Sesame Place Play Date

I grew up watching Sesame Street.  It's as much of my childhood as the home I lived in.


And that's what I love about motherhood.  Sharing special parts of my childhood with The Boy.  And seeing the joy on his face as he experiences it for the first time.  


As a kid, we never made it to Sesame Place.  So being able to take The Boy is special for me.  I know The Husband feels the same way.  We went last year for the first time and  walking along Sesame Street, was like having part of childhood come to life.  


So when I was invited to Sesame Place for a Blogger Play Date - I couldn't say no.  We were planning on going again this year anyway.


The Boy was just as excited.  Especially about the "water splashing fun" and the "rollee coaster."  I was pleased to hear that he remembered our trip and that he was looking forward to going again.


We got there right as the park was opening and immediately went to the Welcome Center where we requested a ride accessibility band (see below it's the orange band around his wrist).  This band allowed us to enter some rides without waiting on long lines.  We used the band at our discretion - we assessed each line and decided whether or not it was something The Boy could wait for.  The staff was incredibly accommodating to The Boy's needs.

Waiting for Grover's World Twirl  - See how I have hold to on tight?  
He had his cup all picked out.

    

Father & Son getting ready to ride the Vapor Trail

I don't really do roller coasters...I don't care if it's appropriate for kids 3 and older.  

I'm more of a Flyin Fish kind of gal

Last year we used the map to get around, this time we used the FREE Sesame Place App for iPhone to navigate the park.  If you have an iPhone - you have to download the app.  It just makes life easier.  Some of the features include: 

• View a full park map on your iPhone.
• True GPS navigation that provides a highlighted path to your destination
• Interactive park map with search that allows you to find the nearest restroom, dining location, ATM and more.

By 2pm The Boy was all played out and wanted to go.  He has no interest in meeting the characters and taking pictures.  I tried.  Trust me, I tried.  And once he rode a (dry) ride, he isn't interested riding it again.


Not when there's "water splashing fun" to be had.  But I didn't bring my swim suit (I'm not feeling swim suit ready) and while it was warm, it was still breezy.  And when it comes to the water rides - we really need 2 sets of hands to help with The Boy.  And since it was just me, The Husband and The Boy - it was kind of hard for The Husband to do on his own.  


Which means - we'll be heading back to Sesame Place before the summer's over.  And swim suit ready or not - I'll be participating in the water splashing fun.


I was kind of bummed that I missed the actual Blogger Play Date and the opportunity to meet other bloggers.  (I did get to see my friend Rachel White aka The Digital Latina  and meet her family.)  But as you know - when your kid is ready to go.  You go.  As quickly as you can. 

Needless to say, The Boy was knocked out the whole ride home

And even though he had a nice long nap, that evening he slept.  And GET THIS - he put on his own pajamas.  No prompting.  No asking.  ALL. ON. HIS. OWN.  He's never done that before.  


Yeah, he put his pajamas on backwards but who cares.  A Sesame Place influence? I'd like to think so.      
  

Disclaimer:  We were provided with complimentary admission to the park.  The opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.    

Through the Looking Glass: Rick Schostek - What Happens Next?

Our son Greg loves Sesame Street.  The show’s characters are practically a part of our family.  Greg has memorized countless skits and songs.  He knows more Spanish words than his parents do, thanks to Luis, Maria, Rosita and the other characters on the show.

Sesame Street’s lessons and lyrics are quite helpful for us.  A couple of times a month, in response to a spilled drink or wrong turn, Greg or I will cite Big Bird’s tuneful advice: “Everyone Makes Mistakes.”  Greg sometimes counts in the manner of Count von Count, adding “ah ah ah” when he’s finished. 

I’m sure there are many families who benefit from the teachings of the Children’s Television Workshop.  I’m equally sure that our family is somewhat unique in our connection to Sesame Street.

Greg is 23 years old.  He has autism.  In today’s terms, he’s “on the spectrum.”  He’s one of millions of people who live with ASD, the incidence rate of which has increased dramatically throughout Greg’s lifetime.  No one knows why.  Better awareness and diagnostic tools account for some of the increase.  That doesn’t explain everything though.  Something else is going on. 

Recently ASD has received a lot of media attention, attributed to the increased incidence rate and the mysteries of the disorder.  That’s all good.  It’s meant more awareness, earlier diagnoses and increased research funding.  The media attention is, however, 99 percent focused on children with autism.

Greg isn’t the first young man or woman with ASD to transition into adulthood.  With the increased incidence rate, he and others are at the leading edge of a wave of adults with ASD.  In the last decade, our school systems faced a huge challenge with this growing population. 

The years have gone by and Greg has progressed, often with 2 steps forward and one back.  Now he’s 24, holds a part time job, attends an adult day services program and is doing just fine.  His transition to adulthood and the working world was the motivation for me to write the book What Happens Next? Raising a Son with Autism: A Father’s Story.

As this wave of kids become adults, they’ll need a lot of attention from residential, vocational and other services.  Is our adult services infrastructure ready for this wave?  What happens next for Greg and these thousands of others?  People with ASD have a lot to offer.  They are some of the most interesting people walking this earth.  They have many talents that can be put to good use in our society.  Let’s get a realistic estimate of the resources required to support all children and adults with ASD.  We need a comprehensive approach to support people with ASD. 

What happens next?  I don’t know yet.  But I know that those of us without autism must open our minds to a whole different world to help make this transition possible.  I’ve always been uncomfortable with the notion that we’re fighting autism.  We may be fighting to find the cause and cure, but not the condition itself.  Autism isn’t a disease.  It’s organic.  It’s part of who Greg is.  We haven’t fought autism all these years.  We’ve adapted to it.  In turn, we’ve helped Greg adapt to the confusing world he lives in.  Now, maybe the world will also begin to adapt as our children grow up and transition into adulthood.

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You can learn more about Greg and our family’s journey through stories and experiences like these in the book What Happens Next?  Raising a Son with Autism: A Father’s Story and on www.whathappensnextbook.com