding autism involve the idea of an
underperforming brain but the Markrams believe the opposite
is true with the brain being "supercharged".
Their research, which included studying their own son who is
borderline autistic, is backed up by one of the most replicated
findings in autism which is abnormal brain growth.
At birth the brains of autistic children are small or normal
sized, but grow unusually quickly.
By age two to three, when symptoms of autism occur, their
brain volume is roughly 10 per cent larger than average.
The Markrams believe that autistic children suffer from
"hypermemory" which lock them into certain compulsive
routines and develop their savant skills.
"They build very strong memories," said Mrs Markram. "So
strong that you establish a routine that you can't undo: you are
stuck on a track."
Their theory chimes with the depiction of an autistic savant in
the film Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.
It also rings true with anecdotal evidence from autistic people.
"When I was younger, the school bell was like a dentist's drill
hitting a nerve," said Temple Grandin, an animal scientist at
Colorado State University in Fort Collins well known for being
autistic.
"I think it's difficult for people to imagine a reality where sounds
hurt your ears and a fluorescent light is like a discotheque."
© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2008
______________________________________________________________________________ Information provided by: The ARC of Washington State
The latest podcast is up on the Arc of Washington web site at http://www.arcwapodcast.org/ This podcast topic is the Intensive Behavior Supports bill and features Sue Elliott having a conversation with Representative Ruth Kagi about the bill.
Diana Stadden
Arc of Washington State
Policy and Advocacy Coordinator
Office: 253.572.1084
Cell (Call-Text-Email): 253.576.6351
Email: Diana@arcwa.org
Mid-Columbia news
Kennewick conference focuses on prevention of autism
Published Friday, August 3rd, 2007
By John Trumbo, Herald staff writer
The little boy ignores the woman who is trying to catch his attention. The bubbles she releases from a wand are far more interesting.
He smiles when a bubble drifts into his world. She smiles back but it goes unnoticed.
This is the realm of an autistic child, who seemingly has no interest in others, doesn't interact or communicate and can be preoccupied with repetitive and odd activity.
Autism, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says occurs in about six out of 1,000 births, is the focus of the third annual Southeastern Washington Autism Conference ending today at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.
More than 260 people, mostly professional counselors, therapists, nurses and public educators, registered for the event. About a quarter of them are parents of autistic children, or have children who exhibit some autistic traits but are not diagnosed autistic, said Terry Buck of the Tri-Cities chapter of the Autism Society of Washington.
Geraldine Dawson, director of the University of Washington Autism Center who was Thursday's keynote speaker, talked about brain dysfunction in autism and the importance of early intervention after recognizing autistic traits in children as young as six months.
Autism is believed to be four times more likely in boys than girls but what causes it is a mystery.
"We know genetic factors are involved," Dawson said, adding that environmental factors can contribute to its apparent growing prevalence.
Statistically, autism appears to be occurring with epidemic frequency. It was reported as occurring in 1 in 10,000 births in 1987 but found in 1 in 2,500 births a decade later. Today, autism is believed to occur in 1 out of 150 births.
According to the Autism Society of America, autism affects about 1 million Americans and has an annual growth rate of 10 percent to 17 percent.
One theory about the exponential growth in autism claims that childhood vaccinations and other toxins may be a trigger for autism.
Dawson, who has done internationally recognized research of early diagnosis and brain function in autism, said studies show that 88 percent of autistic children experienced accelerated brain growth -- most of whom had extreme brain growth in the first 14 months after birth.
Whatever the cause, early intervention is critical, she said.
"Children are helped tremendously by behavioral treatment. (But) no one approach is best," Dawson said.
An autistic child should be receiving individualized intervention involving a team of professionals at least 25 hours a week, she said.
"Parents have to buy in and believe (in the intervention) for it to be effective. Parents are viewed as partners and as the experts," Dawson said.
While there is a growing number of books and literature about autism that can educate parents, no parent should attempt to work with an autistic child solo, Dawson said.
Dawson concluded her example of the boy and the bubbles by noting that the woman used the bubble maker as a tool to catch the boy's attention. By holding the bubble maker close to her face, she could entice the boy to look at her.
When his eyes met hers, she made bubbles, which made him smile and she smiled in return.
The simple exercise can show an autistic child how to recognize a human smile and associate it with a positive feeling.
The strategy is to "promote communications development, child motivation and the positive effect," Dawson said.
The two-day conference has seven other speakers, who are discussing topics such as autism politics and advocacy, bridging the gap between home and school, nutrition therapy for autistic children, helping family members use relationships to better deal with autism and understanding autism better through biochemical and biomedical therapies.
The conference is sponsored by the Neurological Resource Center in Richland, Kadlec Foundation and the Carson Kolzig Foundation. For more information, call the Neurological Resource Center at 943-8455 or e-mail Dana Tolick at the Tri-Cities chapter of the Autism Society of Washington at danatolick@hotmail.com.
******************************************************************************************** To Everyone, Joe Sumsion was kind enough to forward this letter onto us from: Corrine Morgan Thomas, President of Miracle Run Foundation and I thought I would post for you all to read.
Date: Jan 5, 2007 9:56 PM
Subject: Letter From Miracle Run Please forward to all
To: Joe Sumsion Know Your Rights
Dear Parents,
2007 marks not only a New Calendar Year, but a day where we have finally come out of the dark ages of autism into many possibilities for healing and growth for Special Needs Children.
Your children will need one thing all the Autism Reform Bills cannot provide, and that is fortitude, strength , and the ability of a parent to set a healthy, positive, forward tone in the challenging situations which will most definitely arise in the coming year.
Become a leader. Your job is preserving the rights and life. Go in an IEP meeting with your concerns and goals clearly stated in writing. Do not be interrupted with their limited budgets, or reduced therapy schedules which will deny your child his intervention. And most of all, demand their full attention and respect. I don't care if you are two months late on your mortgage payment and your electricity is about to cut –off, as an United States citizen you are equal and as a human being you and your child are endowed with inalienable rights.
And if this is above and beyond the school's budget then I have a question for them, as well as one for you:
How much is the life of your child worth?
Thank God we were blessed with spiritual and intellectually inclined leaders at the writing of the United States Constitution because they knew. After years of conflicts and theories, and diagnosis, I know too. Your child's life is priceless and there is a great beautiful reason that he is here. As you walk into those meetings, doctor office's, centers, whatever and wherever this may send you, let it be seen in your aura of the great mission you have chosen to be on. There is none greater, and let others know it, be kind to them, do not ask for pity, but always ask for help. It is in our nature to help one another.
Do not get wrapped up in problems-solve them, yes a new one will rise but you are steps higher than before and then there is that ONE DAY.
There is that ONE DAY that all the poor, lonely days have passed and your child is interacting and, yes, speaking and you see a big smile on his face and glow on his person. He has dreams and they are going to come true. But little do you know that they will be multiplied by much more than you can ever imagine.
They do not make medals for people like you but they do have places in Heaven,
So keep your self esteem, be proud that you have preserved the human race.
Some day, even on earth, I promise you will be repaid. As you make that walk of life remember who you are by remembering what you did.
Corrine Morgan Thomas
THE MIRACLE RUN FOUNDATION Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 10:19 AM
Subject: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
The show airs this Sunday:
New Home for Family Touched by Autism
The O'Donnell family of Austin, TX, will receive a new and renovated home in just seven days thanks to "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," airing Sunday, February 18 at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC.
The story of Patrick and Jeanette O'Donnell, the parents of six children, is a rare and heartbreaking one. Five out of their six children have been diagnosed with and suffer from multiple forms of autism that range from simple communication limitations to severe physical and social problems.
The O'Donnell family's case is exceedingly rare because national autism experts have not recorded a single other family in the United States with five children who have autism. Individuals with classic autism, the most severe form, have problems talking, relating to people and playing. They can be hypersensitive to their environment and react strongly to certain sounds, colors and textures. Caitlin, the oldest at 15, and Kiernan, their youngest at 5, have classic autism, and are expected to live with their family their whole lives.
Furthermore, supporting the family keeps Patrick away from home most of the time, as he balances two jobs to make ends meet, working by day at a mail distribution center and by night as an umpire for softball games for the city of Austin. With a salary barely adequate for a special needs family of eight, the O'Donnells are struggling, to say the least.
With 30 days left until foreclosure on their home and worries about losing their children to the state if their home isn't deemed to be a safe and secure environment, the O'Donnells are desperate for a new home that is specifically suited to each of their children's very different sensory needs.
In this episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," the family will finally get the needed security, serenity and sensory design to help their children develop their own sense of expression and purpose. In addition, country music star Trace Adkins performs at a benefit for the family.
The "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" design team, local builders Jimmy Jacobs Custom Homes of Georgetown, Texas, contractors and hundreds of workers and volunteers are building a dream house for the family in a remarkable seven days. Meanwhile, the family will go on vacation to Adaptive Sports Center at Crested Butte Ski Resort in Colorado.
The design team for this episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will feature team leader Ty Pennington and designers Paul DiMeo, Eduardo Xol, Paige Hemmis and Tanya McQueen. The series is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. It's executive-produced by Denise Cramsey. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The program is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. This episode carries a TV-PG parental guideline.
| In Their Own Words: Mom Asks for Understanding | | A Montana mother asks her neighbors for tolerance of her son with autism: "Since leaving the big city in favor of a slower Montana lifestyle, we have been overwhelmed by the great people we have made friends with and the terrific schools that our children are blessed to attend. Unfortunately, my family is frequently ridiculed in public places by these same good people when my youngest son acts out." Read more of her “In Their Own Words” essay: http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/intheirownwords_tepas.php 
And contribute your own by emailing Autism Speaks here. |
| Mark Leland's Missing Pieces, a song for Autism | | Missing Pieces Video Courtesy of Mallory Records |
http://www.96seconds.com/frinkfest.html
~a heartfelt poem by a mother of an autistic child~
They looked at me with compassion
I hadn't a clue why,
Then they told me my son was challenged
and I began to cry.
"Your son may be Autistic, or
have some related disease."
"I've never heard of it," I said,
"Explain it to me please?"
"It occurs one in every five hundred births,
four times more often in boys.
Families of all racial and ethnic backgrounds
Regardless of stature or poise."
"Its a Lifelong neurological impairment
That affects the ability to speak,
Play or socially interact."
I felt my knees grow weak.
My husband took me in his arms
We held each other tight,
My five year old beside me asking,
"Mommy, is Stevie all right?"
We wouldn't have known there was a problem
If not for his speech delay
We thought he was just a little shy,
and preferred solitary play.
When she said, they don't know what causes it
I just wanted to die.
" My God, this isn't happening,
They can't even tell us why?"
"God is not sleeping," I said to myself
over and over again
holding fast to my faith in God
to help me endure the pain.
Clearly there needs to be research
It's imperative we find a way
Of getting the programs funded,
If we're ever to gain some headway.`
Our children are so precious
They look to us for care
Let's show them how much we love them,
and make everyone aware.
Bernard Rimland, Ph.D.
passed away Tuesday, November 21, 2006
In lieu of flowers, his family asks that
donations be made to the
Autism Research Institute Sad News from the Autism Research Institute We are sorry to report that Dr. Bernard Rimland passed
away yesterday. More information about Dr. Rimland will be posted on
ARI's website, www.AutismResearchInstitute.com, in the
next few days. A graveside memorial service will be held today,
Wednesday, November 22, at 2 pm on the Shalom Lawn at
Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego. The public is
welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, Dr. Rimland's family asks that
donations be made to the Autism Research Institute
(4182 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116). Donations can
also be made online on ARI's website. Bernard Rimland was a research psychologist (Ph.D.). and was the Director Of the Autism Research Institute, which he founded in 1967. He is also the founder of the Autism Society of America (1965), and the editor of the Autism Research Review International. His book, Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implication for a Neural Theory of Behavior (1964) is widely credited with changing the field of psychiatry from its claim that autism is an emotional illness, caused by destructive mothers, to its current recognition that autism is a biological disorder. He has lectured on autism and related problems throughout the world, and is the author of numerous publications. He served as primary technical advisor on autism for the film Rain Man.
His son Mark was born in 1956. It was obvious from birth that this perfectly normal-looking infant had something drastically wrong with him. Dr. Rimland had earned his Ph.D in experimental psychology 3 years earlier and had never encountered the word autism. Their pediatrician, with 35 years of experience, had never heard of autism either. Autism was extremely rare then – it is extremely common now. Dr. Bernard Rimland, ASA founder and pioneer in autism research and support, to be honored by community he founded. The Autism Society of America (ASA) announces with profound sympathy today the death of its founder, Dr. Bernard Rimland. A pioneer in the area of autism diagnosis and treatment, Dr. Rimland transformed the prevailing pessimistic view of autism in the medical and scientific community and built the largest parent support organization in the United States. Along the way, he inspired hundreds of thousands of parents, advocates and professionals to treat individuals with autism with respect, dignity and care. “Bernie Rimland was among the first to realize the importance of combining a focus on medical interventions with treatments, supports and services,” stated Dr. Cathy Pratt, ASA Board Chairperson. “There is not one parent or professional who has not been impacted by the knowledge, dreams and thinking of Bernie Rimland.” Dr. Rimland's 1964 book, "Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior," was responsible for challenging and changing the long-held belief that autism was an emotional disorder caused by poor mothering. Autism is now recognized as a biomedical disorder. Rimland devoted himself tirelessly to conducting and disseminating the results of research on methods of diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of autism. These treatment modalities, once considered radical, are now gaining wide acceptance as the news spreads about formerly autistic children who have been reclassified as normal. Dr. Rimland's determination was spawned by his own son's diagnosis of autism, at age two, in 1958. “Dr. Rimland was a hero to the autism community and his legacy will live on through the work of the Autism Research Institute, the Autism Society of America and the good work of others,” said Lee Grossman, President and CEO of ASA. “No one has done more for Autism than our founder, Bernie, and all in the autism community have been positively touched and have benefited through his decades of passion and dedication to our cause.” A private funeral will be held in San Diego, California. Richland family learns to cope with son's condition Published Sunday, November 5th, 2006 By Stacey Palevsky, Herald staff writer Few things make Alex Bodine happy like Nintendo. If you want to get specific, then the game Mario, specifically. Alex is not only savvy with the video game controllers, he's also an expert on the names and personality traits of every character ever created. His room is decorated with the virtual Italian man. He made a book with drawings and descriptions of all Mario-related characters. He knows the secret tricks on the tough levels. For luck, he sometimes carries a little plastic Mario in his pocket he got years ago in a McDonald's Happy Meal. The paint is rubbed off in some areas. Sometimes, he pretends to be characters, or relates seemingly unrelated ideas to Mario and his derivatives, said his mom Michelle Bodine of Richland. Alex's intense fascination with Mario and Nintendo is propelled by a unique disorder called Asperger's syndrome. The diagnosis makes life more challenging for Alex at school and at home. It's a disability that hides itself well because most people who have it are smart and look "normal." They might be perceived as slightly strange because they usually don't have the ability to gauge social cues to know when they're saying or doing something that's awkward. "Not comprehending or acknowledging social rules can be a great freedom," said his mother. "To have the ability to memorize and absorb any knowledge you want to and not fear the boundaries and expectations of society is what childhood should be about." Asperger's syndrome is a disorder on the Autism spectrum. Children with it exhibit some autistic traits but are high-functioning academically. The disorder affects their communication, coordination, sensory perception, energy, diet, social understanding and comprehension. "Asperger's can manifest itself differently with different kids, so although teachers know what Asperger's is, they have to get to know Alex because each student has his own way of dealing with things," said Jon Lobdell, principal at Chief Joseph Middle School in Richland, where Alex is a sixth-grader. For Alex, the diagnosis is most visible in his literal thinking because irony and sarcasm are lost on him. He has trouble focusing in busy places and unforeseen changes can make him nervous. "For kids with Asperger's, a student tapping a pencil behind them might as well be banging a gong with a sledgehammer," Lobdell said. The most effective therapy for children with the disorder usually is pairing them with a speech and language pathologist. Alex, for instance, works twice a week with a speech therapist and three other students who have similar needs. The small group setup is essential, said therapist Brenda Hollingsworth, because it forces students to interact with their peers. She also works with Alex on interpreting nonverbal cues. Michelle and Doug Bodine said their son's diagnosis was a relief since it explained so many of his odd behaviors. They share Alex's condition with friends and family since it helps people understand him and communicate with him better. The Bodines suspect their other two sons, ages 6 and 9, also have Asperger's, but they haven't been diagnosed yet. At home, the parents have a successful routine that Michelle Bodine likens to "spinning plates." Because all the children have sensory issues, Michelle Bodine makes individual meals for each of them every night since they don't like the same textured food. Some can't stand the feeling of the shower; some hate the bathtub. Though parents and school are in constant communication, figuring out what's best for this thin 11-year-old boy often puts them at odds with one another. "Out of a desire to want the very best for their children, parents of special needs kids fight for every accommodation they can get instead of what will let their child more naturally progress," Lobdell said. He sometimes worries that if children get too many accommodations, they'll falter in the real world when, for example, they're not granted 5-minute breaks after every 20 minutes of work. Michelle Bodine said she gets frustrated by education laws that are designed to give children like Alex the most accessibility and opportunity, but that in practice are confusing to parents. "I worry that assignments are being 'dumbed down' in order to make them OK for the entire group and not altered to fit the needs of each child," she said. Teachers, especially in middle and high school, say it's not easy. They usually have more than 100 students they see a day, so juggling numerous individual education plans isn't a simple task. For all the meetings and doctor appointments to help this slightly-different boy reach his potential, Alex isn't worrying about it too much. If you ask him, he'll tell you he doesn't feel any different. He wanted to go to the first school dance of the year like everyone else. And, like probably many other sixth-graders, was told he was too young. He played Mario Brothers instead. Treatment with Melatonin May Benefit Children with Autistic
Spectrum
Disorder and Sleep Difficulties
http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com Reference: "Randomized controlled trial of melatonin for children
with
autistic spectrum disorders and sleep problems," Garstang J, Wallis M,
Child Care Health Dev., 2006; 32(5): 585-9. (Address: Children's Unit,
Sandwell General Hospital, Lyndon, West Bromwich B71 4HJ, UK. E-mail:
maybelle.wallis@swbh.nhs.uk ).
Summary: In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind,
crossover
study involving 7 children aged 4 to 16 years with autistic spectrum
disorder (ASD) and sleep difficulties, treatment with melatonin for 4
weeks showed beneficial effects. The children received daily
supplementation with 5 mg melatonin or placebo for 4 weeks. After a
1-week washout period, the interventions were crossed over for another 4
weeks. Sleep latency (1.06 hours) and wakings per night (0.08) were
lower with melatonin supplementation, compared to baseline (sleep
latency, 2.6 hr; wakings per night, 0.35) and placebo (sleep latency,
2.6 hr; wakings per night, 0.35). Additionally, total sleep duration was
higher with melatonin supplementation (9.84 hrs), compared to baseline
(8.05 hrs) and placebo (8.75 hrs). Thus, based on the results of this
study, the authors conclude, "Although the study was small owing to
recruitment difficulties, it still provides evidence of effectiveness of
melatonin in children wi th sleep difficulties and ASD, which we predict
a larger study would confirm."
--
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar@nutritionucanlivewith.com >
"Ask the Parkinson Dietitian" http://www.parkinson.org/ "Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease"
"Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy"
http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/ Strongest Dad in the World [From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly] I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit
shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son,
Rick, 26.2 miles in
marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him
26.2 miles in a
wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy
while swimming
and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the
handlebars--all in the
same day. Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken
him on his back
mountain climbing and once hauled him across the
U.S. on a bike.
Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame,
right? And what has Rick done for his father? Not
much--except save his
life. This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43
years ago, when Rick
was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth,
leaving him
brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs. ``He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick
says doctors
told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine
months old. ``Put
him in an institution.'' But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the
way Rick's eyes
followed them around the room. When Rick was 11
they took him to the
engineering department at Tufts University and
asked if there was
anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,''
Dick says he was
told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.'' "Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick
laughed. Turns
out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to
control the cursor by
touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick
was finally able
to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And
after a high school
classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the
school organized a
charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want
to do that.'' Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described
``porker'' who never ran
more than a mile at a time, going to push his son
five miles? Still,
he tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,''
Dick says. ``I was
sore for two weeks.'' That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed,
``when we were
running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!'' And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became
obsessed with
giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He
got into such
hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try
the 1979 Boston
Marathon. ``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The
Hoyts weren't
quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a
wheelchair
competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just
joined the massive
field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get
into the race
officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so
fast they made the
qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a
triathlon?'' How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't
ridden a bike since
he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through
a triathlon?
Still, Dick tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four
grueling 15-hour
Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a
25-year-old stud
getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in
a dinghy, don't
you think? Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own?
``No way,'' he
says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome
feeling'' he gets seeing Rick
with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride
together. This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick
finished their 24th
Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than
20,000 starters.
Their best time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in
1992--only 35 minutes off
the world record, which, in case you don't keep
track of these
things, happens to be held by a guy who was not
pushing another man
in a wheelchair at the time. ``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is
the Father of the
Century.'' And Dick got something else out of all this too.
Two years ago he
had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors
found that one of
his arteries was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been
in such great
shape,'' one doctor told him, ``you probably
would've died 15 years
ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's
life. Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care)
and works in
Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and
living in Holland,
Mass., always find ways to be together. They give
speeches around
the country and compete in some backbreaking race
every weekend,
including this Father's Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the
thing he really
wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. ``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that
my dad sit in the
chair and I push him once.'' Here's the video.... http://youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ Articles of Interest
God Chooses Mom for Disabled Child
Written by Erma Bombeck
Published in the Today Newspaper
Sept. 4th, 1993 Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social
pressures, and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will
become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of
handicapped children are chosen? Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for
propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs
his angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth; son; patron saint, Matthew. "Forrest, Marjorie; daughter;
patron saint, Cecelia. "Rudledge, Carrie; twins; patron saint.... give her
Gerard. He's used to profanity." Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped
child." The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a handicapped child a mother who does
not know laughter? That would be cruel." "But has she patience?" asks the
angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a
sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off,
she'll handle it." "I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independance. She'll
have to teach the child to live in her world and that's not going to be
easy." "But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles. "No
matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough
selfishness." The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?" God nods.
"If she can't seperate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never
survive. Yes, there is a woman I will bless with a child less then perfect.
She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for
granted a `spoken word.' She will never consider a `step' ordinary. When her
child says `Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and
know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind child, she will
see it as few people ever see my creations." "I will permit her to see
clearly the things I see---ignorance, cruelty, prejudice--- and allow her to
rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute
of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is
here by my side." "And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in midair.
God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."
| God Chooses Mom for Disabled Child
Written by Erma Bombeck
Published in the Today Newspaper
Sept. 4th, 1993 Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social
pressures, and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will
become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of
handicapped children are chosen? Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for
propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs
his angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth; son; patron saint, Matthew. "Forrest, Marjorie; daughter;
patron saint, Cecelia. "Rudledge, Carrie; twins; patron saint.... give her
Gerard. He's used to profanity." Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped
child." The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a handicapped child a mother who does
not know laughter? That would be cruel." "But has she patience?" asks the
angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a
sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off,
she'll handle it." "I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independance. She'll
have to teach the child to live in her world and that's not going to be
easy." "But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles. "No
matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough
selfishness." The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?" God nods.
"If she can't seperate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never
survive. Yes, there is a woman I will bless with a child less then perfect.
She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for
granted a `spoken word.' She will never consider a `step' ordinary. When her
child says `Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and
know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind child, she will
see it as few people ever see my creations." "I will permit her to see
clearly the things I see---ignorance, cruelty, prejudice--- and allow her to
rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute
of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is
here by my side." "And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in midair.
God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."
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