RANCH OFFERS HOPE TO AUTISTIC CHILDREN
By Nancy Harrison
Payson Roundup - July 18, 2003

What’s about 25 feet tall and full of hot air? Eight-year-old Andrew Bailey’s favorite therapy spot. A huge jumping castle with a clown’s face on it. Inside, he can jump away the day’s frustrations and get the sensory stimulation his body needs to calm down and feel “centered.”

Andrew is from Tucson, and is one of 12 children who recently attended a weekend camp at Whispering Hope Ranch, about 25 miles east of Payson off Highway 260. The camp is surrounded by beautiful tall ponderosa pine trees and is interlaced by tiny creeks.

The ranch hosts several types of camps and school trips each year. Its primary focus is to offer a safe loving place for all sorts of neglected, abandoned, or abused animals. From former racehorses, to llamas, to potbellied pigs, there’s a great variety of friendly animals here. And these animals are often key to the therapy and healing process of hundreds of visiting children every year.

Many of these children suffer from autism.

Autism is a disorder that develops within the first three years of life. There’s a wide range of autism behaviors. Some people with it can’t speak, scream without cause, or rock back and forth in place. Some are more quiet and withdrawn. Some talk incessantly, even though no one is listening to them. Nearly all have trouble relating to other people and reading others’ emotional cues.

There is no known cure, but with effort, many autistic children can be taught to pay attention, speak, read, and write. With years of specialized therapy, some children can learn to live independent lives as adults.

Therapists who bring their clients to camp also use big, bouncy therapy balls, music, puppets, pottery making and horseback riding to help the children feel more comfortable with themselves and connected to others.

The Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center of Phoenix held three camps at Whispering Hope Ranch this summer.

Andrew’s dad is stationed at Davis Monthan Air Force Base. The family struggles daily with Andrew’s autism. He often yells and has meltdowns. Andrew’s parents say he’s been a bit challenging since he was an infant.

“He had RSV, a severe respiratory problem when he was six weeks old; he was always sick, and couldn’t talk at 3 years old. We knew something was wrong,” said Andrea Bailey, his mother.

Doctors usually recommend families of children with autism keep the child on a tight schedule.

May autistic children feel more comfortable and have fewer tantrums if they know in the morning what they will be doing throughout the day. But Andrew’s situation is different from most families. They have to move and travel a lot for the military. That shakes up schedules. So, the parents do their best to take Andrew and his 11-year-old brother Aaron for overnight stays in hotels, boat rides, and day trips.

For them, “practicing” leaving the house often helps Andrew get used to their chaotic military life.

Aaron said living with his autistic brother is difficult because Andrew screams a lot, but added that Andrew is thoughtful most of the time and knows how to ask permission to borrow toys.

After the jumping castle, Andrew enjoyed music therapy the best. He was withdrawn and crying when he started the class, but as soon as he picked up an instrument and started playing, his face lit up with joy. The therapists sang songs, played guitars and drums while he sat on a big therapy ball and bounced. The therapists began singing a song and stopped, having him finish it by himself.

Andrew also liked making pottery. The sensory input from the clay in the hands helps children relax. Payson potter Linda Nannizzi helped the children make keepsakes.

 “Pottery helps open up a medium of communication for these kids. There’s something about making that connection that is just magical,” she said.

And then it was Andrew’s turn to ride horseback. He sat confidently in the saddle and smiled for the camera. The gentle motion on the horse seemed to calm the overly emotional boy. A large part of the camp’s therapy involves the relaxation gained from working with animals.

While campers visited animals and worked at different activities, parents were given a break from their high stress parenting routines. Parenting an autistic child requires extra patience. The ranch offers parents yoga, massages, hammocks to rest in, a meditation garden and hiking trails. Special activities were designed for siblings of the children with autism.

The Baileys said their faith in God has helped them deal with their son’s disorder.

“Andrew’s so unique, friendly and lovable,” Andrew’s dad said.

At the end of the camp, parents didn’t expect their children to be “cured.” They realize their mission is challenging and life-long.

But the Baileys and others knew their children had fun. They saw them develop a little more confidence in themselves. Some made a connection with nature and other children. That’s something they may not have been able to do anywhere else.

For further information on autism, call SARRC at (602) 340-8717, or e-mail them at sarrc@autismcenter.org.

For more information on Whispering Hope Ranch, call (928) 478-0339.