The wurster, the better

Last night we had our monthly greendrinks Media gathering at a new spot in my town of Springfield, PA. We’ve lived here for 22 years and I had never been to Nick’s Roast Beef until now. The food was great. And they even have an upstairs room which we can have for our meetings. This will be great for presentations and talks, something we’ve not had the ability to do before.

However, who will come. That’s always the concern when you have meetings. Some groups are popular and others have a continual flow of attendees. Our group through all the crap that has been going on, has no direction it would seem. We’ve had as many as 20 or so people, but over the past months we’ve only had a handful. And that’s who we had last night, the core 5 who seem to be at all the meetings.

We talked about why we were there and came to the main conclusion that it’s really for networking for your business. Second would be for information and knowledge about environmental issues and concerns. We now have an opportunity to reinvent the group and see what happens. It will take time and effort and we need a volunteer or two.

And while at the meeting, we watched Roy Halladay of the Phillies pitch a no-hitter. Way to go, Roy?

Last Friday, we had settlement on Tab’s first house in South Philly. It went smoothly. Now her fun begins as a homeowner. Best of luck, Tab.

A couple of weeks ago, I was inquiring at some local farmers markets about setting up something whereby one could buy a share in meat and poultry from their farm. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any. But then I received an email from a friend in Media about something called a meat club. A local farm called Forks Farm in Orangeville, PA was doing just this. They provide a list of farm fresh products that you can choose from to buy. There are various kinds of meat and poultry as well as dairy products. And then they deliver to a local place once a month for pickup.

So, I joined. We made our first order and I picked it up yesterday at Rushton Farm in Newtown Square, PA. I met the folks from Rushton Farm and visited their farmers market. Since we already get a lot of produce from the CSA Red Hill Farm we belong to, I bought flowers for my wife.

My nephew Gregg is returning from his world-wind vacation in Africa. He’s been there since the World Cup and is now in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on his way home. Can’t wait to see him and hear about his travels, more than what he posted on Facebook.

It’s not a baby (as far as I know) but rather a new home. My daughter has bought a home in South Philly. This was kind of a surprise to me, but Tabitha is always thinking. She has some money from her Mom-mom and is putting it to good use.

My brother Butch and Joyce celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in April which I forgot. Congratulations to them. My brother Paul would have had his 40th this November with Donna, but it wasn’t to be. We will have our 40th next August. My brother Ed and Sheryl will be celebrating their 30th in 2013. And my brother Bob and Eunsook will be celebrating their yyy. All in all, it seems that we Wursters (and our spouses) have learned well from our parents in keeping a marriage working. Thanks Mom and Dad.

Maybe we should be in the Guinness book of records for longest wedding anniversaries in a family.

I just wanted to add a couple of web sites concerning autism that you might be interested in. One is of a local group in Chester County, PA. They are the Autism Alliance of Chester County.

The other is About.com:Autism. I got to this site because a friend’s wife, Lisa Jo Rudy, runs this. I wanted to reprint her article about the dreaded “what if” questions we parents and caregivers ask ourselves. It is called:
Getting Past Blame and Worry to Help Your Autistic Child
By Lisa Jo Rudy, About.com Guide
Updated: July 20, 2009

How Blame and Worry Can Undermine Your Life:
From the moment my son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS(Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified), I started with the “what ifs”. For me, the questions were all about treatments. What if I was missing the ONE treatment that would make the difference? What if I were doing things wrong? I’m not alone. Parents feel tremendous pressure to “fix” their childrens problems — and often, the pressure can be overwhelming. But the truth is, worry and blame are almost never productive. So how can you avoid it? Here are some ideas!

What If My Child’s Autism Comes from My Side of the Family?:
Since autism is a highly heritable disorder, it’s likely that SOMEone’s family has a history of autism. That same side of the family may be responsible for your child’s hair color, artistic talents or math skills. There’s nothing anyone can do to change their genetics, so there’s really no blame to place. And the up side of having autism in the family is — other family members may have extra empathy for you and your child!

What If Something I Did Caused My Child’s Autism?:
The media is filled with stories suggesting that parental actions may be responsible for children’s autism. Was it the tuna mom ate? The ultrasounds the doctor ordered? The childhood vaccines? To date, no one has come up with a definitive answer. And since eating tuna, getting ultrasounds and providing your child with preventive health care are all responsible actions, you have done absolutely nothing wrong!

What If I’m Using the Wrong Therapies?:
There are many, many therapies and treatments available for kids with autism. There are medical, dietary, behavioral, developmental, physical and even aural therapies. Which one is the right one for your child? There’s no way to be absolutely certain. The simplest way to answer the question is by watching your child. Is he progressing? Does she seem to be building skills? If the answer is yes — you’re probably choosing well.

What If I Missed the One Therapy That Could Have Cured My Child?:
It is theoretically possible that SOMEthing out there could make all the difference for any given child. But think about it this way. If you tried every available therapy on your child, your child would probably collapse from sheer exhaustion. And so would you. As you explore options, you’ll find approaches that work for your family. And until there’s an “ultimate” answer, you can’t do better than that!

What If My Child’s Educational Setting Is All Wrong?:
Some schools offer inclusion. Others are into specialized classes. Some do a terrific job, and others are rotten. To some degree, you have control over your child’s educational setting. If there’s a real problem, you can advocate. You can even take legal action. But if your child is progressing and happy, he’s probably just fine.

What If I’m Short-Changing My Spouse Or Other Children?:
For some people, having a child with autism is all-encompassing. It can draw you away from friends and family, and become a world unto itself. If you think this may be an issue, communicate your concerns. If you can make positive changes, go for it! But if everyone else seems content with family life, you may not need to change at all.

What If We Run Out of Money?:
The million and one autism treatments, schools and therapists available can easily drain a family’s finances dry. That’s why it’s make sense to find the programs that work — and then stop. While it’s critically important to treat your child’s autism, it’s equally important to stay financially solvent, pay off your mortgage, and have something left for retirement!

What If My Child Never…(Fill In the Blank):
Marriage…job…personal independence…they’re all part of a parent’s dream for their child. But whether your child is autistic or absolutely typical, there are no guarantees. Your child will undoubtedly grow and change in many ways over the years, and you’ll provide all the love and support you can. If trouble arises, you’ll face it. But until then — why spend too much time worrying?

What If I Can’t Handle the Stress of Being a Special Needs Parent?:
So much of the stress you’re likely to feel comes from the inside out, and not the other way around. Perhaps you’re trying to keep up with other parents, respond to extended family, or just meet your own too-high expectations.

Consider the possibility that enough is enough. You’ve done your homework. You’ve found good treatments and solid educational settings. You’ve spent as much money as you can afford, and you’ve gotten the right diagnoses. Your child with autism is on the right track.

But what if there’s more to be done, better programs to find, possibilities left unexplored?

The truth is, you’ll never exhaust all the possibilities. So look inside yourself. When you think about more therapies — or perhaps consider changing schools or even homeschooling — do you feel energized or overwhelmed? Excited or depressed?

If the idea of one more straw on your load feels overwhelming, it probably is. And your child is unlikely to benefit from a parent who is overwhelmed, exhausted, and emotionally drained.

So … what if you put your feet up? What if you had a glass of wine, a bubble bath or an evening out? What if… you got to be just you for a few hours? What if you had… fun?!

This is a list of adults with autism social skills groups, service providers, camps, etc. As I find new ones or find limitations of the one’s I’ve listed, I will update this.

• SUMMER L.I.F.E.
  1777 N. Valley Road
  PO Box 730
  Paoli, PA 19301
  610-296-6725 x15
  Fax: 610-640-0132
  http://www.summermatters.org/
  SUMMER L.I.F.E. is an experiential learning program that offers youth, with and without disabilities, opportunities to experience “real world “learning within the context of innovative, highly motivating summer programming. Past programs have included a sailing trip in CT, a trip to the Outer Banks, social skills camps, film school, drama camp, science camps, and great outdoors camps. Programs are available for youth and young adults, ages 6 – 21, in the southeastern PA region.
  Contact: Holly Zipperer hozipperer@vfes.net
• There is a reference to “social skills training,” which one wonders if it is provided 1:1 in the community or in a social skills group with peers. http://www.upmc.com/Services/autism/adult/Pages/adult-inpatient.aspx

  Western Pennsylvania Autism Resource Center
  Specialized Inpatient services for adults with Autism

  A specialized inpatient unit at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC is available for adults experiencing acute behavioral and emotional problems, and who have autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, and other developmental disorders.

  The inpatient unit provides acute stabilization and specialized evaluation, treatment, and referral.

  Diagnostic Assessment and Treatment
  Assessment and treatment depends on the individual patient and may include:

  * medication review and therapy
  * medical assessment and referrals
  * individual, group, and family therapies
  * functional behavior assessment
  * behavioral interventions
  * behavior training with family, caregivers, and agencies
  * social skills training
  * adaptive and self-care skills training
  * disposition planning

  and more at the web site.

• http://www.collage-otp.org/ COLLAGE

  http://www.collage-otp.org/new_page_7.htm Groups, ages 3.5 through adulthood.

  Currently groups meet in:
  Newtown Square, Delaware County, PA (meets Wednesdays and Thursdays)
  Spring House, Montgomery County, PA (meets Tuesdays and sometimes Wednesdays)
  West Chester, Chester County, PA (meets Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

• http://www.med.upenn.edu/add/sldp_group.html – Asperger’s
  Adults with Asperger Syndrome & other social learning disorder
• http://www.newhorizonsclub.org/ Social Club for adults with Asperger’s
• http://www.gocenter.net/ Growth Opportunity Center- Groups- not sure if their groups includes adults
• Camp Joy http://www.campjoy.com/
  3325 Swamp Creek Road
  Schwenksville, PA 19473
  Phone: (610) 754-6878
  - day programs are for individuals up to 21 – residential programs are for those over 21 -
  - adults and children – accept Federal waiver funding (Medicaid and county funding like OMR) but don’t accept BAS Adult Waiver funding at this time -
• Camp Atlantic http://www.campatlantic.org/
  P.O. Box 7273
  McLean, Virginia 22106-7273
  Email: campatlantic@cox.net
  Phone: 703-863-9485
  Fax: 703-533-2354
• Ability Center http://www.umly.org/UMLY/ability.asp
  Upper Main Line YMCA
  1416 Berwyn-Paoli Road
  Berwyn, PA 19312
  (610) 647-9622
• When I spoke to Jennifer Whalen, Ability Center Director, UMLY, she described a lot of good programs they have. She also referred me to Teamwork Wins which supports their programs. The age group they seem to target is children under 18, but they directed me to Indian Creek Foundation which does provide services to adults.
• Indian Creek Foundation
  420 Cowpath Road
  Souderton, PA 18964-2036
  (267) 203-1500
  - under the BAS Adult Waiver, only services Bucks and Montgomery counties