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Study abroad changes and enriches
Student-athletes embrace experiences and unexpected outcomes
When you live in a yurt, as Macalester soccer player Jesse Geary did for four months, the soccer field is a big wide desert. No out of bounds, just an endless view to the horizon.
"My days were spent cleaning cattle pens, combing goats for cashmere and bringing herds of yaks and sheep to water," Geary said. "Games are one of the many things that transcend language, so soccer often helped break the ice between my Mongolian host families and me."
Macalester is one of several NCAA athletic programs that promote study abroad. About 60 percent of their student-athletes take part, most for a full semester. That rate matches the student body.
Even though the absence of Geary and others like him force their respective teams to adjust, these athletic programs value the opportunity for their student-athletes to challenge themselves in a foreign arena, and return with new skills.
"My time in Mongolia has made me more confident in everything that I do, including soccer," said Geary, who lived in the countryside outside Ulan Bator in the spring semester of 2010.
"Since I have returned, I have also been a vocal leader on the field. Living in rural areas for weeks on end without anyone who spoke my native language not only left me starved for English, but also shed some light on the importance of communication."
|Divisions I and II experiences include pollution and rickshaws
Other programs across NCAA divisions also promote study abroad for a few weeks to an entire year. Athletes have returned with profound experiences that have changed their view of the world and themselves.
In Division I, Cornell field hockey player Carolyn Horner spent two months in Beijing. She signed a pledge to only speak Mandarin, which carried into the field hockey club she joined. Language was only one challenge.
"Everyone talks about the pollution, but I don't think people realize the toll it takes on athletes," she said. "After about a month of running outside, I developed a pretty persistent cough and found that I had real trouble breathing on my runs.
"I also tweaked my groin [and] found that I couldn't rehab it the way I usually do because it is hard to find ice in China and my heating pad wouldn't work due to the different outlets. I had to resort to trying to 'ice' with cold water bottles. Overall it was an amazing experience that helped me realize even halfway around the world I can still take pride in calling myself a student-athlete."
In Division II, student-athletes at Queens (N.C.) tap into the John Belk International Program, which sends more than 90 percent of Queens undergraduates abroad.
"One of the most fun and unique things we did in China was being carried down a mountain by a rickshaw after having toured one of China's oldest and most historic monasteries," said senior golfer Mallory Rhuling, a political science major.
"Climbing 320 stairs to the top of St. Peter's Basilica, through narrow hallways, was all worth it for the amazing views," said golfer Justin Fedje of his time in Italy.
At schools like Division III Macalester, coaches and administrators find that study abroad helps fulfill the ideal of equipping students to thrive after graduation in an increasingly globalized society.
"We will always speak positively about study abroad and it does impact our team as our players are more responsible and assured," said Ian Barker, Geary's coach at Macalester, who has guided the Scots for 13 seasons.
"Our student-athletes come back markedly changed for the experience. They seem [more mature] and more sensitive to a world beyond their family, friends and campus."
Macalester student-athletes usually study abroad during their junior year. To lessen the impact on their team, they aim for their off-season, if possible.
"Even for winter sports athletes, we try to find a way for them to incorporate a study abroad program into their college experience," said Associate Director of Athletics Vanessa Seljeskog, a varsity track athlete while at Arizona State and St. Olaf. "I didn't study abroad during college, and it is the one thing I wish I had done as a college student."
Scheduling basketball player Colin Jarvis' study abroad was a bit tricky because his sport competes across semesters.
Jarvis wanted to work on fluency in Spanish and targeted countries in the Southern Hemisphere that would be starting their fall semester near the end of Macalester's basketball season.
"I actually played our last season game on Feb. 19th and caught my plane to Buenos Aires the next morning, on the 20th," he said. "It worked out perfectly."
Macalester coaches use study abroad tradition as a recruiting tool.
"Macalester's commitment to global understanding as demonstrated through its strong study abroad opportunities is a significant message our coaches share with prospective students," Seljeskog said.
"Our coaches are often are asked, 'Can I be a varsity student athlete and still study abroad?' And the answer is always an unequivocal, 'Yes, absolutely!' "
This fall, 17 Scots are studying abroad, and Macalester is tracking them through an interactive online map that links to their blogs.
Their first-person reports help spread the word to younger student-athletes who may be curious about study abroad.
Geary's nomadic experience in Mongolia included competing with his host family's five children to use their one computer, and watching the teenage boys play the same video games as many Americans. He bought riding boots on the black market and learned to ride a horse. He ate delicious meat but was never sure what animal supplied it.
In Argentina, a trip with a public health nonprofit to a little pueblo called Burro Pozo showed Jarvis the great needs of the Third World.
"They are surrounded with horribly inadequate infrastructure. When it rains, the roads are impassible … the roads aren't much more than pothole-riddled dirt paths," he said. "This nonprofit is these communities only means of medical care. Each community may only get visited once or twice a year."
Macalester senior Lucy Miner, a soccer and tennis player, missed tennis season to study in New Zealand at a biodiversity and conservation program called EcoQuest. She relied on new friends during hiking, camping and snorkeling trips.
"From soccer I am used to cooperating with a team. With only 25 students in my program, I was constantly working closely with other people in order to have successful learning experiences," she said.
"From tennis I have learned to be responsible for my own actions and be independent. These traits helped me succeed in New Zealand because I sometimes had to complete assignments on my own and take control of my own learning."
Macalester softball player Courtney Nussbaumer is spending this semester -- her off-season -- in Madrid.
It was her first trip to Europe, and she had some trepidation about testing her fluency in a new language and staying in shape for softball, which is not played much in Spain.
One vocabulary word helped ease the transition – disfruta, which means "enjoy." Nussbaumer likes puns, so she named her blog Disfruta and kicked it off with a photo of a fruit market in Madrid.
She is there with the blessing of her team.
"While I regret I will be missing 12 fall practices and the fall alumni game, I know studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Nussbaumer said. "I will also miss some of the team bonding and camaraderie that will occur, especially with the new [freshmen], but the team is already pretty close, and I know they would want me to take advantage of this great opportunity."
The global field vision of Division III
In Division III, study abroad is a staple for many schools. The men's soccer players from Wisconsin-Superior attend the "Wisconsin in Scotland" program, which their coach Joe Mooney also went on as an undergraduate.
In the highlands town of Dalkeith, a recent group of six Yellowjackets lived and studied in a castle and watched European soccer amid rabid fans.
Soccer "is as large as football in the United States, and people live and die by it," junior defender Michael Bodner said. "It is awesome to be in a place where the sport I participate in is highly regarded."
Softball player Kaylee Kucharski left Southwestern University in Texas for a summer program in Costa Rica. She learned Spanish which staying in shape for her sport.
"My workout consisted of running around the parks, playing soccer with the locals, walking around town with my 'mama tica' [host mother], and also a lot of body resistance training as well .... It made me have more creative workouts and also made me realize how universal sports are. Sports help build relationships and allowed me to meet many of the locals."
Southwestern volleyball All-American Christina Nicholls returned from China with plans to return after graduation to the small town in the Yunnan province near Tibet. One of the towns she visited was Shangri-la.
"I fell in love with this small town and the students, and because of these girls and the other brilliant students, I've decided I want to go back to China and teach English," she said.
Central College operates study abroad centers in Wales, Spain, China, the Netherlands, England, Mexico, France and Austria. "The benefit of being a student-athlete is that you get to have it all -- pursue an academic interest, play a sport, lead a student organization, practice an instrument and study abroad," Central President Mark Putnam said. "Our students need the chance to explore widely."
"If anything, I'm disappointed more athletes don't take advantage of the chance to study abroad," said Central's George Wares, the winningest coach in NCAA Division III softball history (909-302-3 record, .750 winning percentage across 27 seasons with four national titles and 23 Division III tournament berths).
One of his players, senior co-captain Angela Davis, studied in Granada, Spain, and described it as changing her personality. She believes study abroad should be required of all athletes and undergraduates.
"If I had a problem, I was the one who had to ask questions and get the information necessary to solve it," she said. "If I needed something, I was the one going to get it. I was the one finding my resources and allies in a place that was unlike anywhere I had been. It was incredibly beneficial in discovering my independence, confidence, and capabilities.
"It was such a change in myself that when my parents came to visit me, they were more than impressed with my newfound 'go-getter' attitude. Don't get me wrong, I have never been a shy person, but in the past I have always solved problems on my own rather than asking someone. In Spain, I had no information about anything, so it forced me to have to ask a lot of questions."
Michelle Hiskey is a freelance writer and a former golf student-athlete at Duke.


text:
(HealthDay News) - An aneurysm occurs when a weakened portion of a blood vessel balloons or widens abnormally. There may be a throbbing or swelling sensation at the site, or no obvious symptoms.
The expanded portion of the vessel could be at risk of bursting, making immediate evaluation and treatment essential.
Here is additional information about aneurysms, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
- Aneurysms most frequently occur in or near the heart, brain, legs and intestines.
- It's unclear exactly what causes most aneurysms, but cholesterol buildup in the arteries is thought to play a role.
- High blood pressure also may contribute to aneurysms.
- If the blood vessel ruptures, low blood pressure, high heart rate and lightheadedness may result. The likelihood of death after a rupture is high.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Home
- Curtain Installs
- Warehouse Divider Curtains
- Insulated Curtain Walls
Insulated Curtain Walls
R - Factors Up to 7
Materials consist of a reinforced vinyl shell that is NFPA 701 fire rated ( typcially white ). Each panel also has laminated bubble foil insulation, which is ASTM-E-84 Class A Fire Rated. Grommets are placed across the top of each insulated panel ( 4-10' wide ) for easy mounting to trusses or I-beams. Each panel wall includes a floor sweep on the bottom to seal the curtain wall to the floor ( or to close any potential gap). Seams are folded over on each edge to protect from moisture and sewn with industrial thread. Double needle stitching is back-tacked on the bottom and sides of each panel to prevent unraveling. Stainless steel grommets and strip door inserts are optional.


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|Newsline No. 57-09
|Printer friendly
Nov. 19, 2009
Division of Workers' Compensation posts approved EAMS OCR forms vendor list
A comprehensive testing procedure for vendor-developed optical character recognition (OCR) forms used in the Electronic Adjudication Management System (EAMS) has been completed. The testing, which took place at Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) headquarters in Oakland and was conducted by DWC staff, began June 29 and concluded Nov. 10.
A total of 12 vendors' forms passed the test:
The complete list of vendors can also be found at www.dwc.ca.gov/eams.
"EAMS regulations require vendor-developed OCR forms work in an equivalent manner to DWC-created forms," said DWC Court Administrator Keven Star. "Now end users have a way to confirm the vendor forms they're using pass muster, which will improve the accuracy of their filings."
Forms vendors who wanted their forms tested by DWC followed these steps:
Both sets of forms were then tested by DWC in side-by-side comparison for errors and discrepancies. Vendors had the opportunity to fix any problems found and resubmit their forms for further testing.
For more information, email email@example.com with "approved vendor list" in the subject line. For EAMS information online, go to www.dwc.ca.gov/eams.


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Dear Dave,
My wife and I have a friend we met through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. She has a 1-year-old child, and she recently asked us for some money. We don't really approve of how she's choosing to spend her money – she's spending a lot of it on alcohol and cigarettes – but she does need financial help. What should we do?
Dear Mike,
I have a very simple rule for situations like this. If someone is bold enough to ask me for my money, I can be bold enough to attach requirements to the money for their own good.
One of two things will happen when you handle things in this manner. They'll welcome the help and graciously accept your conditions, or they'll get mad and act like you have no right interfering in their business. I don't have a problem helping people who have a good heart and really need a break. But if someone cops an attitude with me in this situation, I wouldn't break out my wallet any time soon.
Regardless, if you choose to do this, I'd make the money a gift and not a loan. Concentrate on trying to get her on a path where she thinks a little straighter, and, as a result, she will make better choices. Teach her how to make and live off a budget or help her enroll in a personal finance course. But right now, just handing her money is like giving a drunk a drink.
This whole situation is a lot bigger than giving someone $35 for diapers. The answer to that is easy. It's yes. But in this case I'd probably give it to her in the form of a grocery store gift card. Many of those don't allow alcohol and cigarette purchases. Or, I'd just go buy diapers and baby food and take them to her. Actually helping people is a lot more work than just throwing money at them. To really help someone, you have to get down in their mess and walk beside them.
Financially speaking, her problem is just as much mismanagement of money as it is a lack of money. Anyone who chooses smokes and alcohol over diapers for their kid needs to be smacked. But since you can't really do that, you can put conditions on your help that are designed to help her improve her decision-making abilities and, by doing that, improving her life.
Parents! Order Dave Ramsey's brand new book, written with his daughter, "Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money"
Cash in those bonds
Dear Dave,
What do you think I should do with savings bonds I've been given over the years?
Dear Ashley,
I'd cash them out now and invest them in something better. Savings bonds earn almost no money. Plus, they're the kind of things people just leave lying around and forget about.
Back in the day it was a big thing to get and give savings bonds. We'd get them for birthday presents and such. Then, we'd wait until they matured and cash them out.
That's exactly what I'd do in your case, Ashley. Cash them out today and put the money into good growth stock mutual funds. You'll be glad you did!


text: Putnam County Memorial Hospital The State Of Rural Health Care In North Carolina By Will Michaels & Frank Stasio • Jul 23, 2015 Dr. Farouk / Flickr Creative Commons People who live in rural North Carolina are still more likely to suffer from serious health problems than their urban counterparts. Rural counties show higher rates of heart disease and obesity, and rural residents have a lower life expectancy. The recent closures of rural hospitals around the state makes those residents even more vulnerable. Research shows that systemic problems like slow economic development and spotty insurance coverage also contribute to rural health disparities.


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Over 120 passengers, including the Director, Muslim Rights Concern, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, on Friday [Jun 5] evening escaped death as an Aero Contractors Airline Flight 180 from Lagos to Kaduna developed technical fault mid-air. The aircraft was said to have suddenly lost altitude, 20 minutes after it departed the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, forcing the aircraft to wobble in the air for over one hour before it was eventually diverted to Abuja.
Akintola, who broke the news to New Mail, said the flight took off from Lagos at exactly 6.30pm. He said 20 minutes into the flight, the aircraft lost altitude and the passengers had to make use of the oxygen masks as the plane continued to wobble, while dropping steadily.
Akintola said, "The plane lost altitude 20 minutes after takeoff. We had to make use of the oxygen masks. We saw smoke outside the plane, probably coming from the engine compartment. At this time, the whole plane was thrown into commotion. Many passengers screamed and some fainted. Prayers upon prayers were offered. Some shouted Allah, others Jesus."
Akintola said it was in the midst of the commotion that the crew, whom he commended for their professionalism and unusual calmness, announced that the plane would be diverted to Abuja. He said, "While the pilot was making the announcement of the flight diversion, I noticed that his voice was trembling. He told us that Abuja was 120 miles away and that we would land in 25 minutes. But we were not sure we would make it.
"In fact, I quickly recited the Kalimah (the Quranic invocation of the oneness of Allah), believing that the end had come," Akintola added in messages to New Mail. He said that the plane finally touched down in Abuja at about 9.00pm and upon landing in Abuja, the officials of the airline told the devastated passengers that the fault would be hurriedly repaired and that the plane would proceed to take them to Kaduna, their original destination. As of the time he spoke with New Mail at about 9.30pm, he said he was already in a taxi taking him from Abuja to Kaduna as he could not risk being "flown in the same aircraft that was divinely saved from crashing."
When PUNCH called Akintola at about 11pm, he confirmed the incident and said he was about entering Kaduna. He said, "When the aircraft wanted to land in Abuja, the tyres failed to come out on time and that again caused more commotion among passengers.
A statement by the airline read, "Aero confirms that there was depressurisation in the aircraft cabin leading to the dropping of oxygen mask. And since Aero has a maintenance facility in Abuja, the flight to Kaduna was diverted to Abuja this evening to fix the problem."


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|Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz
"That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us."Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz is the only Democrat in the New York State Senate that voted in opposition to the "homosexual marriage" bill. He has been outspoken in his support of marriage between one man and one woman in accordance with God's plan
– John 17:21
He has invited Archbishop Dolan and Bishop DiMarzio in an open letter to join him in support of marriage at a rally in New York City organized by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) on Sunday, July 24th.
This is a historic opportunity for Christians to join in unity and show the world our love for God. I hope and pray that our Catholic bishops will join Rev. Diaz and that this will only be the beginning of a shared and fruitful labor of love in the vineyards of the LORD.
Full text of the open letter from Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz dated July 13, 2011:
Dear Archbishop Dolan and Bishop DiMarzio:
In the great spirit of interfaith unity, I invite you to join me and my fellow ministers on Sunday, July 24th at 3PM at a March for Marriage that has been organized by the National Organization for Marriage to be held outside Governor Andrew Cuomo's midtown office at 633 Third Avenue.
Our peaceful and prayerful rally will protest the redefinition of marriage and demand that all New Yorkers have the right to vote on this very serious social issue.
You know that I have tremendous respect for you and I am most hopeful that you and your fellow bishops and clergy will join us on the 24th.
Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz
|National Organization for Marriage
Lord Jesus, at the request of your Holy Mother Mary you miraculously turned the water into wine. Turn this tragic defeat into a blessed victory for your faithful followers, so that all may believe in the power of Your Mighty Word. We ask this in Your Holy Name.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Jesus, we trust in You!


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Part of the 2004 "Cycle of Death" series.
By Tara Young
Those who wanted Robert Pittman dead finally caught up with him on Easter as he napped in his truck after partying at a nearby club.
The murder near Orleans and North Claiborne avenues fell within the seven square miles of the city that police targeted as a "hot zone" after the number of killings skyrocketed early in 2003. Pittman was the year's 85th murder.
More specifically, his death was one in a rash of killings that police associate with a turf war that simmered after the St. Thomas public housing development was torn down and its residents scattered to other public housing sites, particularly the St. Bernard development.
According to his mother, Pittman, 24, was a marked man once police arrested him in August 2002 and accused him of killing Alfred Edwards, 22, and wounding another man that June in the St. Bernard public housing complex.
The Edwards and Pittman families say the bloodshed stemmed from the Downtown-Uptown rivalry among drug dealers that grew deadlier as foes found themselves living cheek by jowl in the St. Bernard development.
Warren Riley, chief of operations for the New Orleans Police Department, said a task force was formed to identify problem residents from both the former St. Thomas and the St. Bernard complexes.
In 2002, the St. Bernard development recorded 13 slayings. Twelve people were killed there last year.
A "significant portion" of the violence can be attributed to the turf wars, Riley said. However, he added, the situation is slowly improving.
"I think the main characters have been eliminated through murdering each other, and the other portion has been eliminated by going to jail," he said. "They have eliminated themselves."
After leaving St. Thomas in 1999, Pittman's family lived within a block of the St. Bernard development in a modest brick home in the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue. Pittman's mother, who asked that her name not be published, said her family never felt welcome.
Pittman was arrested in August 2002, two months after police say he opened fire on a car and fatally shot Edwards in the 1400 block of Senate Street. More bloodshed followed.
The next to die was Pittman's cousin, Antoine Cooper, 22, who was shot inside his truck near Martin Luther King Boulevard and South Claiborne Avenue on Aug. 19, 2002.
His father was next. Robert Robbins was gunned down on Sept. 8 near Buchanan and Senate streets.
After the second slaying in three weeks, Pittman's mother went into hiding.
"I just left," she said, recalling the night her husband was killed. "I had a dress on. My family just put me in the car and whisked me away."
She returned to the Harrison Avenue home three months later, in December, and packed in the dark.
"I didn't want anyone to know that I was there," she said.
On Christmas Eve 2002, the district attorney's office refused the charges against Pittman in Edwards' slaying. All seemed quiet as 2003 began.
Pittman's mother said she spoke to her son on April 20, just hours before he was killed. He seemed to have been at ease -- so comfortable, in fact, that he left friends at a club to get some sleep in his truck. Someone walked up and opened fire; he died at Charity Hospital. According to the coroner's office, he had alcohol in his system but no drugs.
Pittman, police say, was a drug dealer. His rap sheet showed two drug arrests, three felony arrests involving a firearm and 10 misdemeanor arrests.
His mother, though, characterized him as a good son and the father of six children who was unfairly targeted by police.
She said she does not believe her son killed Edwards. Looking back, however, she believes his arrest led to his death, as well as those of his cousin and father.


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Shopping for Fangs (1998)
Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
Shopping for Fangs Photos
Movie Info
Watch it now
as Phil
as May
as Katherine Nguyen
as Dr. Hali
as Jim Lee
as Dr. Suleri
as Clarence
as Matt
as Sammi
as Grace
as Katherine Nguyen
Critic Reviews for Shopping for Fangs
All Critics (6) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (3)
It's got real energy, and its solid grounding in LA's Asian community gives the laughs a genuine cultural point of view.
So amateurishly bad that it could almost be a parody of indie films.
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COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - South Carolina can recover about $54,000 of its $3.5 million costs for a lawsuit defending the state's voter identification law.
A court on Wednesday ordered the federal government to pay the state for that amount of its legal expenses.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson sued last year after the U.S. Department of Justice rejected the state's law requiring voters to show specific photo identification at the polls. The Justice Department said the law violated part of the federal Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voters.
A panel of federal judges upheld the law in October. Most of the suit's $3.5 million price tag comes from attorneys' fees, but the law doesn't allow South Carolina to ask the government to pay those bills.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Upper Pembroke Street 28-32
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Today the Rory Peck Trust launched a new resource for Libyan freelance journalists, as part of a two-year project supported by the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF).
Freelancing In Libya contains practical tools, information and guides to help Libyan journalists operate safely and professionally in an increasingly insecure and volatile environment.
With chapters on The Business of Being Freelance, Safety and Ethics on Assignment and how to grow Professional and Protection Networks, the aim of the resource is to help Libyan freelancers produce high quality, non-partisan news and current affairs coverage in a safe and sustainable way.
"Today's generation of Libyan freelancers emerged during the 2011 revolution where they were able to report freely and openly for the first time", said Sarah Giaziri, Programme Officer for the Middle East and North Africa at the Rory Peck Trust. "But most have found it hard to sustain their careers because of the deterioration of independent media outlets and the growing security challenges. There are still important and compelling stories to be told from Libya and we hope this resource will provide its freelancers with the skills to bring us these stories safely and ethically."
This is the first resource to help Libyan freelancers tackle professional and safety issues.
It forms part of a two-year project funded by UNDEF aimed at strengthening independent journalism in Libya, which includes in-depth workshops for freelancers, the establishment of a mentoring scheme and access to international protection mechanisms.
"It's really important that freelance journalists working every day in Libya have access to the right information", said Ahmed el-Hadel, a Libyan freelance journalist who attended a recent RPT workshop in Amman. "This is the first time I've been provided with training or resources that are focussed on producing stories safely. It's something that's missing in countries such as Libya, but it's really vital."
"This was the first UNDEF-funded project devoted entirely to supporting freelance journalism and a milestone initiative for us," said Annika Savill, Executive Head of the UN Democracy Fund. "The deplorable rise of extremism, deteriorating security situation and growing restrictions on media in a range of countries, make even more relevant and important the work, courage and safety of independent journalists worldwide. The Rory Peck Trust is uniquely equipped to carry out this project in an environment such as Libya, where the need is acute and the challenges in operating are just as acute."
Freelancing in Libya is available in Arabic and English.
For social media, RPT suggests using the hashtag #freelancinginlibya


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An Open Letter to the Staff of Square Peg Ranch
Yesterday just before dinner I got a text from a little boy. He was excited to tell me that one of the kids in his school, a child who doesn't speak at all at school, said "hi" to him. The school thinks the child is non-verbal. This boy knew that the silent child spoke because he knows that they both attend weekly sessions at the ranch. He'd heard that this child has rich conversations with his favorite people and animals at the ranch.
This is not insignificant. It's important. It's also important to recognize that both children know the significance of the effort.
Dr. Temple Grandin told us years ago that the power of the barn and the horses when she was a teen had less to do with the horses and more to do with the fact that it was "the first place she made friends."
Like I said, we are on to something. Something very special. By adhering to our core values of acceptance, kindness, creating and fiercely protecting community, follow the child and cultivating curiosity – miraculous things happen regularly around here.
I ask you, the core providers at SquarePegs Ranch, to take a moment and appreciate the value and the real difference you make in the lives of our families. Some days are easier than others. As we grow and expand, let us never forget these values and let us support each other in the hard days so we continue to lead by example.
We are breaking new ground here. I am so proud of you.
What if "love is the answer?"
#TeamQuirky for the win.
In gratitude and respect,
What used to be boring Saturdays……
This essay, written by Aaron Foley was submitted to the TCA Youth Essay Contest.
Thoroughbred Charities of America Youth Essay Contest
SquarePeg Foundation-A perfect Sanctuary for Horses & Humans
"…….the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole isn't that the hammering is hard work – it's that you're destroying the peg." (Paul Collins)
Dear Thoroughbred Charities of America Board Members,
My name is Aaron and I am 10 years old. I am writing to tell you about the most amazing place on earth. "Squarepeg" in Half Moon Bay, California. Like many other kids with learning and coping disabilities, I was really struggling to find true "happiness" in my life. I had always connected with animals, as they are non-judgmental and always forgiving; horses, cows and dogs being my favorites. We cannot have an animal in our place, so my mom found out about Squarepeg through my therapist at school. We did some research and loved the fact that its tagline was "Team Quirky" and its mission was to connect people and animals who don't quite fit in. Its "home" to retired horses and we go to the Square Peg because the horses need us. We went to check it out and it truly is everything you would imagine a dream world would be is there a Horse-land (minus the unicorns according to my little sister).
What used to be boring Saturdays are now fun family day trips where we all go and enjoy the peaceful environment that is filled with the most gentle retired horses and caring humans. They humans have learned well from their animal friends and are extra understanding, patient, and kind. My parents used to hover around me nervously and now they see how good I am with the horses and how gentle they are with me, they go visit their favorite horses and I am free to be me!
My favorite horse is Ace, I like him the best, he is a total ham (a little like myself). He tries to eat me whenever I sit next to him, he really loves it when I bring him treats. When we arrive at Squarepeg, I immediately run to visit Ace, then sometimes I ride Ace around the arena. Did I already mention how much Ace likes to eat a lot of food? he is super friendly and my pet horse.
I have been going to the Squarepeg for 3 years now and it always makes me excited to visit. As we drive there, I feel the excitement building in my tummy and I cannot wait to arrive. I feel welcome and accepted by the horses and the staff.
I know they do not care that I cannot hold a pencil or ride a bike. But, I can ride a horse and how cool is that! Sometimes at school when I am feeling down, I think about Squarepeg and our next visit and it helps me to cope that day.
I would like to invite you to visit Squarepeg as I think you need to see it for yourselves to believe how fantastic it is. I would be so excited to win this competition for Squarepeg so they can do even more for kids and horses that don't fit into the right "hole". By the way, I read this essay to Ace and he tried to eat me in appreciation.
"This Is Summer" by Hollister features Square Peg Ranch
6,000 years ago, man asked the horse not just for his flesh for food, but for his obedience in our quest for land and power. The horse delivered.
Two centuries ago, we began to record and plan the Master Race of horse. A horse imbued with all the qualities we hold dear – strength, fortitude, courage, determination and grace. We asked the horse to show us these things in contests that might take his life – and the horse delivered.
We saddled the horse with our hopes and dreams – we celebrated his Glory as if it were our own and when he disappointed us, we turned our backs and looked forward to a new generation that might again deliver that thrill that shakes our deepest souls.
We glorified him in ways he didn't understand.
To say that the horse doesn't understand Triumph is to undermine his nature and the dignity he deserves and the sacrifices he makes.
The horse finds comfort in safety and he will always recognize and honor kindness. He knows that gentleness may come from strength or from innocence.
He asks silently for fresh air, room to move, a tribe. If in addition, he could
receive friendship – he lends us his back and harnesses himself to our hopes to be able to rise above the terra firma as he bears us, albeit more slowly, toward Glory.
We passed the inferior, the wounded and the meek horses on in hopes that they might touch the humans who society deems inferior, wounded or meek.
Without complaint, the horse delivered.
The horse is my conduit on my path to God. Whenever I make strides, not towards greatness, but toward humility and gratitude, the horse is there before me, waiting to deliver me to my next destination on the path to being awakened.
More Things I Should Have Said
Yesterday, we filmed a reality show at the ranch – four teens in expensive clothing
"Giving back" by volunteering.
I was dubious, my staff and I watched the show and saw vapid, handsome, entitled teens prancing and hair tossing. I met with our staff and they were ready to defend with their lives the dignity of our kids and the safety of our horses.
Watching anxiously just outside the camera's view we let our kids and our horses take over
It was good.
Very good.
There were chase games and capturing games and our kids demanding stories about unicorns. There were piggyback rides and it all spontaneously ended with a dance party in the arena with tutus and hula hoops and dogs. The teens in fancy clothes were laughing and running and serving and falling on the ground in their expensive threads. They messed up their hair, they kissed the dogs on the nose and they opened their hearts to our families.
I have no idea what the camera saw. I don't have control of what the directors will cut and what the tween watchers will see and understand – but what I witnessed was our quirky kids bringing out the very best in others.
And it was good.
Very good.
At the end, several of us shared a meal and laughs. We recalled some stories and I absolutely must write this memory down:
Quirky Kid #1: "my sister has William's Syndrome. Do you have William's Syndrome?
Quirky Kid #2 "No."
Quirky Kid #1 "Do you have autism?"
Quirky Kid #2 "No."
Quirky Kid #1 "Well, what do you have?"
Quirky Kid #2 thinks for a minute and answers "Barbies, I have Barbies. Do you want to play with them?"
File this under "Things I should have said"
When we encounter something strange or different – something we don't understand – at first there is Rejection, and Avoidance.
With education, we develop Tolerance.
With love and patience and a little luck, this morphs into Acceptance.
But where the magic happens – what Square Peg strives to build in every interaction we engage in – the rare transformative space – is Celebration.
Celebrating the differences in each of us – letting our quirky side show – finding joy and innocence and supporting each other with Celebration and the freedom to be your most unique and most precious self.
It's an important message to send to awkward tweens watching a reality show where everyone is well dressed and attractive.
But I failed. Because I didn't think to say this. It came to me in the early hours of the morning of a sleepless night. I spent all week thinking how I'd manage the message. I'd get two minutes to talk to these reality TV stars about what Square Peg is all about and hope it would translate onto the screen. I penned it out – I reached out to colleagues and even to our Social Media. I failed to get the message together.
But did I?
Turns out – our kids, horses, dogs and goats, our staff and volunteers didn't have to tell them – they showed them.
And it was good.
Very good.
The episode will air in early September – I will keep you posted.
Peace out
Will You?
Because it's important.
The pain caused when autism and mental illness are viewed as a human that needs fixing is not just toxic, it's deadly. Deadly for the autist, for their family and for our communities. A "fix" is not needed – support is.
Families are suffering from isolation and shame. These families suffer less from their loved one's condition – but more from their community's inability or unwillingness to accept and support them. Support and care for these families saves lives.
We are changing the words and the outlook while the science catches up. We are changing the words and the perception that meltdowns are viewed more like seizures – something the autist desperately, so desperately, wants to stop but as with a seizure – cannot. We are building the support staff that will weave this change into our social fabric.
Real resilience emerges when someone is authentically supported. Support can be the humility to simply "be there" in storms of dis-regulation and rejoice in the joys of sharing this planet and acknowledge the differences that constitute honest humanity.
Radical acceptance – Its effects are magic. The transformation of a soul who feels "less than" but is through acceptance; seen, heard and celebrated is the most profound change of all.
Your $1,000,000 preserves a space where radical acceptance and celebration of dignity brings the contagious peace that is the only hope for our world.
Is there anything more important?
Donate. Do it now. We promise to make you proud you did.
With your help the revolution of kindness marches on.
UPDATE: If this link doesn't convince you that this entire way of thinking about autism and behaviors needs to be completely disrupted – then we can't imagine what would. If we don't change this culture – who will? the time is NOW. Join us.
The Nature of Support aka: I Hate Housekeeping
Doing housework is where I get some of my best ideas. You'd think I'd clean house more often – but I don't.
My avoidance is irrational. I hate cleaning house.
Cleaning today I was grouchy. I was thinking ugly thoughts about what I deserve and who is disrespecting me by my cleaning the floor on a beautiful day.
I told you it was irrational.
I was also thinking about some of the folks in our Square Peg community. Yesterday was a rough day. Lots of folks needed attending to. Whenever I gave someone my time, I felt I was failing three others.
I got thinking: What is it to feel supported?
My mind went back to housekeeping. What about my needs? Look at Cinderella – cleaning floors while everyone else is at the ball. What about support for me?
Irrational. We covered that.
I had this thought – if I had the extra cash, should I seek a therapist? Or, and this is where it gets weird – or a housekeeper?
Having someone to do the deep cleaning makes me feel supported.
I'm not bragging of superior mental health – it's about the nature of support.
I dialogued with a mom yesterday about her isolation and fear for her child's future and the lengths she goes to provide an environment where he can thrive. I think about the young adults in our network that are aging out of services. I think about our brilliant kids who aren't thriving in school and why.
How do we define who gets supports and who doesn't?
There is the larger picture of the Dignity of support.
If I hire a housekeeper to help with the things I'm struggling with – and she makes it clear that my failure as a housekeeper is "so sad" then I feel like a jerk and unworthy and a loser. I don't feel supported.
If she ran around my house telling me that if I just tried harder, I could wash windows as well as anybody – I'd have grounds to fire her. Why is it okay for a therapist, a tutor or a doctor to treats us or our most vulnerable children the same way? With pity or contempt – we are not truly supported and no matter how talented or expensive the therapist is or how scientifically backed the method might be – we always feel like a "lesser than." The supporter is just raising themselves up on the shoulders of the people they say they are are supporting and the client, while they might feel served – does not feel supported.
Dignity. It changes the lens we use when we support someone and how we are supported.
"The greatest poverty is not hunger. The greatest poverty is loneliness and a feeling of not being wanted." Mother Theresa
"I hope you don't mind the dog-hair." Joell Dunlap
The Real Experts – Education from an Autists' Perspective
Creating an Autism-Friendly Educational Environment
By Isabelle Frances Morris
My journey with autism up until now begins and ends with horses. Watching a documentary about a young Autistic boy named Rowan who found healing in horses, I couldn't help but see some of myself in this preschooler. The next day, sitting in a therapy session, my therapist brought up the movie saying, "there are a lot of things that remind me of you." That was when I began looking into autism in earnest. Six months after this happenstance, I walked into an office in the middle of a suburban neighborhood on a Saturday, with a stack of papers in my hand—documents from as far back as 2000, as well as my own personal notes. After a few hours of tests, evaluations, histories, and endless questions, the examiner told me she didn't "see it;" the ensuing meltdown probably helped my case. One impatient week later, a thick manila envelope arrived with a fifteen-page report detailing my idiosyncrasies enclosed. The conclusion: I'm Autistic. This formally confirmed what I'd felt—known—watching this four-year-old melt down. Instead of experiencing the confusion, anger, or grief many parents of newly diagnosed children feel, for me the diagnosis brought relief and brand new understanding of myself. I no longer thought there was something "wrong " with me. Everything finally made sense.
Rowan's dad, Rupert, a journalist by trade, produced the Horse Boy documentary that follows his family's autism learning curve. I am far from being the only one who has benefitted from Rupert's journey. In fact, this home-movie-on-steroids evolved into a promising alternative education model for Autistic children called Horse Boy Method. As its name suggests, Horse Boy Method uses horses to facilitate the teaching of Autistic children. Through research I hope to answer the question, "how are Autistics learning?" Further, I aim to learn how the Horse Boy Method came to be and why Rupert—who has no education or psychology background—was
so successful. To that end, I will first discuss what autism is. Next, I will explore Rupert's path to creating the Horse Boy Method of teaching. From there I will turn my attention to the current educational models in both traditional mainstream and special education programs. Finally, I will compare and contrast Rupert's approach to education with these current systems, and ask how Rupert's journey can serve as a model of how we might look at education differently.
According to the American Psychological Association, autism spectrum disorder is defined as "the most severe developmental disability. Appearing within the first three years of life, autism involves impairments in social interactions—such as being aware of other people's feelings—and verbal and nonverbal communication" (APA, 2017). In order to diagnose someone with autism, practitioners use the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual fifth edition (DSM-V). The DSM-V criteria include: "deficits in social-emotional reciprocity," "deficits in nonverbal behavior… [e.g.] abnormalities in eye contact," "restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities," "stereotyped or repetitive motor movements," "insistence on sameness," and "hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input" (CDC, 2013). In addition to the formal medical definitions above, many in the Autistic community have a slightly different yet parallel definition. The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network provides the following definition on its website: "Autism is a neurological variation that occurs in about one percent of the population and is considered a developmental disability." This perspective holds autism is a difference, not a deficit. In her book, Autism: What Does It Mean to Me? Catherine Faherty refers to it as "autism spectrum difference" (2014). I include so many examples because autism is a complex constellation of traits and an understanding of what autism is, and isn't, is necessary in order to understand the arguments in this paper. Most people assume "the spectrum" is a linear one from "not very Autistic" to "super Autistic." Another overly simple yet incredibly popular way of talking about the spectrum is labeling Autistics as either "high-functioning" or "low-functioning." These functioning labels carry significant weight in determining education placement of Autistic children. However, as these many characteristics demonstrate, this dichotomous way of thinking is inadequate and damaging. A better way to conceptualize the autism spectrum is by using the metaphor of a color wheel in which each color is a different trait, and one's place on the spectrum is a unique blend of each (Burgess, 2016).
While this may seem like just semantics, understanding autism in this way informs approaches to education. This visualization calls attention to the fact Autistic individuals have varied strengths, abilities, learning styles, challenges, and required supports— just as neurotypical children do. Therefore, the research presented in this paper is not intended to be a prescriptive, one-size-fits-all approach to education. Instead, I seek to highlight pitfalls of our current educational paradigm while presenting potential alternative ways of viewing education.
When beginning this research, I went straight to the source and contacted Rupert. During our conversation, Rupert gave an important insight into why he thinks what he does works. He told me, "It doesn't work because I'm a clever neurotypical." Instead, Rupert let his Autistic son call the shots. Letting go of preconceived agendas, Rupert simply followed Rowan around and learned from him. Although Rupert grew up training horses, bringing Rowan around horses wasn't his idea. In fact, he'd be keeping Rowan away because he didn't think he'd be safe around them. No, Rowan started the whole thing. One day Rowan bolted and threw himself on the ground under a neighbor's horse, Betsy. Rupert noticed Betsy showing submissive behavior, so he followed Rowan's lead and put him on her back. On the back of a horse became the place where Rowan's meltdowns stopped and he began to use expressive verbal language. From the very beginning, Rupert let Rowan take the reins and learned from him. I believe realizing that he didn't have all the answers—or even a few of them—and approaching Rowan as the expert on autism was critical to Rupert's success, and the success of Horse Boy Method.
It is this deference to Autistic individuals as the autism experts that has allowed the Horse Boy Method to benefit so many on the spectrum. In the autism world, this is a novel, even radical, idea. However, I would argue that it shouldn't be. As Rupert learned what worked and what didn't for his son, a more formalized Horse Boy Method emerged. The guiding principles of the Horse Boy Method are: set up an environment to reduce stress, allow children to move and explore their environment, teach through "special interests," and learn from the child. Three things must be in place before anyone can be ready to learn, neurotypical or not: proper sensory input, human environment, and physical state. Think about how hard it is to concentrate if it's super cold in the classroom, or the class is right before lunch and you're starving. Multiply that times twenty-three and you have the autistic experience.
Setting up an environment free from sensory triggers and stressors is the imperative first step. Without it, the Horse Boy Method would not be successful. Learning cannot happen when the body is under stress, so even the best, most empirically backed educational strategies fail without the proper environment. When the brain reacts to a perceived threat, blood is directed away from areas responsible for higher-level thinking, the frontal cortex, to the primitive regions that respond to fear and initiate fight or flight instincts. This biological process happens in all humans, but Autistics experience this fight-or-flight mode more often, more intensely, and need longer recovery than neurotypical counterparts thanks to a heightened cortisol response (Spratt et al., 2012). Therefore, when teaching Autistics, a low-stress environment is key. What does this environment look like? As far as possible this is in nature. Typical classrooms are filled with sensory triggers—fluorescent lights, scratchy uniforms, the smell of Expo markers, hard chairs, and 20 other kids' pencils writing. Because we lack the ability to filter out the unimportant background sensory "noise," we are prone to being overloaded with input. Our brains perceive this as danger and respond with cortisol. So not only do overstimulating environments disrupt our focus and attention, but there is a biological process precluding learning. Because other people's bodies don't react this way, and physiological
stress markers are invisible without specific tests, it can be easy for educators and parents to just assume that the child "isn't applying themselves." One way to mitigate the impact of sensory stress is to create a sensory-friendly environment, which for many Autistics is outside because our specific sensory triggers are largely absent in the natural environment. While I'm speaking generally, it is important to keep in mind this is not true for every person, or always true for someone. Outdoors is a general trend, but to make this really work, the system must be flexible enough to accommodate individuals' sensory needs. I had the opportunity to visit a local Horse Boy practitioner named Joell who explained to me how she accommodates sensory differences. Joell keeps plenty of extra jackets, blankets, ice packs and hats on hand so that each individual can be as comfortable in the environment as possible. The usually fixed outdoor environment becomes less rigid with these accommodations.
Although the physical environment is an important component it is not the only aspect of the environment that matters. The attitudes and expectations of parents, practitioners, and volunteers heavily contribute to the level of safety the clients feel. While Autistics can have trouble putting words to feelings or knowing what they're feeling, we many times intensely feel the emotions and energy of those around them. If teachers or parents are stressed, we'll likely feel and react to it tenfold. The majority of Joell's herd is made up of rescues from the racetrack or other careers; two horses are missing an eye, and all of the horses are at Square Peg ranch because they didn't fit in somewhere else. The children Joell works with spend most of their lives in situations where they are the odd one out. At the ranch, they can connect to horses that are also lovable "misfits." In talking to Joell, she made it clear that there were no expectations here. This was evidenced as a boy dressed like Luke Skywalker ran by. Joell told me stories about the time she ran after one boy all the way up into the hills, about the time one girl wanted to go faster and tried to get the horse to do it even though Joell had said no. The most miraculous part of all this is the unique acceptance Joell and the volunteers have for all who come to Square Peg. Joell also told me the little boy used to throw his helmet off the hill and the little girl had the diagnosis of oppositional-defiant disorder. Reactions or diagnoses like these tend to cause people to step back from these kids. Not Joell. She leans in. When she spoke of both children, she made sure to tell me how much she loved these kids. I'm emphasizing the human environment because it is often overlooked and we Autistics can be highly sensitive to it. Because autism is a manifestation of a disrupted nervous system, we often have trouble self-regulating actions and emotional states. Attempting to fit into the expectations of acting or looking "normal" is a huge tax on brain capacity, and the sense that we're failing only makes self-regulation harder. By creating a space where not only children can be children, but they are fully allowed to look, act, and be Autistic, all of that energy being poured into fitting into others' expectations can instead be harnessed for learning.
If all of this talk about horses sounds different from our current approaches to education, it's because it is. In my discussion of traditional education, I am going to focus on the public school system because it serves the majority of children and is also most likely to be home to the more disadvantaged Autistics who don't have the means for alternative specialty education programs. My discussion will be broken down into two parts, mainstream education and special education.
Traditional mainstream education is the most prototypical form of education. This type of education conjures images of desks in rows and memorizing times tables by rote. This was also my experience with education, not being diagnosed until the age of 19. Looking only at academic achievement, I was a perfect match to this school model that values verbal intelligence almost exclusively. Additionally, many things were easy for me because of my Autistic brain. Memorizing, logical reasoning, reading/writing, and pattern recognition required very little effort for me because of the way my brain is wired. Indeed, in many ways I benefited from this system that catered to my strengths. Looking at this metric alone, people tend to bestow upon me the "high-functioning" non-compliment. However, it also caused an enormous amount of boredom, unnecessary stress, and alienation. Throughout elementary school I asked my teachers to give me more work because I was bored; I only very rarely received differentiation. Content didn't regularly cause me stress the way the environment did. Being asked to answer a question without having time to prepare a response terrifies me still. A room filled with posters or sitting by the noisy fish tank quickly overwhelmed me, often almost to the point of tears—as a senior in high school. An eighteen year old on the verge of tears because of the sound of a fish tank would likely be labeled "low-functioning." Clearly Autism is much more complicated than these functioning labels allow for. Rather than educational difficulties, the most frustrating experiences were social in nature and recognizing I was different. I frequently corrected teachers and couldn't understand why they reacted the way they did. Why did everyone always think I was being critical? I was just trying to be helpful.
I presented my history with mainstream education above as a case study. This is not meant to be representative of all Autistic's experiences although many may identify with aspects of it because of our shared neurology. Because of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, better known as IDEA, children are entitled to an education in public schools even if that means that the school must make accommodations for them. This federal law guarantees students education in the "least restrictive setting" that is appropriate for them, with mainstream classrooms considered the least restrictive setting possible (All Education Schools). For children who have an autism diagnosis, mainstream education can be tailored to their needs, to an extent, through an IEP. Examples of accommodations include using visual schedules, incorporating sensory activities during the day, providing small group instruction, facilitating communication through alternatives to verbal speech, limiting distractions, and many, many other adjustments depending on the individual's needs (Wright, 2001).
Because of IDEA and its guaranteed access to education in the least restrictive setting, there is emphasis on mainstreaming as an end goal. In addition to the accommodations listed above, a common "treatment" either pursued by parents outside of school or provided in some form in schools themselves is Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). This therapy is routinely prescribed for Autistic individuals and is almost always the only option covered by insurance. Parents and schools use this as a method to get children ready for a "normal" classroom. Encouraging pro-social behavior often means disallowing a child to say "no," not a great strategy for teaching social skills. DR. Ivar Lovass created ABA in the 1980's. Children typically receive anywhere from 10 to 40 hours of therapy a week. In reference to a study Lovaas conducted in 1987, the Lovaas center reports, "the outcomes indicated 47% of children (i.e., 9/19) became indistinguishable from their peers or "best outcome," many were able to have their "autism" label removed." Two pervasive ideas in ABA are those of "quiet hands" and "table ready." "Quiet hands" refers to the tendency of Autistics to flap, flick, and in general move our hands as a mode of communication, emotional expression, or self-regulation. ABA believes that in order to be successful in a mainstream environment, this must be suppressed. "Table ready" essentially entails sitting still and looking like your non-autistic peers. These may seem like good goals, but they are foolhardy. Because autism is a neurotype, if you are born Autistic, you will be Autistic forever. And if a child is never able to be mainstreamed, that represents a "failure." ABA's own theory and methods undergird its uselessness. ABA is little more than compliance training, and "quiet hands" and "table ready" are euphemisms for "sit down and shut up". Educators and therapists often express frustration that Autistic children don't follow directions or respect boundaries. But if the child is not respected, if their "no" never means "no," is it any wonder they don't listen to yours?
Recognizing this, educators are beginning to take a different approach to dealing with Autistic students in their mainstream classrooms. Instead of attempting to fit the Autistic kid into a set system, some teachers are adapting the system to the kid. This is the same philosophy behind the Horse Boy Method. The book, Teaching Children with Autism in the General Classroom (2009), includes guidance on modifications to the physical classroom as well as teaching strategies. As discussed above, creating the right environment is critical to the success of Autistic students. Some suggestions provided in the book are: create "boundaries to segment different work areas in the classroom," minimize visual clutter, reduce the use of fluorescent lights, and consider the child's needs when assigning their seat (Spencer & Simpson, 2009). Other interventions mentioned were visual schedules, established routines, peer buddies, and simplified directions. One teacher in the "Case Study" section reported that the adaptations he had made—being "more structured and consistent with my class procedures, routines, and expectations"—had benefited all of his students and made his class run smoother (p.42-43). This last point may be the incentive teachers need to do the work up front of creating an environment conducive to learning for Autistic students, rather than rigidly expecting conformity from exceptional students.
Educational placement (mainstream vs. special education classroom) is a huge topic of debate. Research of efficacy of different placements has been largely inconclusive (Hocutt, 1996). One reason studies have failed to produce conclusive results is the diversity not only among exceptional students, but also in classroom implementation of strategies. Educating students with disabilities is too complex an issue to apply a one-size-fits-all model in which we assume that mainstream is always better than special education, or vice versa. Even with adaptations, some individuals will need more support than a mainstream classroom can provide. This is where special education programs come into play.
Special education is a broad term that groups together many different practices. Special education includes part-time attendance in a resource room, education in a self-contained special ed classroom, or in a separate school altogether (Hocutt, 1996). The benefits of special education include smaller class sizes and teachers and aides with more familiarity with a given disability and specialized training. Proponents of special education also cite higher self-esteem (among students with certain disabilities), peers at the same developmental level, and lower dropout rates. In her literature review, "Effectiveness of Special Education: Is Placement the Critical Factor?" Amy Hocutt comes to two important conclusions in regards to this question. Firstly, she finds, "the interventions that were effective in improving academic outcomes for students with disabilities required a considerable investment of resources" (p. 97). This is likely unsurprising to most. Secondly, Hocutt concludes, "the research does not support inclusion for all students with disabilities" and successful interventions feature a "case-by-case approach to decision making" (p.97).
For all of the conflicting reports on best practices and difficulties in educating students with disabilities in a traditional education model, the current system also has strengths. One major strength is its accessibility. Because of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, students are guaranteed education that meets their needs. Services like occupational therapy and speech and language services can be provided through public schools. A second advantage is the volume of research conducted on traditional methodologies. While data may be conflicting, researchers have set out to measure almost every variable of educational attainment.
While newer approaches to education lack decades worth of research to validate them, neuroscience is beginning to take an interest in them. Opponents of alternative model of education denounce them as "new age," not empirically validated, and all a placebo. However, slowly research into how the brain learns is emerging to validate the anecdotal evidence. One area of interest is the link between vestibular pathways and learning. The vestibular system is a sensory system that provides information about the "angular and linear acceleration of the head in three dimensions" (Hitier et al, 2014). Research thus far has yielded conclusions that the vestibular system plays a part in cognition, especially in regards to spatial learning, spatial memory, and object recognition learning. It has even been hypothesized that numerical learning is affected. A 2007 literature review by Bellebaum implicates the cerebellum, best known for motor involvement, in higher order cognitive processes. Executive function, sometimes called cognitive control or mental control, is responsible for planning and organizing; starting, finishing, and switching tasks; and behavioral and mental inhibition. Although we don't yet understand this link, Bellebaum concedes it is "widely accepted that the cerebellum contributes to cognitive processing" (2007). Finally, a study by Kirsch et al. looked for evidence of oxytocin involvement. Oxytocin is a "feel good" hormone and is often released during rhythmic rocking of the hips; that's why people like walking, running, dancing, and having sex. Kirsch et al. found that oxytocin not only reduces amygdala activation thereby mitigating fear, but that it also affects social cognition (Kirsch et al., 2005). Findings like this confirm what Rupert and his team have seen in their clients: movement helps learning. Specifically the movement of a horse in rhythm, which closely mimics pelvic rocking in the human gait. While most of the research has yet to make links to neural processes and equine-assisted therapy, and there is still lots more research that needs to be done and replicated before theories like these will come into the mainstream, the foundational bricks have been layed.
Even if the science supports the Horse Boy Method, it is unlikely to become a staple in education of Autistics if only for the simple reason that we can't put horses in every public school in the country. What is scalable, however, is the principles behind the Horse Boy Method. Some, like the authors of Teaching Children with Autism in the General Classroom, are already suggesting ways to create a more autism-friendly environment. By taking time to consider the sensory needs of each student, teachers provide more opportunities for success. Learning to recognize, process, and regulate emotions is something all children need to learn. Encouraging rather than suppressing stimming allows children to build proficiency in self-regulation. Another core idea of the Horse Boy Method is that of letting students explore and direct their own education. Students learn from teachers, but teachers can—and should—also learn from students. The Horse Boy Method is invaluable for the children and families that are able to work with Horse Boy practitioners around the country. For the rest of us, Horse Boy challenges us to think differently about the education of exceptional students. And this is something that will benefit ALL students.
All Education Schools. (n.d.). Special Education History in the U.S. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from http://www.alleducationschools.com/special-education/special-education-history/
Bellebaum, C., & Daum, I. (2007). Cerebellar involvement in executive control. The Cerebellum,6(3), 184-192. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
Burgess, R. (2016, April 5). Understanding the Spectrum. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from http://theoraah.tumblr.com/post/142300214156/understanding-the-spectrum
Faherty, C. (2014). Autism: What Does It Mean To Me? Future Horizons Inc.
Hocutt, A. M. (1996). Effectiveness of Special Education: Is Placement the Critical Factor? The Future of Children, (Spring 1996), 77-102. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from https://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/06_01_04.pdf
Kirsch, P., Esslinger, C., Chen, Q., Mier, D., Lis, S., Siddhanti, S., Gruppe, H., Mattay, V., Gallhofer, B., Meyer-Lindenberg, A. (2005). Oxytocin Modulates Neural Circuitry for Social Cognition and Fear in Humans. Journal of Neuroscience, 25 (49), 11489-11493.Our Story. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2017, from http://www.horseboyfoundation.org/our-story
Simpson, C. G., & Spencer, V. G. (Eds.). (2009). Teaching Children with Autism in the General Classroom: Strategies for Effective Inclusion and Instruction. Prufrock Press.
Spratt, E. G., Nicholas, J. S., Brady, K. T., Carpenter, L. A., Hatcher, C. R., Meekins, K. A., … Charles, J. M. (2012). Enhanced Cortisol Response to Stress in Children in Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(1), 75–81. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1214-0
The Lovaas Center. (n.d.). Dr. Ole Ivar Lovaas | Pioneer of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Retrieved February 20, 2017, from http://thelovaascenter.com/about-us/dr-ivar-lovaas/
Wright, K. (2001, Nov. & dec.). 20 Classroom Modifications for Students with Autism. Autism/Asperger Digest. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from http://tcsps.sharpschool.net/UserFiles/Servers/Server_981069/File/Migrated%20Documents/20_classrm_modifications_for_students_with_autism.pdf
Movement Method Training – Square Peg Ranch, Half Moon Bay
Movement Method Workshop May 20 and 21, 2017 – Square Peg Ranch
Who: For Parents, Teachers, Therapists and Caregivers
Why: To learn the science and the FUN of an effective method to reach kids with learning challenges such as ADD, ADHD, anxiety, ASD and more using humor, movement and Nature. The results will forever change the way you look at education.
Where: Square Peg Ranch
12150 San Mateo Road, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
When: Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21 10am to 3pm
at 4pm on May 20, we will demonstrate how to optimize Movement Method with a demonstration of Horse Boy™ Work
Cost: $250 includes lunch and a workbook both days (scholarships available – contact firstname.lastname@example.com for information)
Movement Method 1&2 – An Introduction
We train parents, teachers, caregivers and therapists in the methods effective for homeschooling, un-schooling and mainstream education.
The key is movement and the brain and the link between them. There is no dispute among neuro-scientists and educational psychologists that movement stimulates a child's brain.
This course teaches you WHY and HOW!
Are you a parent looking to find a way to get your child to learn joyfully? Are you a teacher who has run the gamut of traditional methods and still find that there is a population of kids that you just can't reach?
About the Instructor: Joell Dunlap, RBT is the founder and Executive Director Square Peg Ranch in Half Moon Bay, CA. Square Peg has been serving the "Square Pegs" – the kids who have trouble fitting in – in their community since 2004. In 2011, Joell began working with the groundbreaking methods developed by Rupert Isaacson at The HorseBoy™ in Texas. Rupert has developed Movement Method with the help of international universities and special learners worldwide. Square Peg Ranch is one the most active HorseBoy™ Programs in North America.
Spaces Spots are limited sign up here:
Questions? Email email@example.com


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Jimmy Smothers is sports editor emeritus of The Gadsden Times. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. His new book, "The Game," may be purchased at The Gadsden Times' customer service desk.
When he was in the National Guard, Kenyon B. "K.B." Johnson Jr. spent a lot of time at Camp Shelby, Miss. Now that he is deceased, his wide array of military weaponry has been sent there. Once the donation and preservation process is completed, the collection will go on display in the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum.
His widow, Wanda Johnson, said her husband decided to give the collection to Camp Shelby because that had been his favorite base. She said he joined the National Guard at age 17 and was in and out of the military for the next 43 years.
He retired with 26 years of active service, holding the rank of captain as the S3 officer of Headquarters Company, 131st Signal Battalion.
Glenn Husted, arms conservator for the museum, said, "When we get an offer of a donation, it is usually just a few guns. So when we went up to Rainbow City and saw what they had, we were really surprised. ... It wasn't just a gun donation, but also support material for the guns. There were also some swords."
Mrs. Johnson said, "When they saw the weapons, they were astounded, and after checking them over, they did not find one that was not authentic."
The museum employees spent the day going through the very large collection one gun at a time. They were in their work van and had the necessary equipment to record everything. They made the guns safe with trigger locks and put them in cases before loading the van for the return trip to Camp Shelby.
They selected 29 guns and 20 additional items, which is only a part of the collection.
"They didn't take any military weapons if they already had one like it," Mrs. Johnson said. "They also returned a Swiss sword when it was discovered it went with a gun that they didn't take."
Husted said the museum will accept guns like those already on exhibit if those guns can replace items they have on loan. That will allow the museum to return guns on loan to the owners and replace them with like weapons the museum owns.
Items from Johnson's collection that the museum didn't take have gone to his sons.
Mrs. Johnson plans to keep one small pistol from the collection that has a special meaning to her.
"He always kept it loaded and in a drawer of the bedside table," she said. "One night, my back was hurting me, and I slipped out of bed and was lying on the floor when he got up and went for a glass of water. He didn't turn the light on and returned to bed without seeing me at the foot of the bed.
"Well, when he lay down, his feet were sticking out from under the cover. I rose up real quiet like and grabbed one of his toes. He jerked the drawer open and I just knew he was going for the gun. I started yelling, 'It's me, it's me!'
"He told me later, 'It's a good thing you yelled. I would have shot soon as I could figure where to aim without hitting my toe.' I have no doubt but that he would have shot me."
The collection represents the largest donation of military arms in the museum's history, with items from six wars and spanning nearly 150 years of U.S. Army and Navy arms development, plus several foreign weapons. Husted said he is not allowed to estimate the worth, other than to say it is a very valuable collection.
Mrs. Johnson did not mention a dollar mark, either. But she admitted, jokingly perhaps, that her husband had more insurance on the guns than he did on her.
The donation was to the state of Mississippi in perpetuity for the permanent collection. And, being a state agency, the museum cannot buy, sell or trade exhibits as do private museums.
Husted spoke in awe about some of the most unusual weapons. One was a Starr M1858 double-action revolver .44 caliber cap & ball.
"The unique thing about this pistol is that in the Civil War, the vast majority of revolvers were single action that had to be cocked before shooting," he explained. "This gun can work either way. You can cock it or you can simply pull the trigger and discharge it. That was a very rare, state-of-the art weapon for that era.
"Another unusual gun was the Maynard conversion rifle, a Civil War conversion made to use percussion caps, just like kids once used in toy pistols. A roll of tape primer caps would be placed inside, and every time you cocked the hammer, it would advance the tape, putting an unused cap in place. This was a very unusual weapon."
Other weapons mentioned were a prized M1860 revolver chambered in .44 (cap and ball) with removable stock; a very rare U.S. Army M1840 artillery light saber used in the Mexican War with a scabbard, both in fine condition; and an 1816 Remington Maynard Conversion musket, cal. 69, with ramrod.
He also mentioned a German rifle, Czechoslovakian bayonet, Russian rifle and Japanese sword.
Husted said some of the items will go on display as soon as they are preserved, but the guns must be taken apart and everything inspected. That, plus the cleaning and preservation process, takes a long time — an average of 40 hours for the small weapons like pistols and much longer for the larger weapons. He estimated he faces two years of work just with this collection.
Mrs. Johnson said her husband's father also was a collector, and together the men acquired a lot more than guns and accessories. They had a collection of N-gauge Southern Railroad electric trains, set up on a board with a lighted miniature village, which they had built. It now is on display in the Birmingham area.
The walls of Johnson's living room are covered with a large mounted bass, plaques, various awards, certificates, medals and photos representing his military career, fun as a Shriner and other civic accomplishments. In the midst of all this is a nice photo of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. That might have been a surprise, but wasn't. When I arrived and punched the door bell, instead of ringing, it played "Dixie," anthem of the South.
The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum is in Building 850 at Camp Shelby, about 12 miles from Hattiesburg, the destination town. The museum is on base and is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. There is no admission charge.
The museum contains more than 17,000 artifacts and has exhibits both inside and outside the building.


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''Shah Rukh's secret dream & wish is to be an action star.'' disclosed Kajol.CHECK OUT: When Shah Rukh Khan made Kajol emotional & teary-eyed!
SRK agreed saying, ''Yes, I wanted all my life to be what her husband is, Ajay, I wanted to be ACTION JACKSON really, I am telling you. But, theek hai, main nahi ho saka''. Kajol quipped saying, ''You are love Jackson'' to which SRK approved, ''Yes, I am love Jackson.''
We couldn't agree any more Shah Rukh, you are the 'love Jackson'!
Stay updated with Bollywood on GLAMSHAM.COM's android app.Click here to INSTALL on your device.


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This fit and flare coat is the ultimate in luxury outerwear; the statement origami pleating adds structure whilst the cinched in waist and full skirt gives a flattering and feminine silhouette. Beautiful movement in the skirt will ensure you stand-out from the crowd this season.
The black version works perfectly as a day-to-night piece. The defined structure of the coat looks fabulous over dresses and skirts creating a look that's feminine and elegant.
Invest in the grey fur collar coat this season and you're guaranteed to stay warm and stylish. Team with your favourite work wear pieces; tailored black trousers compliment the long lean lines of the coat for a neat yet on-trend outfit.
A versatile wardrobe is what every woman wants! The sleek silhouette of this ivory coat contrasts perfectly with the detachable fur collar. Giving you a coat that can be dressed up or down in an instant.
The magnified dogtooth print is a contemporary twist on the classic style. The swing cut and bracelet sleeve creates a feminine and elegant look. The monochrome palette can be paired with your existing winter wardrobe adding a touch of glamour to everyday dressing.


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NORWALK, Conn. -- According to Maryann Croce, co-owner of Croce's Transmission Specialists, a Norwalk automotive repair shop, who says auto repair careers are just for guys?
Croce's career path is an unconventional one, and her start in the automotive industry was not something she'd envisioned at a young age. "As a young girl, I wanted to be a teacher or a nurse," said Croce. "Who knew years later I would be a woman in a male-dominated industry and co-own a transmission auto repair shop?"
Croce was raised by small-business entrepreneurs; her mother's family owned a local Italian restaurant and her father and grandfather were construction contractors. It was in seeing her family's hard work and dedication that Croce was convinced to open a small business of her own.
"I remember as a little girl, loving the smell of fresh cut lumber when spending time in my dad's workshop," said Croce. "I also have fond memories of folding pizza boxes and putting coins in the jukebox to listen to my favorite songs while visiting my grandfather. Even as a child I knew they were hard working and enjoyed helping others."
After meeting her husband, Tony, in high school, and completing her education, Maryann ultimately began a career in banking. Meanwhile, Tony had completed his automotive training in Denver, CO. and returned to Connecticut to take up work as an automotive technician. However, the couple both wanted to do more. After careful planning, the pair founded Croce Transmission Specialists in 1999 and hasn't looked in the rearview mirror since.
"I always knew I wanted to own a business," said Croce. "It was years later that I realized, what I really wanted was to make a difference. I wanted to empower people, especially women. I believe that comes from my desire to be part of something bigger, and the gratitude I have for all of the people who have inspired me."
Now, with nearly 20 years of success as a female owner in a male-dominated industry, Croce is encouraging women to try their hand in professions that seem against the norm. "I really am supportive of young women and recommend they pursue a career in the automotive field," said Croce.
"I speak at schools to help students make informed choices about prospects in the industry, and let young women and men know of the many opportunities the automotive field offers, from technician to marketing, customer service and management"
For more information about Croce Transmission Specialists and to see how they are "Taking The Fear Out Of Auto Repair," visit their website.


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Neymar to face ban for slapping and throwing a bottle of water at an opponent
Barcelona superstar, Neymar could get a devastating La Liga ban for slapping and throwing a bottle at Valencia defender, Antonio Barragan, reports in Spain say.
According to The Sun UK, Neymar slapped Valencia star, Antonio Barragan after Barcelona's loss on Sunday night at the Nou Camp and also threw a bottle of water at the defender in the tunnel — but missed — before shouting "shut up, I earn ten times more than you!"
The 24-year-old Brazilian captain interrupted Barragan and his travelling team-mates' full-time celebrations by raising his hands to the defender's face.
Barca lost 2-1 at home to record its third league defeat in a row — and fourth without a win.
Santi Mina scored just before the break to add to Ivan Rakitic's own-goal and plunge the Catalan club into further despair.
And Valencia's stars — who have climbed out of the relegation zone and now sit 12th in the table — joined together in celebration once the final whistle was blown.
Neymar, having failed to threaten the visitors all game, spoiled the party by sneaking up to the trio and butting in.
Barragan had to be held back by his team-mates to stop him confronting the Barcelona star. Referee David Fernandez Borbalan failed to see the slap but TV cameras picked it up.
Neymar served a four-game ban at the Copa America for kicking the ball at an opponent at the end of Brazil's 1-0 loss to Colombia in in June 2015.
Luis Enrique's side is now top of the table only on head-to-head results, with Atletico Madrid joint on 76 points and rivals Real one point behind both.
A suspension for Neymar would leave Barcelona in trouble with just five games to go, as they would need to replace their 21-goal forward.


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Sweet Potato Rolls
If you like it, save it!
Save and organize all of the stuff you love in one place.Got it!
If you like something…
Click the heart, it's called favoriting. Favorite the stuff you like.Got it!
Author Notes: I created this recipe because I am not really a fan of sweet potatoes! I don't like sweet things as part of the main meal so I avoid sweet potatoes for the most part. I don't dislike them exactly, I'd just rather they be in a pie than a side dish. This roll recipe uses sweet potatoes but in a decidedly savory way that is welcome at my table. —coconutlime
Serves: 10
cups all-purpose flour
cup roasted sweet potato, mashed
cup lukewarm water
cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
cup sugar
teaspoon salt
ounce yeast
eggs, at room temperature
- In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the water. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook combine the yeast, water, butter, sugar, egg and sweet potato. Add the flour and mix on low until smooth. The mixture should become a sticky dough at this time but it shouldn't feel damp or look wet. If it does, mix in a small amount of flour.
- Knead on a floured surface or in a stand mixer until smooth but still slightly sticky. Place the ball of dough in a buttered bowl. Cover with a tea towel or loose plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.
- Preheat oven to 350. Remove dough from bowl and break into 10 even pieces. Roll each into a ball. Place in two 9 inch round cake pans that have been lightly sprayed with nonstick baking spray, forming a circle with one roll in the middle. Allow to rise for 20 minutes (longer is okay too).
- Bake for 15 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove to a wire rack to cool for a minute then invert and pull apart to serve.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Dinner Rolls
More Great Recipes:


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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Artists & Stationary - Kate Wilson & Louise Cunningham
I discovered Kate Wilson's drawings the other day when she came by for a visit. I wanted to introduce some of her drawings as well as Louise Cunningham's who I came to know about through Kate's blog Little Doodles.
I totally laughed out loud when I saw it. It's so
cute and unexpected. I love the detail in the hair.
Almost looks noodles don't you think?
available on Hannah Zakari's website.
Louise Cunningham's beautiful illustrations. Louise
Louise Cunningham's art and items are available at her
Posted by Alkemie at 6:51 PM
Labels: Artists, Stationary
4 comments:
- M&Co said...
So cute that bird with that detailed hair! I have'nt seen Nelli with the blush before though ; Adorable!!
- January 17, 2008 at 11:06 PM
- Syana said...
oh dear! haha the bird with the wig is hilarious! LOVE IT.
"nelly uses berry juice as blusher" -> TOO CUTEEE + the bird is so chubby and squishy you feel like you want to poke it LOL
I'm gonna try to draw birds with wigs now...Maybe even try with other animals such as koala's, hippos, dodo's, kiwi birds etc. sould be fun hahah people are gonna think I'm crazyyyy
- January 18, 2008 at 8:58 AM
- Jennifer R. said...
these are soo beautiful!!!
Jen Ramos
'100% Recycled DESIGNER Cards'
- January 18, 2008 at 10:26 PM
- Washington Cube said...
All of those cards are charming. I love the berry blush on the bird. Also the Queen Anne's Lace.
- January 20, 2008 at 9:12 AM


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During the renovation of the McLean Community Center, The Alden will not have box office hours. Tickets are available online through our website and by phone through Ovatontix at 1-866-811-4111 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. A $2 convenience fee applies to phone orders. Tickets will also be available at the door of the venue where the show is taking place.
For questions and ADA accommodations, call 571-296-8385 or email Evelyn Hill at email@example.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
For Information: 571-296-8385
The Alden is located within the McLean Community Center at 1234 Ingleside Ave. McLean, VA 22101
Hours *
Thu & Fri
|4 - 8 p.m.
4 - 8 p.m.
12 - 4 p.m.*
*The Box Office is always open one hour prior to a ticketed performance.
Seating Capacity
The capacity of the Alden is limited to the number of available seats in accordance with Fairfax County fire regulations. Therefore, for your safety, parents may not hold children in their laps without providing a separate, purchased seat and a no standing room policy is strictly enforced.
The Alden box office does not accept reservations for any event. Tickets must be purchased in order for seats to be reserved.
Resident Discounts
Resident discounts are available at the box office, by mail order, by fax (703-790-3187), by phone (1-866-811-1111) or online (aldentheatre.org).
All patrons residing within the MCC tax district (Small District 1A-Dranesville) are eligible for discounts on all Alden-sponsored events. Identification may be requested at the time tickets are purchased so that we may verify residency. For online purchases, you must select the resident price from the drop down menu at check out. Refunds will not be issued for failing to select resident price.
Senior and Student Discounts
Available at the Box Office, by mail order, by fax 703-790-3187 or online for some shows.
Student and senior (60+) discounts are available. Proof of age or ID may be requested. Not available for all performances
Available at the box office, by mail order, fax, phone and online for purchase of 8 or more tickets to selected Alden-presented events. Enter promo code "Group8" online for discount. Group rates are not available for children's events.
Seating is available for those who use wheelchairs. Please email Patron Services Manager Evelyn Hill, email@example.com, or call the box office at 571-296-8385, to reserve this seating. A 48-hour notice is requested and appreciated.
Hearing Impaired
The Alden is equipped with an infrared audio system for those who are hearing impaired. It can be used with or without a hearing aid. Please inquire at the Box Office.
Cell Phone Use
In order to give our patrons the best experience possible, the use of smartphones or other electronic devices is strictly prohibited at The Alden. All devices must be turned off and stored by the beginning of the show and must remain off through the duration of the performance. Failure to do so may result in ejection from the theatre.
Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities and Other Special Needs
The Alden is fully ADA compliant and will make arrangements for reasonable accommodations. To ensure our ability to meet your needs, requests must be made no less than 14 working days prior to performance or activity you wish to attend.
Rows B, D, F and H in the orchestra section feature aisle seats with armrests that can be raised.
These tickets can be ordered both online and at the box office.
Ticket refunds
There are no refunds for any ticketed event at The Alden. The exception is for performances that have been cancelled. In that event you will be contacted by email or phone explaining how refunds will be processed. If you have any questions you can call the box office (571-296-8385). Refunds for the price difference will not be issued to residents who purchase without selecting the resident rate at checkout.
Box Office
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, checks, & cash.
By Phone
Call 1-866-811-4111 from 9am-9pm M-F or 10am-6pm Sat-Sun.
Click on the "Buy Tickets" button next to the event it will take you to OvationTix. Some rates may not be available. Please call the Alden Box Office (703-790-9223), if you require assistance. Residents must select the resident price from the drop down menu at checkout to receive the resident discount.
To contact the Alden:
Box Office Phone: 571-296-8385
Fax: 703-790-3187
Email the Patron Services Manager
* In order to give our patrons the best experience possible, the use of smartphones or other electronic devices is strictly prohibited at The Alden. All devices must be turned off and stored by the beginning of the show and must remain off through the duration of the performance. Failure to do so may result in ejection from the theatre.