Q&A with Kelly Green of Autism Hwy

May 13, 2012 Margalit Sturm Francus

“Allowing my son to stim is key! He likes a key chain or something similar to dangle. Without it, he will surprise you with the dangling flexibility of his wrists.”

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photo credit Kelly Green[/caption]

Hi everyone, my name is Kelly Green, and I am the mother of two wonderful sons one who is twenty-three and the other thirteen. My younger son, Wyatt, non-verbal, is on the autism spectrum. As an artist and autism parent, I work in promoting autism awareness in my city of West Covina, California as well as on social media. One endeavor I am most proud of is our yearly chalk festival that draws artists from all over the State and country along with autism families every April. Since my philosophy for learning is experiential-I, have taken both of my sons with me wherever I may roam to give them the exposure to many different situations and people from an early-on age as possible.

So far, our “AutismHWY” travels have been strictly within the State of California, but I hope to take my son with autism for on a Canadian adventure soon! We have made multiple California coastal car trips from Southern California to Northern California, which have been quite enjoyable with breaks for walks on piers like Santa Cruz and Ventura and hikes through mountains.Our favorite ‘theme park’ to date is Gilroy Gardens, a small, relatively obscure amusement park featuring smooth rides ,located not far from Silicon Valley’s San Jose. In our case, social stories to aid with dining out were mandatory, and I’m glad to say have improved my son’s understanding of how to behave in a restaurant.However, I always have a backup plan that always includes a quick exit with some joint compression or deep pressure activities, if necessary. Allowing my son to stim is the key! He likes a key chain or something similar to dangle.Without it, he will surprise you with the dangling flexibility of his wrists which can prove unsafe for him and the people around him.

As for packing, I make sure I ALWAYS carry my children coloring books for him to enjoy and to share with curious friends we may meet along with a Lycra body sock or a preferred blanket that he finds especially comforting. Also, my daily ‘bag of tricks’ includes electronic devices, magazines, and plenty of snacks, of course!After all, he is thirteen and growing fast!

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