Take Me Out to the Ball Game with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker
May 23, 2024 — Taylor Duncan, founder of Alternative Baseball®, challenges our perspective of being an athlete and community integration advocate.
Yahr (2021) tells us to ‘bring your glove and get on the field’. She writes that players can be of any or no experience to participate in Alternative Baseball. There are opportunities for boys and girls, teens and adults (ages 15+) to play traditional baseball, judgment free.
< My Thoughts > “…‘bring your glove and get on the field’…”
Our Sonny enjoyed a brief season ‘playing’ Challenger Little League, as a youth. The team had community sponsors who provided equipment, uniforms, and made baseball cards for the each team. Taylor Duncan’s Alternative Baseball seems like the next step. Look for a team near you. Or, start your own!
Sandison, R. (2024) says that in answer to his interview questions, he was excited to hear the following from Taylor Duncan. “In Alternative Baseball we use baseball to teach our players teamwork with coaches and mentors to ensure a brighter future.”
“
Autism has given me the ability to network and meet new people and share my story to help others not only with playing baseball but also through sports to learn life skills. I hope to use my gifts to help people with disabilities to gain more independence as they grow and mature and to have a better quality of life with social connections.”
“Sports has given me the opportunity to learn social skills with teamwork, make friends, communicate, and learning lessons to deal with the disappointments of losing games and how to be a gracious winner.”
Yahr (2021) tells us to ‘bring your glove and get on the field’. She writes that players can be of any or no experience to participate in Alternative Baseball. There are opportunities for boys and girls, teens and adults (ages 15+) to play traditional baseball, judgment free.
< My Thoughts > “…‘bring your glove and get on the field’…”
Our Sonny enjoyed a brief season ‘playing’ Challenger Little League, as a youth. The team had community sponsors who provided equipment, uniforms, and made baseball cards for the each team. Taylor Duncan’s Alternative Baseball seems like the next step. Look for a team near you. Or, start your own!
Sandison, R. (2024) says that in answer to his interview questions, he was excited to hear the following from Taylor Duncan. “In Alternative Baseball we use baseball to teach our players teamwork with coaches and mentors to ensure a brighter future.”
“
Autism has given me the ability to network and meet new people and share my story to help others not only with playing baseball but also through sports to learn life skills. I hope to use my gifts to help people with disabilities to gain more independence as they grow and mature and to have a better quality of life with social connections.”
“Sports has given me the opportunity to learn social skills with teamwork, make friends, communicate, and learning lessons to deal with the disappointments of losing games and how to be a gracious winner.”
Taylor Duncan, founder of Alternative Baseball®
Taylor Duncan teaching camaraderie through baseball.
Taylor remarks –
“I began Alternative Baseball with six players and a few wood bats purchased from Goodwill. Soon there were two Atlanta teams. As word spread, interest grew and today there are 22 active ABO chapters in 12 states.”
“Baseball teaches people camaraderie as they experience fellowship playing the game. Life skills also develop by spending time with coaches, leaders, and mentors.”
End of April is Autism Awareness / Acceptance Month, but not the end of Autism.
Awareness –
Consistently, parents were asked, “Who was the first person to mention the possibility of your young child having ASD?” Response was – “the first person was a parent, or other family member, and/or pediatrician.” As compared to children who were later diagnosed at 3-5 years, generally by the child’s pediatrician or classroom teacher.
Concerns with the timing of the diagnosis may determine a choice of starting with a ‘short-term’ intervention, as well as deciding what the family should do to support the child while they waited.
< My Thoughts > “…while they waited…”
The impact of the symptoms on the child and the family may also be a deciding factor, as to the timing and the nature of the interventions considered; as well as the actions taken while they waited. A ‘short-term’ intervention may be needed immediately, especially if the child is at risk for hurting self, or others.
Acceptance –
Many parents of children with autism hope that they will one day become a somewhat ‘normal’ adults with autism.
Rudy, L. J. (2018) – What do you mean by normal? A fast-shrinking number of ‘everyday’ people actually have a full-time job with a pension, heterosexual marriage, 2.5 kids, and a mortgaged house in the suburbs. She reports that “Parents who have an autistic child commonly wonder if they can lead a "normal" life. If that means being independent and otherwise living like neurotypical people, there is no simple answer. Some have traits of mild autism while others face more challenges and have higher support needs.”
Jones, S. R. (2016) reminds us that, “I am an Autistic adult, so all those messages of despair are about me and people like me. I hear the terrible things that are said about Autism and those of us who are Autistic and I have to wonder if the people saying those things believe we don’t have feelings. Or maybe they think we’re too far gone to ever hear what they’re saying about us. But they are wrong."
< My Thoughts > "…Autistic Adult..."
My take is that many are ‘underemployed’, but if the person feels important and productive, then that may be okay. Autistic adults are much more than their ‘autism’. They are their own persons. Unique individuals with special personalities, skills, abilities, and remain fiercely loyal to their employer. Yes, they may need ‘flexibility’ in the work schedule (time) changes, work increase/decrease, and/or having the support needed when troubles arise.
Jones, S. R. (2016) continues that 'autism acceptance' is seeing us as whole, complete human beings worthy of respect. Autism acceptance is recognizing that we are different and helping us learn to work within our individual patterns of strengths and weaknesses to become the best people we can be, not trying to transform us into someone we are not.
References:
Jones, S. R. (2016). The ABCs of Autism Acceptance; eBook Edition.
Rudy, L. Jo (2018). Will your autistic child grow up to lead a normal life?; Updated (2023) in Can Autistic People Live a "Normal" Life?; Retrieved online from: https://www.verywellhealth.com/autistic-child-normal-life-260435.
Sandison, R. (2024). Taylor Duncan Making America’s Pastime Accessible. The Art of Autism. Retrieved online from – https://the-art-of-autism.com/taylor-duncan-making-americas-pastime-accessible/
Yahr, N. (2021). Bring Your Glove & Get on the Field: A baseball league for people with autism & disabilities is on deck for Madison; Retrieved online from – https://madison.com/ct/news/local/neighborhoods/
Thank you so much for reading and sharing my BLOGs. Comments are welcomed, to be viewed and answered privately. My goal is to assist families, clinicians, educators, and all people ‘autism’, to continue their journey on the Autism Highway.
Regards,
Sara Luker
Taylor Duncan teaching camaraderie through baseball.
Taylor remarks –
“I began Alternative Baseball with six players and a few wood bats purchased from Goodwill. Soon there were two Atlanta teams. As word spread, interest grew and today there are 22 active ABO chapters in 12 states.”
“Baseball teaches people camaraderie as they experience fellowship playing the game. Life skills also develop by spending time with coaches, leaders, and mentors.”
End of April is Autism Awareness / Acceptance Month, but not the end of Autism.
Awareness –
Consistently, parents were asked, “Who was the first person to mention the possibility of your young child having ASD?” Response was – “the first person was a parent, or other family member, and/or pediatrician.” As compared to children who were later diagnosed at 3-5 years, generally by the child’s pediatrician or classroom teacher.
Concerns with the timing of the diagnosis may determine a choice of starting with a ‘short-term’ intervention, as well as deciding what the family should do to support the child while they waited.
< My Thoughts > “…while they waited…”
The impact of the symptoms on the child and the family may also be a deciding factor, as to the timing and the nature of the interventions considered; as well as the actions taken while they waited. A ‘short-term’ intervention may be needed immediately, especially if the child is at risk for hurting self, or others.
Acceptance –
Many parents of children with autism hope that they will one day become a somewhat ‘normal’ adults with autism.
Rudy, L. J. (2018) – What do you mean by normal? A fast-shrinking number of ‘everyday’ people actually have a full-time job with a pension, heterosexual marriage, 2.5 kids, and a mortgaged house in the suburbs. She reports that “Parents who have an autistic child commonly wonder if they can lead a "normal" life. If that means being independent and otherwise living like neurotypical people, there is no simple answer. Some have traits of mild autism while others face more challenges and have higher support needs.”
Jones, S. R. (2016) reminds us that, “I am an Autistic adult, so all those messages of despair are about me and people like me. I hear the terrible things that are said about Autism and those of us who are Autistic and I have to wonder if the people saying those things believe we don’t have feelings. Or maybe they think we’re too far gone to ever hear what they’re saying about us. But they are wrong."
< My Thoughts > "…Autistic Adult..."
My take is that many are ‘underemployed’, but if the person feels important and productive, then that may be okay. Autistic adults are much more than their ‘autism’. They are their own persons. Unique individuals with special personalities, skills, abilities, and remain fiercely loyal to their employer. Yes, they may need ‘flexibility’ in the work schedule (time) changes, work increase/decrease, and/or having the support needed when troubles arise.
Jones, S. R. (2016) continues that 'autism acceptance' is seeing us as whole, complete human beings worthy of respect. Autism acceptance is recognizing that we are different and helping us learn to work within our individual patterns of strengths and weaknesses to become the best people we can be, not trying to transform us into someone we are not.
References:
Jones, S. R. (2016). The ABCs of Autism Acceptance; eBook Edition.
Rudy, L. Jo (2018). Will your autistic child grow up to lead a normal life?; Updated (2023) in Can Autistic People Live a "Normal" Life?; Retrieved online from: https://www.verywellhealth.com/autistic-child-normal-life-260435.
Sandison, R. (2024). Taylor Duncan Making America’s Pastime Accessible. The Art of Autism. Retrieved online from – https://the-art-of-autism.com/taylor-duncan-making-americas-pastime-accessible/
Yahr, N. (2021). Bring Your Glove & Get on the Field: A baseball league for people with autism & disabilities is on deck for Madison; Retrieved online from – https://madison.com/ct/news/local/neighborhoods/
Thank you so much for reading and sharing my BLOGs. Comments are welcomed, to be viewed and answered privately. My goal is to assist families, clinicians, educators, and all people ‘autism’, to continue their journey on the Autism Highway.
Regards,
Sara Luker
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