Sherri Caldwell

Mamet – When Books & Theater Collide

Mamet – When Books & Theater Collide

by Sherri Caldwell – www.RebelHousewife.com

ATLANTA: There are a dozen reasons why you should check your calendar, get online, and reserve your seats immediately to see David Mamet’s American Buffalo LIVE…


What: Live Theatre – David Mamet’s American Buffalo
Who: Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company
Where: Southwest Arts Center – Atlanta
When: February 9 – March 6, 2016
More Info: www.truecolorstheatre.org

The most important reason: It will make you a more interesting person. I promise. You’ll have something new and different to talk about — the experience of live theater, this play, by this company, in particular. Impress your friends, your loved ones, your colleagues, your boss!

Do you know Mamet?

Chances are, you do, even though you might not realize it. David Mamet is a contemporary playwright, screenwriter and director, best known for Glengarry Glenn Ross (1984), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He later adapted the play for the 1992 film starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon and Alec Baldwin. Mamet also wrote the screenplays for The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), The Verdict (1982), and Wag the Dog (1997), among many other projects.

Mamet launched his Broadway debut with American Buffalo in 1977. It went on to win the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Prize for Best American Play. American Buffalo has endured as a theater mainstay ever since.

Theater Critic Frank Rich, reviewing the 1981 Off-Broadway production for The New York Times, called the play “brilliant”, and noted:

“… Mr. Mamet creates a subterranean world with its own nonliterate comic beat, life-and-death struggles, pathos and even affection… In American Buffalo, he has created a deceptively small-scale tragedy that is packed with the power to explode the largest of American myths.”

At its core, American Buffalo is about business, friendship and betrayal, and the posturing of powerless individuals in the shadow of modern society. The drama is set in 1970s Chicago, in a derelict junk shop on the wrong side of town. Three petty crooks plan a small-time heist over a Buffalo Nickel, which may or may not be valuable.

When Books & Theater Collide

My readers know me for Literary Review– a book lover, reading fanatic, and literacy advocate. As the coordinator of the long-running Midtown (Atlanta) Book Group at Barnes & Noble/Georgia Tech, I freely admit to all that and more– I LOVE the experience of discovering a phenomenal book and sharing it.
In this case, though, with David Mamet and American Buffalo — and the chance to experience the play LIVE in Atlanta — I strongly recommend you Go. See. The. Play.

Midtown Book Group was established in 2006, and is sponsored by Barnes & Noble and the Midtown Neighbors’ Association. We meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month, at Barnes & Noble/Georgia Tech to discuss and enjoy great books. In ten years, we have hosted and participated in many fantastic events to celebrate and promote Literacy & The Arts in our community.

In January, Midtown Book Group partnered with Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company to co-host the Community Conversation: Mamet Speak about American Buffalo at Barnes & Noble/Georgia Tech.

Tim Habeger, Co-founder and Artistic Director of Atlanta’s Push Push Film & Theater, moderated the Conversation. Panelists included American Buffalo (Atlanta) Director, John Dillon, award-winning actor Neal Ghant (“Teach” in the Atlanta production), and local author and theater expert, Ina Williams. The actors playing “Don” (G Valmont Thomas) and “Bobby” (Garrett Gray) in the Atlanta production also participated.

The Community Conversation was an interesting introduction to David Mamet’s work. It was also a fascinating glimpse behind-the-scenes of the Atlanta production.

Take a few minutes to enjoy Mamet Speak: Community Conversation Highlights:
— American Buffalo (Atlanta) Director John Dillon tells how David Mamet came up with the idea for the play.
— Actor Neal Ghant (“Teach”) talks about the relevance of American Buffalo to Atlanta.
— John Dillon explains the significance and symbolism of the Buffalo Nickel in American Buffalo (spoiler: endangered species vs. Progress).

Prior to the Community Conversation, I tried to read the play. There is great power in the language– a kind of syncopated rhythm and poetry, even, for which David Mamet is well known. Normally, I’m pretty good at the reading thing, but… While the language is simple, realistic — you could even say gritty — the phrasing and tone are difficult to access without some frame of reference.

So I watched the movie (1996), starring Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Franz, and Sean Nelson — screenplay written by David Mamet, directed by Michael Corrente. Even with terrific performances by talented actors, the drama onscreen is static and two-dimensional, lacking energy.

Movie critic Roger Ebert wrote:

“It is a cliché, but true, that some plays have their real life on the stage. American Buffalo is a play like that — or, at least, it is not a play that finds its life in this movie.”

That’s why you need to experience the play — to see the characters, hear the language, and feel the interaction and energy live on stage in Atlanta with Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company.

It will make you a more interesting person. I promise.

What: Live Theatre – David Mamet’s American Buffalo
Who: Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company
Where: Southwest Arts Center – Atlanta
When: February 9 – March 6, 2016
Ticket Info: www.truecolorstheatre.org

45 & Pregnant or… Oh.

For the ladies…buckle up, girls, for an inside glimpse of the continuing journey…

45 & Pregnant or… Oh

by Sherri Caldwell – The Rebel Housewife® – All Rights Reserved.
For more information, contact Sherri@RebelHousewife.com

I remember waiting for It to start, in a very Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
kind-of-way, with excitement and growing concern, as all my friends seemed to start before me. I was 13 when It finally happened, and then I wasn’t so excited anymore…what a pain!

Thirty-two years later, after the blessing of three healthy children, I suddenly find myself at the other end of the reproductive life cycle, waiting for a period that doesn’t seem to be coming. I just hope, at forty-five that it’s NOT pregnancy, God forbid; with three teenagers — we’re done! But the other reality, in many ways, is just as disconcerting.

Really? Is that it? Menopause. There, I said it.

WebMD tells us menopause is the stage in a woman’s life when she has not had a menstrual period for one year. That twelve-month transition is called perimenopause, and actually begins much earlier, as the equipment gradually begins to shut down. Perimenopause usually starts in a woman’s 40s, but can begin earlier.

How’s this for clarity:

“The average length of perimenopause is four years, but for some women this stage may last only a few months or continue for 10 years. Perimenopause ends the first year after menopause (when a woman has gone 12 months without having her period).” — WebMD Menopause Health Center

Well, now that I may have had it, that last period leading into menopause, it makes me sad that I didn’t notice. I wasn’t paying attention, and I am suddenly faced with my body shutting itself down and what…getting ready to die?

No, that is more than a little dramatic. Considering the alternative to this situation (pregnancy), there are many positives to menopause. I’m sure…thinking…

Well, for one thing, once the factory shuts down for good, Prince Charming and I can enjoy a spontaneous sex extravaganza (sorry, kids!), without the risk of another baby coming along…that’s sexy, right? (Prince Charming, God love him, assures me it is.)

If you believe those ED commercials, we’ll be sexy, silver-haired seniors, humping it up all over the place — riding motorcycles, sailing exotic locations, taking romantic bubble baths in the middle of the week — oh!

It’s not like I didn’t see it coming. Just as my daughter entered her time, with all the resulting mood swings and drama, I noticed changes, enough to think it was ironic: just as she was going through puberty, I was entering the extreme after-puberty, all perfectly normal:

Hot Flashes = Check
Mood Swings = OMG, Check
Difficulty Sleeping = Hello, my 4AM Facebook crowd!

There’s more, but you get the idea.

Last year, my OB/GYN said it was “much” too early, but look at my hair — I am 100% silver. My chiropractor, who, after 16 years, is a good friend and trusted doctor, gave me some herbal horse pills about the same time, in response to my whining, and I am addicted. ProFema™ made those early uncomfortable symptoms abate somewhat, even making the mood swings more, but not completely, manageable. (No, I am not getting paid for that mention!)

You don’t miss something until you lose it. I don’t miss it, I am just shocked that’s where we are now, trying not to feel old and used up. I am Cougar, hear me roar. Meow.

– – –

Update – pregnancy test. I’ve only had to take a few more in my life than I was prepared for (meaning hoping for positive results). Forty-five years old, with a senior in high school, buying a pregnancy test, as quickly and inconspicuously as possible…peeing on a stick, waiting for lines to appear: two = pregnant, hoping for the single = not pregnant…3 minutes…

Single line, folks. You know what that means — yay?

The Rebel Housewife Goes To Washington DC



The Rebel Housewife Goes to Washington DC
by Sherri Caldwell, Parent Advocate

Several months ago, I was invited to Washington, D.C. in July for a “parent advocacy training boot camp”. As an active parent and freelance journalist often reporting on civic and education issues, I have long been involved in our traditional public schools (Atlanta Public Schools). I also know intimately the desperate search for public school options, including private and virtual schools, when our neighborhood public schools did not work for our youngest child.

I had no idea what to expect from this adventure, and 2015 has been such a crazy-busy summer, with our daughter’s high school graduation; Navy son visiting from Guam for three short weeks on leave; various college summer programs, school competitions and travel; two summer birthdays; Freshman Orientation & Registration–figuring out how to pay for the first year of college (much less the next three or four); and a big cross-town move… I never had a minute to think about it, worry about it, research or prepare. I just got on the plane–

As it turned out, PublicSchoolOptions.org BOOT CAMP 2015 National Parent Advocacy Conference was a life-changing, two-and-a-half-day, whirlwind event, jam-packed with meeting new people, learning new things, finding my voice, and advocating — in Washington, D.C.! on Capitol Hill! In my Representatives’ and Senators’ offices! — for my child and others, for education reform, and PublicSchoolOptions.org.

PublicSchoolOptions.org is an alliance of parents that supports and defends parents’ rights to access the best public school options for their children. The Coalition supports the creation of public school options, including charter schools, online schools, magnet schools, open enrollment policies and other innovative education programs. Additionally, we advocate for free and equal access without restrictions to these public schools for all children.

PSO BOOT CAMP was the adventure of a lifetime. After and alongside power networking with parents and teachers from all over the country, we enjoyed (survived?!) a full day of advocacy training Monday on lobbying and the issues, prior to spending Tuesday morning on The Hill. Capitol Hill. (I still can’t quite believe I was there!)

Tuesday began with a public rally on the Upper Senate Park, in the midst of Washington’s most iconic buildings. On Capitol Hill. School Choice champions and supporters spoke to the crowd and the cameras, while more than one hundred parents from thirty states rallied in bright red #ITrustParents tshirts, with signs, stickers, and other SWAG.

The Georgia Coalition (five of us) had to leave the rally early to make our first appointment in Representative John Lewis’s (D-GA) office, which was… AMAZING.

[Note: The politics of ESEA Re-Authorization (a.k.a. “No Child Left Behind”) is complicated, and there is a very helpful article here. I found myself a Blue Lady (Democrat) in a contingent of Red (Republicans), which was fine, after a minor crisis in ideology. Education is a child-centered issue, and that is primary, although there are some differences in approach and detail. Nevertheless, we were able to visit both Democrats and Republicans as a bi-partisan coalition, which was very effective.]

Although we were scheduled to meet with “Staffers” in the legislative offices, Representative Lewis walked in while we were meeting around a table in his small antechamber. For many reasons, I think John Lewis is a living national treasure, and I was in awe. He took a picture with us — one of the most extraordinary events of my life:

From Congressman Lewis’s office (excellent meeting), we visited Representative David Scott’s (D-GA) office, and met with his Education Staffer. (The meeting was not as excellent, but we held our own.) We also visited Senator David Perdue’s (R-GA) office, but Senator Perdue already supports the Senate version of the School Choice Bill, so it was more of a check-in, not a formal meeting. (Sen. Perdue was not there.)

And that was it. A big luncheon, additional networking and good-byes, and we were done. My colleague and I went on a quick visit to Arlington National Cemetery, and Uber-ed our way back to the airport in time for our flight home to Atlanta, back to Real Life.

For more about The Adventure — what I said & why I was there — click on:
TRH Goes To DC – Part Two.

TRH Goes To D.C. – Part Two


PublicSchoolOptions.org
MY STORY – MY VOICE
by Sherri Caldwell, Parent Advocate

Also see: The Rebel Housewife Goes To Washington DC (Part One)

My husband and I raised three children in Midtown Atlanta, in Atlanta Public Schools since 1999. We graduated two successfully, in 2013 and 2015, amidst funding crises, re-zoning battles, cheating and accreditation scandals.

Our older son graduated from Grady High School in 2013. He was the lead cadet of the Grady JROTC. He enlisted in the Navy from high school, and is now serving in Guam (8000 miles away from home).

Our daughter graduated in May (2015) from the Biomedical Science Academy at Grady High School. She is starting her Nursing Degree at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, in just a few weeks.

Although our older children made it through our neighborhood public schools just fine, through all the ups and downs with Atlanta Public Schools over the last decade, it has been a very different journey for our third child.

Our youngest son, Tiger, just turned 15. He is going into 10th grade with Georgia Connections Academy, a virtual public charter school. Tiger was diagnosed with Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum Disorder at the end of 3rd grade, after struggling in Atlanta Public Schools from Day One. Our neighborhood public schools were never a good fit for him. He is a brilliant kid, but autism is characterized by anxiety, sensory overload, social challenges and difficulties with communication; oftentimes, he was bored and frustrated, which could lead to crises and meltdowns. In my experience, Asperger’s/ASD can be more of a Superpower than a disability, but our public schools are not yet prepared to handle this exceptionality.

In the middle of an incredibly difficult 4th grade year, just before Winter Break, I received a postcard with the simple question, “Is your child happy in school?” I broke down and cried. No, he was miserable. Every single day. By the end of the break, we had transferred him to Georgia Cyber Academy, the only public virtual charter school option we had at the time in Georgia. I think that postcard was heaven-sent.

Tiger has been in and out of Atlanta Public Schools– he wanted to try again, in 6th grade and 9th grade, with his older brother and sister, but he prefers to go back to the virtual option to finish high school and start on early college through Georgia’s Dual Enrollment Program.

The virtual schools in Georgia — Georgia Cyber Academy, Georgia Connections Academy, and Georgia Provost Academy — are online public charter schools; not private schools, not home school. Students have the same curriculum, attendance, and testing requirements as their counterparts in the brick & mortar public schools. Textbooks and materials are provided, and Title I students are eligible for free computers and internet connection. Each student has a primary teacher or team of teachers (middle & high school), including Special Education and IEP services, and they attend live classes online. Parents (or other designated adults) serve as Learning Coaches, and work with the teachers and the school to support the student. Although they are primarily online at home, cyber students enjoy a wealth of opportunities for social interaction, both with school — sports, field trips, study groups, in-person events and activities — and extracurricular.

Virtual school has given Tiger the opportunity to come into his own — to succeed, to develop his strengths, to explore his own interests, to build confidence and skills toward a bright future in technology/cybersecurity: toward INDEPENDENCE.

It is essential to have options and support when the local public school is not a good fit for your child — public school options that are accessible to families who cannot afford private school.

I went to Washington D.C. with PublicSchoolOptions.org to protect and promote school choice and public school options for all students. As another issue in the mix, how grateful we would be if federal funding followed our child to the public school of choice– the school that works for him, when the neighborhood school does not.

PublicSchoolOptions.org is an alliance of parents that supports and defends parents’ rights to access the best public school options for their children. The Coalition supports the creation of public school options, including charter schools, online schools, magnet schools, open enrollment policies and other innovative education programs. Additionally, we advocate for free and equal access without restrictions to these public schools for all children.

FAMILY FUN: Stone Mountain Park

Preparing for new Summer Travel Adventures & Explorations in 2015, with the second teenager leaving home for college (Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA!), the oldest serving the U.S. Navy in Guam, and one teenager still at home and in the backseat, ready for adventure, here’s a hit of nostalgia… enjoy!

Family Fun Challenge: How much fun can one family of five discover in two days at Stone Mountain Park?

[Qualifier: Over a busy holiday weekend?]

Summary judgment by Tiger, who turned six during this adventure:

“It was AWESOME!!!”



This year for 4th of July (and Tiger’s birthday!), we decided to forego the traffic and crowds downtown Atlanta and go out to Stone Mountain for fireworks. It turned out to be the perfect choice, since the Stone Mountain Park Fantastic Fourth Celebration begins on July 1st and carries through four nights to the Grand Celebration on the 4th.

Little did we know, July 4th is one of the most popular days at Stone Mountain Park (SMP), with 50,000 to 75,000 (yes, THOUSAND!) people showing up each year for the wildly popular Lasershow & Fireworks Spectacular. (My thanks to Christine Parker, Public Relations Manager at SMP, for educating me!) If you like crowds, and have the patience and sense of adventure to go early, wait through traffic and long lines, and thrive on a frenetic festival atmosphere, elbow-to-elbow (or worse!) with tens of thousands of people…by all means, go and enjoy!

It’s a nice option, for the more crowd-averse types, to go on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd — same fun, less crowded. We decided to enjoy the park and fireworks on the 3rd, stay overnight to celebrate Tiger’s birthday on the 4th, and watch the crowds come in…on our way out!

As I mentioned in UPDATE to Top 10: Fun w/Kids in ATLANTA, Stone Mountain Park is very different from the sleepy state park it used to be. There are now more than a dozen family attractions, a new Ride The Ducks amphibious sightseeing tour, and a daily schedule of activities, shows and events.

I started out strong, in typical Type A fashion, schedule in hand, and planned the day to include all the shows running during this summer’s Stone Mountain Park Extreme Summer Adventure, including The Fabulous Wallendas Family Thrill Show and The Schmackos(TM) Extreme Canines Show. There are several 10 – 15 minute comedy and magic shows, storytimes, singalongs, and even a Talking Fountain on the schedule. We wouldn’t want to miss anything!

Family Fun Tip #1 – Give up TYPE A!


There’s no way to do it all in one day, or probably even in a week (which makes those Stone Mountain Membership Annual Passes such a wonderful thing), but I didn’t know that at the time. Old habits are hard to give up! If you try to map it all out and stick to a rigid schedule, nobody is going to have any fun.

We did need to schedule to Ride The Ducks(TM), which is a separately-ticketed attraction, so we did that first, making reservations for our land & water adventure later in the afternoon (when it would be cooler) on the advice of the attendant. (We really had no idea what “Ride The Ducks” was — more later!)

After that, we gave up the schedule and let the kids lead the way. Looking at the list of Attractions in the Stone Mountain Park guidebook, we managed to see and do 8 of the 15 Attractions (in bold below), and Ride The Ducks, during our day-and-a-half, and we had a really great time — “AWESOME!” as Tiger says:

Stone Mountain Park Family Fun Attractions:

  1. Antebellum Plantation & Farmyard
  2. Antique Car & Treasure Museum
  3. CROSSROADS – Spent all our time here!
  4. Discovering Stone Mountain Museum
  5. The Great Barn – Indoor family challenge, FUN!!
  6. Lasershow Spectacular – INCREDIBLE (always is)
  7. Mini-Golf
  8. Paddlewheel Riverboat – We rode the hotel’s water ferry instead
  9. Pedal Boats
  10. Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad – An old favorite
  11. Summit Skyride – Rainstorm at the top of the mountain!
  12. Talking Fountain – Any opportunity to get wet!
  13. Tall Tales of the South 4D Theater – Cooldown
  14. Treehouse Challenge – MOST FAVORITE ATTRACTION!!!
  15. Waterslide Complex

BONUS: Camp Highland Outpost – An extreme obstacle course!

The Treehouse Challenge was so much fun, we could have enjoyed a whole day just at the one attraction. Seriously, the kids didn’t want to leave! Fortunately, there is plenty of shaded seating for the adults to wait (when you are done playing). On our second time at Treehouse Challenge, we even discovered a wading area in the corner, with a cool, clean, running ‘creek’ and large faux-rocks to sit on for the kids (and adults) to take off their shoes and cool down a bit. That’s good, because it gets HOT, anywhere in Atlanta, during the summer.

Family Fun Tip #2 – Every opportunity to COOL DOWN!


Stone Mountain Park offers many opportunities to get wet and cool down, from large, crowd fan-misters to spouting fountains and sidewalks to wading pools to water rides and attractions. Carry a cooler with ice and cold drinks, wear swimming suits and water-friendly shoes — we’ve found CROCS are the best, for running around dry, wet or both.

Our next opportunity to COOL DOWN was on Ride The Ducks, which is, quite literally, a “hoot” — actually, a “quack” since they give everyone a yellow duck kazoo (free souveneir!)[You will want to get rid of these immediately after the adventure!] and encourage quacking and lead “quack-alongs” to popular songs during the journey, which is a sightseeing tour by land and (quite abruptly!) on water in an amphibious vehicle. Very James Bond, in a southern (Deliverance, anyone?) kind of way.

After Ride The Ducks, we had the obligatory family breakdown of tempers and whining when everyone got tired and hungry.

Family Fun Tip #3 – Make The Decision!


I’m surprised it has taken me this long to learn this, but you’ve absolutely got to have a decision-maker in the family. Democracy does not work with kids — it only opens up the Pandora’s Box of discussion and oppositional obstinacy, especially if everybody is tired and hungry. Make the decision and go with it!

We had a surprisingly (for theme park fast food) delicious chicken dinner at the train depot, and managed to regroup enough to catch the last train ride around the mountain before the Lasershow.

Family Fun Tip #5 – SMP Lasershow Spectacular!


Even not on holiday weekends, it’s usually crowded, which is fun, but requires some planning ahead. Go to Memorial Lawn early and stake out your space: Leave your blanket and/or camp chairs (now highly recommended since everybody else brings them and you can’t see very well laying on a blanket behind rows and rows of camp chairs). You can leave your site and enjoy the attractions or hike the mountain. The only trick is finding your spot again several hours later, in the sea of people, blankets, chairs, coolers (allowed!), and vendors. (You can buy, and your children will want, anything and everything from food & drink to a variety of toys that buzz, whine, flash and glow in the dark…)

The Laser Lightshow was especially spectacular for the 4th of July celebration (on the 3rd), with tons of fireworks at the end. The kids, even after such a long day, were completely captivated and LOVED it!

After the show, we waited patiently for the shuttle bus to the hotel. By the time we got to our room, everyone was exhausted, and we all went to sleep right away.

The Marriott Evergreen Conference Resort at Stone Mountain is beautiful, tucked away in the trees on the other side of the lake. With the Marriott service, quality, comfort and attention to detail, we could have stayed on the hotel property the entire time to lounge by the pool and enjoy the amenities, but it wasn’t to be this time — too much to see and do! The hotel accommodations, and the warmth and friendliness of the staff, from the doormen, to the front desk staff, to Brenda & Lubindo in the restaurant, were fantastic!

We enjoyed a fabulous buffet breakfast in the dining room the next morning. They went the extra mile to make it special for Tiger’s birthday and surprised us with a special waffle-cake, with whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate sauce. And we were off–

Back to Crossroads and The Great Barn, which is a really fun indoor game the whole family can enjoy. By noon, it was time to go, as those 50,000 to 75,000 people started filling up the park.

Stone Mountain Park was the perfect overnight getaway for our 4th of July/Birthday Celebration. There were no crowds or lines on the 3rd, much like most of the year at SMP. We still felt like we missed a lot — simply can’t do it all — so we are looking forward to visiting again, and often throughout the year ahead — there is always something going on at Stone Mountain!

Autism Awareness: 250 Words

This is Our Autism (in 150 words):

Our 14-year-old son was diagnosed with Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was nine years old. Our Autism is a Superpower, although it definitely has its (social, sensory and communication) challenges.

Our son is brilliant, but quirky; interesting and extraordinary. He has a great sense of humor, but he is very shy. He is a techie genius–loves computers, technology, programming and video games, and lights up about his strengths and interests. He is extremely helpful with anything computer-related.

We worry about our Autism future and independence. The world does not always appreciate quirky. We know, with the right encouragement, resources and support, with a pathway, our son will be completely self-sufficient. We know he fits in the tech world, that he will be happy and productive in a technical, creative environment.

We often worry about how to help him get there.

99(+1) Words about LiveCode, Indiegogo and Empowering Autism Through Coding:

THIS. This is what we need, for our techies with Autism: LiveCode, with support from international autism organizations, will provide an extensive online training program to help young adults on the autism spectrum develop employment skills in programming.

I encourage anyone to consider this worthy project for donation to support Autism. Please share the message and encourage your friends, family and network to get involved. Contribute and participate, if you have or know a young person on/near the autism spectrum. $99 is a very small contribution toward independence.

(Thanks!)

Also see: CNNMoney: Teaching Autistic Kids to Code


Autism Awareness – For My Teenager


Autism Awareness – For My Teenager
by Sherri Caldwell – Asperger’s Parent, Author and Learning Coach

I am Aware. As a teacher, as a writer and researcher, as Mom to a brilliant 14-year-old son diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome six years ago (now included as an Autism Spectrum Disorder/ASD), I am hyper-aware of the differences, challenges, and unique blessings of Autism. It is a vast spectrum of ability and disability, and there is enormous controversy and fierce debate within the Autism community, and those trying to help. I am Aware.

At first, I didn’t understand how closely we were aligned with the members of the Autism community. After the initial four-year struggle through public school, after a cursory diagnosis of ADHD and two years testing medications and behavioral strategies, none of which worked to resolve anxiety, frustration, regressive communication and social skills, and spectacular school-day-ending meltdowns… after all of that, my son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Boom.

“Is that a degenerative condition?”
We naively and fearfully asked, when it was first suggested by the school psychologist, after several years of exhaustive evaluation. I think she may have mentioned it was on the Autistic Spectrum, but at the time, the roaring of the ocean in my head drowned out everything else, along with any clear memory of the other details of that meeting. From there, I started researching. I read everything I could get my hands, library access or internets on about Asperger’s Syndrome, and how this fit my son, how it explained so much, and how it changed our lives, as we came to understand our brilliant, but quirky and extraordinary kid.

Six years later, our then-little third grader is a six-foot, fourteen-year-old ninth grader in high school. He has been in and out of public and private schools, both traditional brick and mortar and virtual public charter school online at home. He has done well– he is an A/B student, but he does not like school. Our current educational system, even with Special Education and IEP/504 services, does not have the flexibility, understanding, training, resources or support to help these amazing kids succeed on their own terms, embracing their tremendous strengths and abilities.

In many ways, we celebrate Asperger’s/ASD as a Superpower. This kid is scary smart: technical, logical, detail-oriented, he is amazing on the computer and with anything to do with technology. He is a gamer, of course. He has a great sense of humor, an insatiable curiosity, intense focus and fascination with a wide variety of topics, especially technology. He interacts online with friends and acquaintances all over the world. He likes structure and routine, he likes peace and quiet, and while he generally prefers to be safe at home, he will venture out for family adventures and activities. He likes going out for meals, and road trips, and he really, really likes vacations on big cruise ships. In his element, I tend to forget about the Asperger’s, what some people call High-Functioning Autism. But it only takes a few minutes in the confusion and chaos of the outside world, for his differences, his anxiety and communication challenges, to become painfully obvious. This is Autism, out in the real world.

This is his future. We know our child has the potential for independent living; he will be fine, on his own terms. But with structured support and training in an area in which he is truly gifted and highly interested—he could be the next Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs, the Facebook guy or Elon Musk. He is a techie geek with some social deficits.

What my son — and others like him — needs to succeed, to find his passion, develop his career possibilities, and achieve happiness and independence, is an opportunity to learn valuable skills in a supportive environment, structured to embrace his strengths.

We have an amazing opportunity to provide job skills, career potential and future independence in a highly supportive environment, with the technology company Live Code and their April 2015 Indiegogo campaign, Empower Individuals With Autism Through Coding:

Together with LiveCode, the National Autistic Society, Specialisterne & Autism Initiatives, our goal is to train 3000 young adults on the autism spectrum, across the world, how to code. We will provide an extensive training program with specialist support to help these young adults develop employment skills or gain self-employment in the app business.

I hope you will join me in supporting Empowering Autism Through Coding in every way you can: by donating to support Autism; by sharing the message and encouraging your friends, family, and network to get involved; by participating, if you have or know a young person on/near the Autism Spectrum.


Asperger’s Syndrome & A New Normal (2010)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Logging into my blog account today, I was shocked to discover…
it has been many weeks, months, in fact, since I have finished and published a blog article on RebelHousewife.com. Oh, I’ve started many thoughts, on paper, on post-its, in my head, in TextEdit and Word. There are several waiting patiently on the blog as “unpublished” — wonderful starts about kids, Aspergers Syndrome, homeschooling (kind of), the teenager, the learner’s permit (driving?!) and banishing the XBOX 360 from our home. There are others about books, events, recipes and cost-cutting strategies for family financial survival in tough times.

I seem to have a problem, of late, finishing what I start. I’ve never been a non-closer before and yet here I am…

It has been an eventful couple of months.

I actually logged on today to write a thought about Iceland and Vanity Fair and NPR, volcanoes and economic meltdowns and such, only to make this horrifying discovery. I am going to finish this, and fix the Twitter link on the website and then maybe I can get back to that thought about Iceland…

And maybe that’s the answer. Why can’t I finish anything I start lately? Maybe it’s because, every time I start something, something else comes along to take my attention and focus. The constant distractions of life with a busy entrepreneurial husband, three children and Mocha-the-dog. I don’t work outside the home. I can’t imagine how I would. We no longer have the big house or yard to manage, having downsized to our midtown condo and our one-mile live-work-school-play radius (and loving it!). What excuse could I possibly have to be such a slacker?

We started this school year with three kids in three different schools: 15yo Puberty Angst Boy in 9th grade at the high school; 12yo Drama Queen in 7th grade at the middle school; and 9yo ADHD Phenom started the year in 4th grade at the brand-new elementary school.

Ah, there’s another clue to what’s happened: Turns out, our very bright, very ACTIVE 9yo ADHD Phenom is not ADHD at all (okay, well, that’s a whole ‘nother start that I do need to finish, kind of controversial). He has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is high-functioning Autism, so he is our 9yo Aspy Phenom. Not a lot of people know what that is, or have any idea what Asperger’s Syndrome is (we didn’t), so I have some explaining and education to do on that point, I know.

But before I can explain, educate or crusade for a better understanding of Asperger’s Syndrome, I needed to understand it better myself and live with it for a while.

* * An aside: If you are at all interested in Asperger’s Syndrome, please read the wonderful letter Especially for Grandparents of Children With Asperger Syndrome by Nancy Mucklow. It is appropriate and highly relevant for anybody close to or in the life of a child diagnosed with Asperger’s.

So what happened next: In January, we brought the 9yo Aspy Phenom home. The brand-new public school was on a shake-down cruise, getting all of their new-school processes, programs and procedures worked out. We were on our own shake-down cruise, trying to figure out and adjust to this new information and really-quite-remarkable aspect of our son — finally, we had understandings and strategies that were actually working and helping him, whereas the ADD strategies — including the medication he was on for more than two years — never served him well. The school couldn’t keep up, couldn’t meet his needs academically or provide the structure and stability he needed.

He now attends school from home, although he is not technically a “home schooler.” We enrolled him in 4th grade in the Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA), an online public charter school supported by the Georgia Department of Education. As a public school, the schedule and curriculum is established and GCA provided everything we need to attend school from home: books, workbooks, novels, math manipulatives, even all of the materials needed for science experiments! We have a teacher we work with, mostly online, who monitors progress and administers his IEP (yet another complicated issue for another time). We have an abundance of opportunities for social interaction, with field trips and meet-ups and activities all over, all the time.

And there it is: I haven’t been able to finish a thought in months, or devote the time I used to have to lose myself in reading, researching, writing, reviewing or blogging, because I am teaching and experiencing the 4th grade all over again with my 9yo Aspy Phenom. It has been amazing — not EASY, as this has been a HUGE adjustment for both of us and for the entire family. It has been a very challenging transition, but worth it to have the time and opportunity to work with and get to know this brilliant child.

Now then, that’s not such a bad reason to be a slacker, after all.
I’m glad I was able to finish that thought.
I am hoping there will be more!

BOOK GROUP: The Man Who Touched His Own Heart

“Fascinating Journey…”

THE MAN WHO TOUCHED HIS OWN HEART
By Rob Dunn
(Little, Brown and Company – February 3, 2015)

[Kindle & Hardcover, 384 pages, $27.00 U.S. – buy for less on Amazon.com]

Did you know you’ve got about 2.5 billion heartbeats in a lifetime, barring any accidents or unusual events? That’s actually 1.5 billion heartbeats MORE than people could expect in the 1940s and before; bonus beats thanks to the success of modern public health and medicine.

The 2.5 billion beats is just one of the fascinating ideas and take-aways from The Man Who Touched His Own Heart by Rob Dunn, a professor and evolutionary biologist at North Carolina State University.

Disclosure: Midtown (Atlanta) Book Group at Barnes & Noble/Georgia Tech was fortunate to preview The Man Who Touched His Own Heart for February 2015 (Theme: Valentine’s/Hearts – of course!) and participate in the February launch of the book, with the author joining our group discussion via Skype. This review is based on the Advanced Reading Copy provided by the publisher, Little, Brown and Company.

The Man Who Touched His Own Heart is a fascinating non-fiction narrative journey through the history of the human heart and medicine. Author Rob Dunn has done a masterful job of balancing science & health issues with history & biography to offer a compelling read for a general audience, with something for everyone, both science-types and more literary-types (like myself). It is an ideal book group selection, as the subject matter and writing style will contribute to lively discussion.

The science-y, educational stuff (which, being honest, I normally tend to glaze over) is wrapped in interesting stories, colorful characters, surprising facts and sometimes-shocking information, thoroughly researched and footnoted, presented with an underlying sense of humor and, in places, irony:

“Not everything that seems like progress is progress. Not everything that can be done should be done.” – Rob Dunn, Chapter 13: The Beetle and the Cigarette

The Man Who Touched His Own Heart presents a broad spectrum of issues for consideration, including: medical motivation and ethics; the business of medicine; questionable marketing messages and “best practices”; to sticky issues of racism, sexism, discrimination and morality in the long, sometimes-sordid history of medical research.

From Galen (AD 129, patched up Gladiators, wrote a book!) to Da Vinci’s detailed studies of the heart and anatomy in the 1500s; from autopsies of the mummies of ancient Egyptians (with clear evidence of heart disease dating back thousands of years) to a German Nazi who won a Nobel Prize in 1956 for a daring experiment (on himself, before the war) and his contribution to the early development of the heart catheter; from “Heroes” like the rock star surgeons of the 1960s who were able to transplant human hearts (and before that, animal hearts, although sometimes in really horrible ways) to the “Zeroes” who spent decades researching less-sexy areas (i.e. fungi and development of statins – “industrial microbiology”) and never received the recognition they deserved (stolen by Big Pharma)…

The Man Who Touched His Own Heart is a rocket ship journey through the rapid development of science and cardiology since WWII, including pacemakers, bypass procedures, transplants and artificial hearts. It is an amazing history, one well-suited to anyone paying attention to those 2.5 billion beats in his/her own chest.

Happy Valentine’s Day 2015!
While we are talking about hearts in February, please check out my new ebook on Kindle — FREE thru February 14, 2015 —
101 Sexy & Fun Love Notes: Romantic Tips & Tricks to FIRE UP the Passion & Romance in Your Relationship! (Amazon Kindle – February 7, 2015). Download, Read, Enjoy & Review the first ebook in the new series: Rebel Housewife: Survival Guides (Surviving Happily After!).
More info on The Rebel Blog: 101 Sexy & Fun Love Notes.

[Further Disclosure: I have coordinated the Midtown Book Group at Barnes & Noble/Georgia Tech for eight years, and I am a professional book reviewer on www.RebelHousewife.com, for Amazon.com and other sources, for which I do not receive payment or compensation, other than a free book, on occasion, and affiliate links on www.RebelHousewife.com. Having disclosed the obvious perks & benefits of this situation (light sarcasm intended), I offer unbiased review, positives and negatives, although I do not typically review books I don’t enjoy or would be unable to recommend to my readers. Thank you for reading and supporting The Rebel Housewife!]