Meet Kamp Black

At church a couple of weeks ago I gave a little sharing time to the primary kids (those are kids that are all about Kamp’s age). I decided that I wanted to do it because I noticed them saying things like, “He’s weird.” or “Why does he yell like that?” And since the autism kindergarten class is at the school they all attend – or will attend – I wanted to tell them a little bit about Kamp.

I’m posting it because I thought that maybe it would be helpful to anyone who wants to explain to their kids about kids who are a little different, and how important it is to treat them kindly. So here you go!

My name is Kamp. I’m five-years-old; I have  autism. What’s that? Well, autism is a disorder that affects how my brain works. I may be different but I have a lot of great qualities. I am funny; I love Disney movies and riding horses, and of course playing in the dirt. You may not know how to treat me so here are some things I want you to know:

Say, “Hi!” I want to be included just like you. I may be different but I’m a person too. It feels good when people say hi to me, wave, or notice I’m here. I may not wave back but please don’t ignore autistic kids just because they are different.

Talk to me. I may not be able to talk back to you but everyone talks in different ways. Some talk a lot and some don’t talk very much or not at all.

Taking turns. Sometimes I get stuck on what I am doing. I don’t always like to share. I’m still learning; please be patient with me.

Different is okay. How do you spot someone who is autistic? Sometimes you can’t. We usually look like everyone else, but if you spend enough time with me you’ll notice I flap my arms, I yell and jabber, and sometimes it’s really hard for me to sit still.

Five Senses. What are the five senses? Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste and Touch.  Some of my senses are really sensitive and I can get a bit overwhelmed. I can see the flicker from flourescent lights that most people don’t notice until the light is about to burn out. I can also hear the constant hum, which can be really irritating. I don’t love loud music and too many colors hurt my eyes. I also don’t like very many foods; texture is really important to me. One cool thing about me is I have a really high pain tolerence, so it takes a whole lot to hurt me. I’m pretty tough!

Be a good friend. Please don’t feel sorry for me. I have autism, and I’m ok with who I am. Sometimes I get lonely and wish I knew how to be included, but I don’t. I am a child of our Heavenly Father, too. I can’t help it that I have this body, so please remember that I’m important just like you.

At the end of the presentation, we all sang “I’ll Walk with You“ from the Children’s Song Book.

School days are here again!

School is back in session people! Kamp is officially a kindergartner; he is in a “small group” kinder class for kids with autism. The house is SO quiet and peaceful (sigh, smile); it does the heart good.

As selfish as it sounds –  to want Kamp in school all day – I do worry about him a lot;  he is officially in the public school system.  I think, as parents, when we send our kids off to school we hope they will fit in, be liked and avoid the heartache of not being accepted. It’s a little different sending your kid to school knowing full well he won’t fit in.

As cute as Kamp is – and he is stinkin’ cute – he does weird things. He yells and screams (for no apparent reason), flaps his hands, spins in circles, and frequently tries to hide under his chair. Kids can be cruel and I’m not naive to think that there aren’t kids who wouldn’t be mean to him.

Personal Experience

When I first moved to St. George in the fourth grade I was bullied by a group of boys. How about this, I’ll give you their names:  John Ence, Riley Malan and Wayne Hill (Jerks!). They were awful to me and I never really knew why. It was horrible.

So you can imagine my fear sending Kamp to school when he already acts a little “Napoleon Dynamite-ish.” I’m sure there are “John Ence’s” and “Riley Malan’s” locked, loaded and looking for someone to torture.

My nephew Tyler Valdez is one of those high school kids you expect to be a jerk. He’s handsome, athletic, and popular. But he happens to be one the nicest kids in the world. Not only is he nice, he is kind too. He decided last year to friend an autistic kid in one of his classes. He made a point of talking to him every day and looked after him to make sure that others were treating him nice.

I hope and pray that Kamp will find a “Tyler” to be his friend. Someone who will be willing to take him under their wing and make sure that everyone else treats him kindly too.

On the other hand, there’s always the possibility that Kamp’s a little more prepared than I give him credit for; he has given me some pretty wicked bruises this summer.