PERSONAL NARRATIVE
“Look at this,” Brady said and opened his hand to re-
veal a wet sand crab.
“Oh, Brady! They need water, which is why they bur-
row into the sand. Quick! Grab my green bucket here
and get some water for him so we can have a better
look.”
She was crispy dark and spoke her mind. He was in-
quisitive and soaked up the observant attention she
lavished upon him.
Some days, he would fill her green bucket with wa-
ter, place it at her feet, add some sand, and make in-
tricate drippy sandcastles near her chair.
“I do like the feathers, Brady, but add some more
sticks.”
As Brady’s mother, I would watch from afar, seeing
his neon yellow beach shirt and wondering if per-
haps he had been over there for too long and if she
desired her solitude back. Therefore, I’d walk over to
see what they had been chatting about and judge
whether she had had enough.
is as meaningful to them as theirs is to her, and some
days I can’t help but walk over there myself and have
some ‘Ms. April time’ too. Her wisdom and candor are
cathartic.
Thank you, Brady, for befriending an old lady whose
seagull sits under her big blue umbrella while she sits
under the sun and takes in the beauty of the ocean,
as well as my dear children.
“I’m coming, Ms. April!” – Brady as he runs down the
beach to greet her.
“I’m here, my old woman!”
Rebecca Vaughn is mother to four young children,
including one who has autism and ADHD. She has
learned to embrace the mysterious gifts of having
an atypical child. He has opened her eyes to the
beauty of differences on a much deeper level. Every
day, she aims to guide her children and increase
their understanding of true kindness and compas-
sion for all human beings, and especially for those
with special needs.
“Hello! I see he’s with you again. I’m sorry. He’s be-
come so social this year. He loves to walk the beach
and share his treasures,” I said tentatively but looking
her in the eyes.
She looked up at me, smiled, and said firmly: “Let him
come. He’s one of the most observant, wondrous
people I’ve ever met.” Then, before I could say more,
she spoke more adamantly and added: “He’s a COM-
PLETE JOY.”
I let a small smile spread across my lips, took a deep
breath, and said: “Well, if you’d like to nap or read
your book, please just tell him that you need him to
return to his camp for a while. He loves water time
with his siblings.”
“Yes, I do tell him. He’s such a sweet kid, Mom,” she re-
plied. “I know he’s different, but I find him charming.”
As the summer days passed, more of my four chil-
dren would go off to spend bits of time with Ms.
April. They’d sit at her feet and chat, occasionally
laughing with her. True to her word, she would send
them back, and they’d head out into the ocean to-
gether to jump waves.
Whenever one would ask, “Can I go see Ms. April,
Mom?” I would say, “Sure.” I know that her company
26 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 87
Social Recreation and
Respite for the Whole
Family
Visit the Kinark Outdoor Centre’s website
for more information: www.koc.on.ca