I have two boys that have been diagnosed with Autism. Owen is 10 and Wyatt is 2. Owen was diagnosed with Autism in December 2022. Owen was born with a cleft lip and palate. Owen was that kid who could do difficult tasks at a young age. He was able to stack “stacking cups” by the age of 18 months. When I took him to his Help Me Grow evaluation, the evaluator said, “I don’t think I have seen a kid so young stack those”. By the age of 4 he was putting together complete adult Lego sets. Owen has multiple diagnoses, some being apraxia, sensory processing disorder, and ADHD, as well as Autism.
I was looking for a program for Owen to get involved and expand his opportunities. We met Jessica, at Bay Creek Farm, who informed us that Owen might be a great fit for her program since he likes animals. She spoke about how she has weekly topics, and at the end of the day, the kids have new tools to use for their toolbox. I enrolled him in one session and after that session his eyes lit up as he talked about his time at the farm. He loved going there and getting to work with the different animals, as well as learning coping methods for everyday life. Unfortunately, with two autistic children and the cost of therapy services (PT, OT, and Speech) for both, paying for “extras” like the farm wasn’t possible.
Avenues for Autism helped pay for Owen to attend recreational therapy at Bay Creek Farm in 2023. Through this program, Owen was able to learn more about himself and learn how to express himself in various ways. Using the lessons that Miss Jessica taught, plus the extra lessons with completing farm chores, Owen was able to apply his lessons at home and school. For instance, Miss Jessica taught the kids some calming techniques and how to regulate their bodies. Today, I can tell Owen that he is getting worked up about something and he immediately knows that he needs to take some deep breaths. We are so grateful for the Avenues for Autism Suzanne Tyner Autism Fund for allowing Owen to learn these valuable lessons at Bay Creek Farm.
Story by Cassandra (Owen’s mom)
