My Date with 16-year-old Ashley

“My Date With 16 yr old Ashley”

For my assignment, I went through the steps of imagining myself on a date with my younger cousin Ashley. Ashley is currently 8 years old and she has Autism Spectrum Disorder. People with ASD are usually diagnosed within the first 18 months of their life; this disorder is a physical condition that is very often linked to abnormalities in the biology and chemistry of the brain. ASD most commonly affects an individual’s ability to socially interact with others and communicate verbally or nonverbally.  I have known Ashley since she was born and I actually used to babysit her very often when she was in her baby/toddler stages so I was able to watch her develop into the young, vibrant, but reserved little girl that she is today. Ashley is pretty quiet and she loves to read. She also likes to play board games when we’re together because it doesn’t require her to talk too much if she really doesn’t have to.

 So I imagined that if I were to ask Ashley to spend the day with me in a few years, she would want to do something that wouldn’t require her to venture too much out of her zone. She has trouble being in public areas that have too much noise, because she will put her hands in her ears when the noise becomes unbearable for her. She also dislikes being around people that like to converse with her or ask questions, because she doesn’t like conversations or making eye contact with people she doesn’t know. It makes her feel uncomfortable and gives her a sense of inability to do what she is accustomed to.

My date with 16-year-old Ashley would consist of going to the Gwinnett County Fair, and later on go have a meal at Panera then head to my house for a game of “Jenga”. At the fair, I could already imagine the amount of anxiety and unease this would bring to Ashley’s overall being. This is where we would encounter the key concepts of comfort, crowding, and activity. I already know that no matter the time of day, Ashley does not like large amounts of noise. Being at a fair where there are hundreds of other people actively participating in different events, would be overwhelming for her. That would be where we would reach the concept of crowding. When Ashley is unable to have her own personal space she becomes really upset.  The next key concept I noticed would be an issue was comfort. The environment of the fair was loud and busy, but it still had lots of things that would bring Ashley joy. So during this part of the date, we come across the concepts of sensory stimulation and sociality. The lights from the different booths would also be something she would love to look at and gaze at for long periods of time that would contribute to sensory stimulation. The rides, especially the Ferris wheel, would be something that would make her extremely happy because it allows her to enjoy it individually.  Because of her dislike of sociality, she would be uncomfortable enjoying either of these things with people interrupting her view as well as her silence. She would also dislike people having to walk near her or even with waiting in line for the ride because it would be too much for her spatial needs. All the things going on around her would be where the high levels of activity would affect her behavior.

When sitting at Panera I imagined the ease of spirit and relief that she would feel being in a much quieter environment being able to head back to her norm of being isolated with familiar people, such as myself.  So I think adaptability, control, and privacy would be concepts that would be present during the remainder of the date. Panera doesn’t have your usual servers/waitresses like many other restaurants so it would allow her to remain calm and quiet like she is used to. I would also imagine that by this time she would be a lot more acquainted with electronic devices and be able to skip the line by ordering her food using a mobile application. This would be where the concept of adaptability would be in use. I also see control of her environment contributing to a pleasant experience too. We would be able to pick up our food, find our own seats, probably outdoors so she would be able to watch the birds, and not be pressed for time.

Lastly, when thinking of heading to my house for some time alone, I know that the concept of privacy would take over. Jenga is a game that she loves to play (she plays a simpler version called “Kerplunk” now), its one of the only times where she will completely feel free to express her excitement. And I feel that the access that she will have to know where she is, whom she’s with, and why contributes to her ease and enjoyment.

Overall, I know she would cherish every moment we would have together as she always does. She would ask plenty of questions and I know I would hear her favorite phrase “Why do we have to do this?” multiple times. I look forward to making this a reality in the future and hope to be able to explain to her all of these concepts and maybe even be able to answer her favorite question once or twice.

--G. Badio

A Day With Thomas

Frederick Smith

10/21/2014

HS 3300

“A Day With Thomas”

For my outing I went with Thomas who is a disabled friend of mine. Thomas is a paraplegic. When he was 16 he got into a motorcycle accident where he skid into a rail side and hit his back to the point of paralyzing his legs. He was comfortable with the restaurant Zaxby’s. The accessibility was good as well. Thomas is a great guy with no problems of privacy on his condition. He’s very open in terms of sociality and interacts with anyone who ask him about questions. He even wrote a story about his accident and how it affected his life that he shared with me. It made me tear up because of how passionate he wrote about it and the way in which he wrote it. Although personally I will never understand what he has gone through he did a very good job at showing just how much this changed his current life and what was going through his mind. He talked about how he wanted to go to college for soccer when he was able to play. The way he handled this change was extraordinary. One thing I've learned about him is that he likes to have control over opening the door. Some people try and open the door for him, but he insists that he can do it himself, which he can. He doesn't like to do any sports anymore because the activity reminds him too much of when he used to be able to play sports and use his legs. After we ate at Zaxby’s we went to the park to feed ducks and geese. Even though there was a lot of people at Dillenger Park crowding had no effect on him. He had no problem of moving through the people and seemed very happy to interact with the animals. I was impressed with how comfortably he moved around his environment and nothing seemed to be an obstacle to him. Legibility was very well. A little girl came up to him and asked him what happened and he smiled and answered her. He has had no problem finding his way and I’m honestly affected by him in a strong way. To see someone go through so much and have to face something each day from the questions and the concerns of accessibility with environment. He’s a passionate and positive person. What happened he has not let get down on him.  I know that each day that goes by in his life anyone who has a disability can see him as a person to look up to. The way he handles each day with confidence and happiness is a unique outlook on life that can be embraced. The story he wrote is something he could use to reach out to people that are struggling to adjust to their new life or current life. I hope to continue to be his friend and learn more from someone like him everyday.

A date with Tim

          
By: Sara Bell 
HS 3300  Fall 2014
                  Tim has been a friend for many years, and over the years I have noticed that he has come back from his disability with a fighting vengeance. His ability to go out on certain excursions with friends or family however has been more of a challenge than he thought. Even with modern day accommodations that are required by law his ability to go out and be comfortable has drastically reduced. Tim wanted to take the opportunity of this project and help me better understand what he faces when he takes his wife on a date. He decided to take me to one place where he feels comfortable and one place where he feels the most uncomfortable.

            Tim was sixteen when he became disabled. He had an unfortunate car accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He is now permanently confined to a wheelchair. He is now 26 with a wife and child and as time has gone on he has found some things that he has had to learn to do different. He describes himself as lucky however. He says that his family was very supportive of the changes he was going through. They helped adapt his house and his car so that he could still lead a normal life. When he met his wife she took the same stance of wanting to make life easier for him. According to her, she did not bargain for how independent he really was. His parents had pushed him through the years to continuing being independent and do things for himself. When Tim and Sofia married they purchased a house that was previously owned by someone in a wheelchair so their house and many of the modern updates to accommodate him.

            For our date he wanted to go to a restaurant where he has often times decided not to go because of uncomfort-ability and then to a movie where he says he often times feels comfortable. At Applebee’s and the movie theatre there were a few positive factors but more negative factors that he saw. We talked about areas in all eleven of the physical environment- behavior relationships and decided upon eight which were the most noticeable.

1.      Accessibility: The restaurant became the more difficult of the two date locations. It was hard to maneuver his wheelchair through the seating arrangements. Although the entrance to the restaurant was easy and the floor was level the tables were to close together to easily work through. As for the theatre, it was easily maneuverable and we had no problem finding an area to sit and we had plenty of space to move around in. However, the area that was accessible for seating was very close to the screen which caused us to not be able to see the whole screen easily.

2.      Comfort: The restaurant in this case was considered uncomfortable for Tim. It was not only hard to move in between the tables but he was also uncomfortable that he had to sit at the end of a table. He compared his location at the table to that of a toddler, referring to the other kids sitting in high chairs at the end of the table. The movie theatre provided more comfort in the way of space but the positioning of the seats like mentioned before were uncomfortable.

3.      Crowding: In the restaurant Tim felt very crowded because of the tight spaces and the fact that he felt like he was in the way of the aisle at the end of the table. The theatre however he felt more comfortable in. He was able to move around more freely and felt like he had a lot of room away from the public’s traveling path.

4.      Legibility: In both locations Tim felt like he was easily able to find areas that were designated for him. Signs were clearly marked with handicap logos and he found it easy to find the access ramps into both locations.

5.      Meaning: When talking to him about choosing the locations for our date he made sure to pick two locations that he knows personally and has taken his wife to on dates. Applebee’s is Sofia’s favorite place to eat but the one near their house is harder to access and makes Tim uncomfortable. He often times does not take his wife there on dates because of the lack of comfort-ability and maneuverability. The theatre is a more comfortable place and happens to be a go to choice for their date night.

6.      Privacy: The settings were both very public places but Tim felt like he maintained his privacy as well as anyone would when they are out. The only complaint that he had in the area of privacy was that when he went out someone always starred at him. He described it as being strange having people look at him even though he is average. He said that he feels like a weird celebrity because of the way people stare and him and talk quietly about him sometimes. He seemed to be in good spirits about the whole situation though.

7.      Sociality: At the restaurant there was plenty of social interaction. He mentioned that the one good thing about having a disability is the way that people tend to give him better table service.

8.      Adaptability:  The restaurant and the movie theatre both received a good grade for adaptability during this date. Applebee’s had a manager on duty that was very understanding of the lack of space and made the effort to move one troublesome table away from us so that there was more space for Tim to move around. The theatre also had a very understanding and empathetic attendant who let us go in the theatre a bit early so that we could take our seats. It gave Tim the opportunity to get in and get positioned without feeling like he was in the way of other people trying to get by.

These eight topped our list of the most noticeable and important. Most of them posed problems but a few of them he saw as assets. He finds it particularly nice that people treat him so much nicer. He says that he runs into more people that are friendly than mean. He mentioned that normal people probably experience more mean than good on a regular basis.

            This date made me see things through a different perspective. I had known that he had trouble with certain outings and sometimes would decide not to come with us knowing that he would have a harder time. Every time we would go out together he was always so strong willed and determined to do everything on his own. His sense of independence was always evident on our outings. This outing was different however, he finally let his guard down and was able to talk to me about all of things that he often thinks about when going places. He has a list of the places that are easier for him to go to and also a list of places that are so complicated that he will never go in them again. He made sure that I was able to look at everything the way he does and understand the things he sees. He never knew that they had terms  like these but now he knows they do. He has given me new knowledge and I was able to do the same for him. I was able to show him how social workers look at situations to better see what the problems and feelings are. 

Hannah Zingler

October 21, 2014

HS 3300

A Date with Chris

For my physical assignment I chose to go on a date with a boy named Chris Heitzman. Chris attended Lassiter High School in Marietta, Ga. He graduated in 2012, with a scholarship to Georgia College State and University to play baseball. Unfortunately, in July 2012 just a few weeks before leaving for college, Chris was in a terrible car accident and was left with severe brain injuries. Chris was a passenger in the car, and sadly, the driver didn’t make it. Chris was in a coma for several months and no one knew what was going to happen, when he woke up he was completely changed. He is unable to talk; he was wheelchair bound for a while but now he can walk, and eat on is own. It is an incredibly sad story but I have grown very close to Chris in the past couple years, he amazes me and brings such a great joy to my life. You will never see Chris with out a huge grin on his face, and despite his disabilities he is the happiest boy I have ever met. Chris’s favorite food is pizza, so for our date we went to Mellow Mushroom, Chris was very comfortable in the restaurant and Mellow Mushroom had great accessibility for him. He was in his wheelchair on this particular night, because we attended the Lassiter High School football game after dinner. There were wheelchair ramps and plenty of space for him to sit comfortably. Anyways, at dinner Chris got a medium pizza, with everything on it and he ate the whole entire thing, plus half of mine. He has a huge appetite, which is amazing, and he is able to feed himself. Chris’s story is very popular in my community so everywhere we go, people always come up to him and I have never met someone who is such a people person; he doesn’t have a shy bone in his body. Chris is obsessed with football, his brother is on the team at Lassiter so he goes every Friday night to watch the game, and this week I told him I would take him. The crowding at the football game didn’t bother him at all, Chris wants to hug or shake hands with every person that walks near him, and he is the king of blowing kisses. The great thing about Chris is that he has a lot of control, he knows when enough is enough and he does not cross any boundaries. When we got to the game we got to sit on the field so we were up close to the action. Chris was wearing a football jersey and shaking every players hand when they walked by, he really is such an inspiration to everyone. Sociality comes extremely easy to Chris, usually when people have severe brain damage that is not the case; he is a blessed guy and has the most amazing support system possible. Whenever Chris is doing something he is completely involved in the activity and can focus, but only for short periods of time, it’s almost like he gets bored when he is not doing anything, or doing the same thing for too long. Chris is a prime example of legibility, at the football game he was at ease when conversing with his graduating class, family friends, and the football coaches, he has completely been able to find his way since the accident, and lives in such a positive element. One of the key elements that Chris does not express is privacy; he doesn’t like to be alone and loves being the center of attention. I was honored to be able to take him to dinner and the football game. I was nervous at first but the second the night begun he made me feel so comfortable without even speaking. I admire him, he has taught me a lot and it was more of a privilege for me to take him out then it was for him to be taken out. Even with his disability he has had such an impact on my life, and everyone else’s around him. 

Here is a video about Chris's story and milestones, it will bring a smile to your face and a happy tear to your eye!

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/2014/05/16/chris-heitzman-lassiter-high/9204707