Pt 7 :: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe - Backcountry or Car/End of the Portage

Dig this: April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) and April is also known to many as Autism Awareness Month.  This multiple part story/part guide, written in honour of The Six Degree Project (Autism Awareness Celebrity Campaign) and WAAD, is the tale (with tips) of how we got to the end of the portage with our son. With hopes to help raise awareness about autism and the extra challenge it brings to lives of many families, including ours; we also hope this Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe "series" helps to inspire other families to get out there and live their dreams as best as they are able - because even though, with autism, our lives are different - they shouldn't be less. ~Fiona

Interior/Back Country or Car Camping?

Campgrounds are noisy, social places with lots of activity around. Hearing the noises of others outside the tent walls was truly unbearable for Makobe - terrified by the sounds that people were making so close to our tent (i.e. talking, walking on the gravel path, shutting car doors, off-key singing around a neighbour's campfire). We tried to camp in an Algonquin Hwy 60 Corridor campground this past summer and it became a complete nightmare for Makobe. We actually had to leave in the middle of the night to calm our son who was having a full on panic attack - then come back and pack out our belongings in the morning.

This trip was a true disaster once night fell.

Yet camping in the interior is not a problem for our Makobe. With only the sound of the crackling campfire - not neighbours - Makobe is able to settle into sleep in the tent without fear or anxiety. He is much more at home in a more natural camping environment that comes with portaging than he is with driving into a campground and setting up a tent. Another consideration is that there is less chance of autism interfering with a camping neighbour's experience when you are across the lake from them instead of just a few feet away.

By The End Of The Portage...

Nature has a way of returning peace to one's soul. I always knew there was some truth to this as I have felt it myself on the many canoe trips that I have taken since I was a child. But seeing Makobe, who struggles everyday with the noisy, overly busy modern day world, be able to just sit on the edge of a northern shore for a good while, and look out at the sky with a calmness that I don't see very often at home, makes me realize that the best thing we ever did was make room for autism in our canoe. Especially since we now know - it doesn't really take up that much room at all!

Written by Fiona Westner-Ramsay in support of The Six Degree Project Autism Awareness campaign.

To read all the parts to this story guide, click here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe

To read our report from Makobe's first wilderness trip into Algonquin, please click here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe - A Trip Report

**Stim(s) or Stimming are the terms most used to describe a self-stimulatory behaviour or activity that is performed repetitively and usually to the alienation of others.  Examples can be screaming, hand-flapping, finger play, rocking, spinning, lining up objects, verbal behaviour, etc.

Pt 5 :: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe :: Meltdowns & Communication

Dig this: April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) and April is also known to many as Autism Awareness Month.  This multiple part story/part guide, written in honour of The Six Degree Project (Autism Awareness Celebrity Campaign) and WAAD, is the tale (with tips) of how we got to the end of the portage with our son. With hopes to help raise awareness about autism and the extra challenge it brings to lives of many families, including ours; we also hope this Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe "series" helps to inspire other families to get out there and live their dreams as best as they are able - because even though, with autism, our lives are different - they shouldn't be less. ~Fiona

Paddling & Planning For A Meltdown

Meltdowns can come at the most unexpected time and in the most unfavourable places. Plan for the worst and stay closer to the shoreline when you paddle with someone with autism, especially if the person does not have much experience in a canoe. If you are out in the middle of a large lake and a meltdown occurs - there is a possibility of tipping the canoe and it's cargo into the depths, ending in a very serious life-threatening situation. If you paddle closer to shore, not only will the trip become more visually interesting (along with an increased chance of spotting wildlife), but you will be safer as well. If you stick closer to shore, a meltdown situation can be steered towards the shallows or shore edge - protecting the person who is out of control, you and your gear from a potentially dangerous situation. Similarly, precautions must be used if the person is an escapist - or runner. Tying the zipper ends together with a short length of rope with a small bear bell attached, can give you enough time to wake-up and hear if someone is trying to escape from the tent at night. Making sure there is one person, at all times, who is watching the camp throughout the day is also a good strategy. Mike and I would frequently make sure that one of us was aware of Makobe's movements at all times and that he always remained within sight and on site.

Electronics can serve a real need in the wilderness with autism.

Accessibility & Communication in the Great Outdoors

Many families would agree one of the greatest technological advancements for special needs learning and communication came with the iPad. Even more so with an iPad2 (which includes a camera). For those who have come to rely on an electronic device (like an iPad/iTouch/iPhone) for their communication needs or visual aids, a canoe trip may seem like an impossibility. However, with the multitude of choices that are now available for charging devices by way of solar, battery packs, or even the new Biolite stove, plus the availability of waterproof protective covers, the portage has been opened to us all! The great thing about being able to bring along a device that takes pictures (paired with an app that allows you to create visual aids and social stories on the fly) is that you can customize your visual aids as needed on trip. Also, if the device also carries apps used in their autism intervention programs, you can continue schooling right at the campsite without having to cart around any heavy materials or supplies - thus keep some of the same routine as at home. Being able to bring along a much needed device like this, allows for greater communication and much longer trips. So while we are advocates for the special needs of our son and the increased quality of life that an iPad brings to our family, we do not use the internet while on a canoe trip. After all, we want our son to connect with Nature while we are in the bush, not Youtube!

Coming next: Paddling and Eating

Written by Fiona Westner-Ramsay in support of The Six Degree Project Autism Awareness campaign.

To read all the parts to this story guide, click here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe

To read our report from Makobe's first wilderness trip into Algonquin, please click here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe - A Trip Report

**Stim(s) or Stimming are the terms most used to describe a self-stimulatory behaviour or activity that is performed repetitively and usually to the alienation of others.  Examples can be screaming, hand-flapping, finger play, rocking, spinning, lining up objects, verbal behaviour, etc.

Pt 3 :: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe - Visual First-Aid

Dig this: April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) and April is also known to many as Autism Awareness Month.  This multiple part story/part guide, written in honour of The Six Degree Project (Autism Awareness Celebrity Campaign) and WAAD, is the tale (with tips) of how we got to the end of the portage with our son. With hopes to help raise awareness about autism and the extra challenge it brings to lives of many families, including ours; we also hope this Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe "series" helps to inspire other families to get out there and live their dreams as best as they are able - because even though, with autism, our lives are different - they shouldn't be less. ~Fiona

Visual First-Aid

Many people with autism learn and are able to understand their world better when they are given visual examples and verbal warnings of what may come. Visual aids can be like first-aid when anxiety is an issue. Similar to the idea of using the canoe seat as a visual marker in the canoe, we also relied on other visual aids as well.

Our visual aids included information about where to go to the bathroom (i.e. the “Thrones” which are covered wooden boxes (with a opening for a toilet hole) placed over a dug hole that are used for going to the bathroom in Algonquin Park’s interior. Other parks, like Quetico, it is possible there will be no facilities available - where you are to dig a 6 inch hole in the ground instead). We had Makobe use the “Throne” when we were there as he has used an outhouse before. But as we know they aren’t pretty and usually present a very unpleasant odor, we also brought a back up toilet bucket for him to use in case he was unable to use the “Throne” due to sensory reasons and to prevent any health concerns or issues.

For our visual aids we used photos from our past trips (from before Makobe came into our lives), hand drawn pictures (including some of Makobe's own art) and even borrowed a few from the internet too. At first we used paper visuals but now rely more on the iPad* for a quick catalog of visual aids on the go.

Another visual and verbal strategy is the "FIRST-THEN" concept. It is a strategy that we, like many other families, use to help Makobe cope in certain situations.  At first used in a visual aid, we now use it verbally( or sometimes bring out visual aids for newer concepts).  For a verbal example, we used "FIRST paddle to the campsite THEN swim in the lake.” Note: when we returned from our trip we updated Makobe's Canoe Trip "picture story" with actual photos of Makobe and events that will be repeated on future trips as an updated visual aid and to help build his episodic memory.

*More about the iPad in the outdoors coming in the next post.

Coming next: Practice Portaging & Gear 

Written by Fiona Westner-Ramsay in support of The Six Degree Project Autism Awareness campaign.

To read all the parts to this story guide, click here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe

To read our report from Makobe's first wilderness trip into Algonquin, please click here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe - A Trip Report

**Stim(s) or Stimming are the terms most used to describe a self-stimulatory behaviour or activity that is performed repetitively and usually to the alienation of others.  Examples can be screaming, hand-flapping, finger play, rocking, spinning, lining up objects, verbal behaviour, etc.

Pt 1 :: Making Room For Autism In Our Canoe - We Used To Canoe Too

Legendary environmentalist, author, artist and cartographer
Hap Wilson wearing the Six Degree Project scarf for
Autism Awareness and Acceptance - WAAD 2013
(April 2) in snowy Muskoka, Canada.
(Abbey supports autism too! Ruff ruff!)
photo credit: Andrea Turner-Wilson

Dig this: April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) and April is also known to many as Autism Awareness Month.  This multiple part story/part guide, written in honour of The Six Degree Project (Autism Awareness Celebrity Campaign) and WAAD, is the tale (with tips) of how we got to the end of the portage with our son. With hopes to help raise awareness about autism and the extra challenge it brings to lives of many families, including ours; we also hope this Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe "series" helps to inspire other families to get out there and live their dreams as best as they are able - because even though, with autism, our lives are different - they shouldn't be less. Thanks to our family and friends who have shown their support and a special thank you to Hap Wilson for showing his support for autism awareness and acceptance. ~Fiona

Hey, we USED to canoe too!

When our son, Makobe, received his diagnosis of autism at the age of two, we really didn't realize just how much our lives were going to change. My husband and I had met and it didn't take us long to find that a mutual love and passion for paddling and the outdoors were not the only things we had in common. Soon, after an extended travelling trip to B.C., we were married. Two years later we had our beautiful son. Even still, our relationship and careers were built and shaped by the paddle sports industry. We lived for paddling. However we soon realized Makobe's autism, with his over-hyperactive behaviours and inability to self-regulate, had made it nearly impossible for us to continue our regular paddling and wilderness canoe trips as a family.

Indeed, we were not alone. Mike and I have met many families along our autism journey that had given up a beloved pursuit because it didn't fit in very easily with the demands and difficult behavioural issues that autism brought to the child and family. "Oh we used to canoe too!" was a statement I grew weary of hearing. I knew why, of course - it is difficult enough to get thru a normal autism day let alone try to take on the extra challenge of a wilderness canoe trip! Unable to plan for a paddling trip, we knew we were well on our way to saying something similar to our friends and family ourselves until we discovered the principles of ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) and decided we were going to be a family of paddlers - even if it took us years to get there.

And it did. Eight years, in fact. Eight years before our son was ready for his real first wilderness canoe trip. There were many tears and meltdowns along the way but each struggle and hand-drawn visual aid was worth every minute when we walked across that first portage - a huge transition for Makobe - with great success, a little giggle, and a big smile. The smile was his Dad's. The giggle was mine but the great success all belonged to Makobe.

So after years of practicing and planning, we had finally made it! Yet there was more to this journey than we realized. Yes, we had learned how to make room for autism in our canoe; but by doing so, we had also learned how to better make room for autism in our lives. With the help of visual aids, the proper teaching techniques, breaking the big skills down into individual skills before being taught as a whole, Dr. Vince Carbone's Verbal Behaviour (VB) protocols, plus lots of patience and creativity - we realized that our son could do anything he put his mind too with our support and encouragement. Not to mention the principles of ABA (and VB) can be applied anywhere - yes, even on a portage!


Start'em Young
So while much of the tactics we used and will be sharing are for families of children with autism or special needs, much of this approach could also be applied to paddling with any child, really. It is important to remember that how our parents spent time with us as children influenced our idea of comfort when we later became adults. The more positive time you spend outdoors, in nature, with your children (at any age) - the greater chance they will seek out the wilderness later in life and with their own children as their chosen pastime. Getting young children to feel comfortable and enjoy spending time in the the outdoors is important; and remembering our connection with Nature is paramount for our survival on this planet. Besides, getting your hands filthy with camp dirt and feeling your feet get wet in the warm summer waters of a fresh water lake - or the salty sea - is something that everyone should have the pleasure of experiencing in their lifetime. And when children see their parents enjoying an outdoor experience and simpler life-style, they do too. It is also important to remember whether the child has autism or not - there is always room in a canoe for fun!

Coming NEXT: The Journey Begins, Paddling at Home

Written by Fiona Westner-Ramsay in support of The Six Degree Project Autism Awareness campaign.

To read all the parts to this story guide, click here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe

To read our report from Makobe's first wilderness trip into Algonquin, please click here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe - A Trip Report

**Stim(s) or Stimming are the terms most used to describe a self-stimulatory behaviour or activity that is performed repetitively and usually to the alienation of others.  Examples can be screaming, hand-flapping, finger play, rocking, spinning, lining up objects, verbal behaviour, etc.

The Only Thing Missing In A_TISM is U - World Autism Awareness Day

Many of you already know, but for those who don't, we have a little boy, Makobe, who has autism. So it is very personal for us to support education and understanding of autism for those who have yet to have autism come into their lives. Or for those who know someone with autism but are unsure of how to interact with them. So today we've gone BLUE for AUTISM** in hopes to bring more then just awareness - we want to help you understand a bit about it too.

Our amazing son Makobe and our awesome dog Sadie.
This picture was taken on Makobe's first overnight canoe
trip into Algonquin Park - Canada. You can read about
it all here: Making Room For Autism In Your Canoe

Scary fact about autism: Did you know that the latest numbers from the CDC revealed the rate of autism has increased to 1 in 88 children.  By way of comparison, this is more children than are affected by diabetes, AIDS, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy or Down syndrome, combined. And the rate just keeps increasing every year!

So what do you do when you come across someone with autism?

Many people want to do the right thing but just don’t know how.


How to interact with a person who has autism:
A good place to start is to ask the child’s parents or teachers how you can best interact with the child. You need to know how best to approach the child - for example, it may be best not to approach the child directly but to play beside them and to take cues from them to start. Find out what the child’s main interest is - many
autistic children have a particular interest, like cars or trains, that you could use to engage them. You may also need to give warning of change - many autistic children find change difficult, so inform them in advance that you need to leave or that it will soon be lunch time and they need to pack up their toys etc. The main thing is to not be afraid of making mistakes and upsetting the child or causing a tantrum - it’s better to try, than to just disregard the child.*

*See more about interacting with a child with autism at: www.autisable.com/

Educating yourself about autism is the best way to understand what families are facing. And we really need your support, acceptance and understanding. After all, the only thing missing in A_TISM is U.

And thanks for taking the time to read this post. It really means a lot to us as a family.
Sincerely,
Mike & Fiona ~ Badger Paddles... for those who dig the water.

**Going blue/Light It Up Blue: is part of an international awareness campaign for Autism pioneered by Autism Speaks and others. World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) was declared by the United Nations in 2007.