At the end of the last post, I imagined a theme park where all needs are anticipated and everyone is supportive. The world isn’t perfect, and theme parks were not really designed for therapy. People don’t always have a wonderful time. Disappointment happens sometimes.

Parents are often stressed out and need a break, but haven’t figured out how to arrange time to themselves. Some arrive expecting “magic” and finding hard work in its place. Most arrive expecting to “get away from it all” and are not prepared for the inevitable problems. People who have not been fully prepared often have no plan or goal for daily activities. Some parents simply are not in tune with needs of their child. Family conflicts arise, and then there are scheduling issues, unrealistic expectations, and money problems. Many families are not aware of help that may be available. Or, they think they are entitled to special privileges based on their child’s disability, and they may find that the system doesn’t work that way and they won’t get the kind of help they think they should. And, as with any person with special needs, sometimes there are setbacks and complications.

As with any trip, anywhere, any time, for any reason, there are moments when they are dealing with difficult people who are not helpful or the least bit sympathetic, including some people who work at the resorts and theme parks. (I have met them.)  Many children are easily overstimulated, or anxious, or easily tired from all the activity. Behavior can be a problem. People don’t always understand that the person really has special needs and is not just misbehaving. Things can get touchy.

Many people have prejudices and misconceptions about special needs. Unfortunately, there are times when you encounter some aggressive, obnoxious people who make things difficult. However, the vast majority of people are understanding and supportive most of the time. Theme parks are not set up and staffed as therapy environments, but the people who work there can be helpful, when they are willing.

Parents will need a break, if possible – time on their own to recharge their own batteries. Sometimes children need a break from their parents, too. Balancing expectations, needs and resources is key to a good outing or vacation, anywhere. The adult caregivers need to have realistic expectations about their own energy levels, ability to cope, and available resources. As much as a parent might want to give a child a magical experience, they must not use overly-optimistic magical thinking and expect the world around them to automatically conform to meet their needs. Families need to have a realistic positive appraisal of their situation and know how to pull together the resources they need to have a good trip.

It isn’t all bad. The upside of disappointment is that people can learn to cope with adversity and regulate their emotional responses. They learn how to engage with people who are supportive, and disengage from people who are not. They begin to understand the level of social reciprocity that is needed to accomplish their tasks and activities. And they develop systems of supports to help them make things right. That is an excellent model for helping ASD people learn how to navigate the social world.

(Social communication, emotional regulation, and transactional supports (SCERTS) is a leading model for working with children with autism spectrum disorders.)

On the systems level, administrators and managers who work in environments where there are frequent encounters with people who have special needs will probably find that attention to solving any systemic problems for this population will improve the service quality and overall experience for everyone – guests and employees alike.

I see the world through a theme park lens because we live in a town where people come from all over the world for relaxing, fun vacations. As crazy as it may sound, I see an opportunity to enhance therapy services through the model of a theme park. Why? Because every time we go, we see families of children and adults with health issues and special needs having a wonderful time at theme parks. Actually, that is one reason why we moved here; our “Alphabet Soup Disorder” son thrives in these parks.

Theme parks are recreational venues. They are not designed to promote carryover of skills learned in therapy. Why would theme parks would be popular for families with disabled family members? Things at home might be so stressful that people need a respite vacation, but why would parents spend money on a vacation when their child needs therapy? Why do charities raise money to send families on respite vacations?

Because the positive experiences of an overwhelming number of people have demonstrated that the people with special needs clearly benefit from being here.

Nobody has to market theme parks to families with special needs children. Parents of special needs kids have already discovered that theme parks are therapeutic. Thousands of families with special needs children and adults revisit theme parks each year. There are resorts, such as Give Kids the World, that cater specifically to families of children with serious, life-threatening illnesses who receive respite vacations from wish-granting organizations such as the Sunshine Foundation and Make-A-Wish, among others. Many families who come here for a respite vacation, whether with an organization or on their own, realize that their child made significant social gains, and they end up returning again and again. It is more than magic – something is working. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could figure out what that is?

There are the obvious benefits to bringing children to Central Florida for a vacation – fresh air, sunshine, exercise, distraction from difficulties, fun attractions and activities, appealing images and sensations, entertainment, and a chance for families to be together in a place that is designed for fun and relaxation. Most people are having a good time, and it usually feels good to be around people who are having fun. It is more than just a chance to “get away” from problems or unpleasant circumstances. A visit to a theme park is also a chance to practice skills in fun, highly motivating recreational settings, with sympathetic and responsive helpers all around, in a controlled environment.

So, why is this working, and how can we use this model to help more families and communities make life better for their special populations? We can’t bring every person with special needs to live in a theme park, so how do we take this home? How can we put this to practical use?

• Therapists and parents can learn something about how their child responds in a non-therapy environment from recreational experiences, and use it at home.
• Children may be motivated by memories or anticipation of theme park visits.
• Theming therapy and education may help engage and motivate kids and adults.

So, Imagine being Deluxe Annual Passholders in a perfect therapy theme park, with unlimited access to a safe, nurturing, therapeutic environment where people anticipate your needs and have resources available to help, open all year round and ready for you to come relax, enjoy and grow together in ways that are pleasant, fulfilling, growth-promoting and mutually beneficial for everyone involved – children, families, other guests and all the dedicated and appreciated employees…OK, yes, it is expansive and unrealistic. But then again, “Theme Park Therapy” is just a mental model. A concept. A paradigm.

Of course, there are problems… but that is the nature of real life. (All the more reason for creating a therapeutic environment!)

-TD

]]> http://pixiedustinn.com/tptblog/2010/10/14/theme-park-therapy-are-you-serious/feed/ 0 http://pixiedustinn.com/tptblog/2010/10/13/maybe-it-is-rocket-science/ http://pixiedustinn.com/tptblog/2010/10/13/maybe-it-is-rocket-science/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:25:50 +0000 Administrator http://pixiedustinn.com/tptblog/?p=7 In the news today, trapped miners in Chile are being rescued, and the world rejoices. We thank God for the people who have made this rescue possible through years of training, study, preparation, and technical ingenuity. As I watch the progress this morning, I marvel at the incredible effort and will to get this done.

I attended the Family Care Council forum in Orlando on Monday evening. James DeBeaugrine, the head of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) said the services to people with developmental disabilities wasn’t rocket science, it was just common sense. To some extent I see his point, but I think it goes deeper than common sense; at least as deep as that mine in Chile. Maybe if people saw these services as being as important as rocket science, there would be more outcry to apply common sense solutions to avoid the lost potential of the individuals with disabilities, and the lost productivity of the people who serve them due to lack of solid funding, communication, utilization, and coordination.

If: We (as a global community) can use our intelligence and belief in the sanctity of life to pull the trapped Chilean miners out of a 700 meter deep mine using space technology and a transport system that looks like a little rocket ship; telecast it in real time on international media using satellite technology; provide special protective equipment and special diet foods to prevent harm; communicate with the people who were trapped in ways that promote positive attitudes and emotional health; provide counseling and practical assistance in maintaining their physical health; monitor their health status; send in caregivers to assess their needs; and I’m just guessing that somebody somewhere used VelCro (which was developed by NASA):

Then: Could we, as a global society, use our intelligence and belief in the sanctity of life to apply the same standards and technology to the millions of people on this planet who are living in bodies that don’t move the same way as most people’s bodies move; who have communication difficulties and need assistive technology and trained communication partners; who need reliable and safe methods of transportation; who need health monitoring, counseling, practical assistance; who need caregivers and coordinators who communicate efficiently and effectively to carry out support plans, implementation plans, therapy treatment plans and medical treatment plans, with everybody on the same page and aware of their part in the plan; and who need adaptive equipment that frees them to pursue the own personal goals including recreation, employment, education and participation in normal community life?

I think maybe it is rocket science. We have the technology, but we have not yet come together as a global community to apply the technology to the common sense needs that we face every day. I think we can.

-TD

So, what is an alphabet soup disorder? Is it the same acronym as Autism Spectrum Disorder? Maybe, but not really. The diagnostic label does not matter. There are hundreds of thousands of people living with mild-to-severe physical or mental impairments who do or do not have Autistic Spectrum Disorders, but their goal is the same. They want to have a life. “Alphabet Soup Disorder” is any physical or mental difference that keeps a person from being fully accepted, fully included, fully participating in the world unless we can give them a bit of support. As parents and caregivers, our goal is to help them become fully included, and as independent in having a fulfilling life as they can get. We do that by theming their lives; giving them structure and safe environments in which to develop their talents and relationships. And we cannot do it alone. We need our communities, schools, churches, politicians and businesses to work with us.

So, my goal with this blog is to focus on resources and ideas that promote inclusion, independence, support systems, agencies, and political policies that help our alphabet soup population thrive.