John Ordover John Ordover recently wrote about Surfside Beach, South Carolina declaring itself an autism-friendly family vacation destination. In April of this year, John, his wife (TPGA editor) Carol Greenburg, and their 13-year-old autistic son Arren spent a week in Surfside Beach, and had a blast. This is his report on their trip. —- Arren in the airport waiting room Photo: John Ordover [image: white tween boy lying on top of a carpeted cubby] On landing in Myrtle Beach airport after an uneventful flight, we were met at the gate by Becky Large of Champion Autism Network (CAN). Becky is the person who had pushed for Surfside Beach to make its commitment to hosting autistic families in the first place. Becky took us to the lovely small airport’s special waiting room for autistic kids who might need some chill-out time. Arren took to it immediately and enjoyed snuggling into its…
Tag: John Ordover
John Ordover Surfside Beach, South Carolina, a town just South of Myrtle Beach, has declared itself an “autism friendly travel destination.” For a deeper look into what this means on a practical level, John Ordover spoke with Champion Autism Network‘s Becky Large, the prime mover behind the project. Ms. Large is the parent of an autistic child. —- [image: Neon-lit Ferris wheel at night, behind a downtown entertainment district.] John Ordover: Before we get into the specifics of how the town is prepping for autistic kids and their families, what do Surfside and the surrounding area have to offer for vacationers in general? Becky Large: Water recreation, the beach, inlet and rivers, with boating, fishing (sea, surf, pier and fresh water), crabbing, clamming, oystering. There’s a Sky Wheel. Myrtle Beach boardwalk. Wacattee Zoo, zip lining, Broadway at the Beach, a museum, an aquarium, mini-golf, golf. Family Kingdom Amusement Park, water…
John J. Ordover www.sohodigart.com In this country we like to fight things, whether it’s the Fight Against Poverty or the Fight Against Drugs or even the Fight Against Gentrification, we sure do like to fight. We fight cancer, we fight child abuse, we give out soup to fight hunger, we fight, and fight, and, as on The Simpsons, we fight fight fight fight fight! So, is it wrong to say we are fighting autism when we stand up for those on the spectrum? My wife, who has an Asperger’s diagnosis, says it is. Others agree; others disagree, as a Google search for the term “fight autism” brings back over half-a-million listings. Here’s the word on why this phrasing issue is important to me and to others trying to raise money to help people on the spectrum: At 6pm on February 16th, 2012, at 6pm, at The SoHo Gallery for Digital…