Autism & Alpacas : A Partnership

Making Autism A Part of Our Alpaca Farm

2011-09-22T04:02:00.000-07:00

We were part of the Heldeberg Craft and Artisans Weekend and John was an involved participant in our two tours. We had about a dozen people come to see our demonstration of spinning, experience feeding the alpacas and browsing our store in the loft.

Our son who manages our business gave the tours, while John and I met the people who parked all over the steep road up Irish Hill with our spinning wheel under the canapy. John quickly adjusted to seeing people approach and was quite appropriate with introductions. Often we find that the more distractions there are with stressful situations, the less John feels the need to control. Our three grandchildren were an intrigate part of the day as well.

Noah rounded up the animals from the lower pasture. Ian kept the grain available for feeding and Mia showed our products to the customers upstairs.

The one side effect of the event was John's expectations that anyone else who drove in our driveway for the next few days would be a tour visitor. We expected that reaction and made sure that we were back "in routine" with no surprises.

All in all-a very good part of alpacanautism.

Anxiety with our Snowblower

2010-01-21T04:32:00.000-08:00

We have had a snowy winter this year. Alpacas do not venture out through the snow drifts which necessitates clearing walk ways with the snow blower. After four winters of heavy use our machine needed some new parts. Transporting it in our pickup truck involves using a ramp or some other means of lifting it to the bed of the truck. Not an easy task when you are in your mid-60's like us. Instead, we hook up our alpaca transport trailer, lower the ramp and head to the hardware store.

John gets anxious when we start the logistics of backing the truck up to the trailer. It often involves several attempts and much vocalizing, which heightens his state of mind. Having him with the animals when we attempt this feat has proven to be the answer. Alpacas react to changes in their immediate surroundings and the trailer is parked at their gate for easy access. Consequently, they are very interested in this and their interest matches John's. When we finally get the snowblower loaded, we instruct John to tell the "girls" that they are not going for a ride today.

Yesterday we returned the snowblower, held our breath as we started it up, then went to work. All these little operations on the farm end up being great activity for adapting to our worries and fears. John thoroughly enjoyed the day. Another blessing of the alpaca and autism partnership.

Cheap hay feeder

2009-03-27T03:42:00.000-07:00

With the economy in a downturn, we are faced with the decision of either buying cheaper quality hay or finding a way to waste less of it. Alpaca Shack's Sooleana goes to the wheel barrow and scoops the hay out with her nose in order to eat the chaff. There are hay feeders that are on the market which eliminate this problem, but they seem expensive.

This Spring I came across the excess flexible fencing that we use to divide our pastures. I have used it to sort fleece after shearing and find it easy to eliminate sharp ends by trimming it with wire cutters. Using three plastic ties, any size trimmed piece of flexible fencing can be attached to a fence. I attach it at each top corner and I use one tie in the middle of the bottom.

It can be fashioned to hold as much hay as you need. Another plus is that the hay easily dries out after wet weather. The stalks that remain are removed from the bottom and put out for mulching. The feeders accomodate alpacas on both sides of the feeder and can be quickly moved.

No more hay on the ground! Voila!

Holiday Respite

2009-01-16T04:42:00.000-08:00

Holidays are very difficult for people with autism. Over stimulation and disruption of routines makes for much stress. John uses the barn and the alpacas as a form of respite. When he needs to relax, he heads to the animals.

We do the chores in the cold weather as quickly as we can. But, with proper clothing: long underwear and flannel lined jeans, he often asks to do more and stay longer. If the wind is blowing, the animals seek shelter. Their ears are especially vulnerable to frost bite. They wait by the gate for John to hand over some fresh hay and chaff. We often feed ahead for cold temperatures. January has been brutal here this year. Normally we would only offer grain in the evening, but this month we have supplemented with additional grain in the morning.

But, the high light of the day for our herd is the very warm water that comes both at the break of day and early afternoon. Our seven females drink down two five gallon pails in no time. We are amazed that often the pails in the barn do not freeze. We keep two heated pails for the very lowest of temperatures, but seldom use them.

With our tractor to scoop and clear the snow and our trusty old snowblower, we're as snug as a bug in a rug. The alpaca barn is welcoming and relaxing after a hectic holiday season.

National Alpaca Farm Days

2008-10-03T04:34:00.000-07:00

Here on Irish Hill, it is difficult to attract visitors to the publicized National Alpaca Farm Days. This year we posted signs in three places in order to encourage new comers to keep driving up to the top of our steep mountain. The weather was uncooperative as well; we had periods of rain.

For John, all these changes in our daily schedule are challenges. But, we find that when there is no schedule at all with many distractions, he copes quite well. (This only works for one day or two. If continued, there is bound to be a melt down.) Having the three grandchildren involved in the presentation of the fiber, yarn, and finished knitted products was very helpful. John became a part of their group as we arranged everything under a small tent canopy.

Our first visitors were an older couple who lived in town. John had met them earlier in the week, so it was easy to assimilate them into the day's festivities. They returned later in the day with their grandson. When things seemed to slow down, we made a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Our other set of visitors included a one year old darling child, Izzy. For John, young children and their unpredictability produce stress. He chose to remain down by the fire with his older nephews rather than interact with Izzy. We have come to respect his choices in these matters, and were pleased when he came to say good-bye with the grandchildren.

Our animals, the center-stage stars of the day, were very cooperative in sampling the grain and allowing a few pettings. Kitchi, the newest cria, was apprehensive and skittish. We resisted the impulse to pick him up and bring him to the visitors. Our policy at Alpaca Shack is to create trusting alpacas by only handling them in their catch pen. It has proven to create a much less stressful existence. For sure, the stress of these functions is the hardest for our son. But, there is no doubt that these kind of experiences result in more self-control and self-confidence. The National Alpaca Farm Day, if for no other reason that that, was a success.

Shearing the Crias

2008-09-04T04:03:00.000-07:00

Last year Alpaca Shack's Sooleana did not get sheared before the winter. Her gray fleece was the finest of the herd, but I was unable to enter it in fleece contests: the ends of alpaca fleece are hooked and they collect all kinds of debris. So when Kitchi was born in late August, there was no debate about shearing him.

Both Kitchi and Sokanon met the shearer on Tuesday afternoon. One of the risks of shearing a nursing cria is that the mother will reject her newborn. Sokanon, who is fifty pounds at two months, would probably do okay, but little Kitchi was a worry. We kept the mothers in the pen while we sheared and watched before releasing them out to the herd. Both Irish Rose and Alameda accepted their crias, even though Alameda had long since given charge of Sokanon to her sister, Sooleana.

We, except for John, find this chore quite stressful. He delights in every part of the procedure: the tying of the legs, the bagging of the fleece, the finishing touches with scissors-even the clean up.

You can't help but laugh at the finished product-a gangly, skinny, long-necked critter-looking for his Mom!

FINALLY A BOY!

2008-08-26T03:57:00.000-07:00

Our first four crias were girls. Last week, Danko's Irish Rose presented Alpaca Shack with a beautiful, light brown boy named Alpaca Shack's Kitchi. There was no anticipation the day that he arrived: we were sure that all the alpacas were on the lower pasture. You can imagine our reaction when the little guy appeared on the runway!

Our pen area is set up so that the males can be separate from the females. Our gelding, Kaboom, has had his own "digs" for over a year since we lost Vitanza, a white gelding, to a gastrointestinal problem. Kaboom has since been intergrated into the group of females and crias-much more satisfactory for him. But, if Kitchi grows into a desireable male for breeding, we'll be ready to accomodate that by separating him with good ol' Kaboom.

John has called our new white cria "the lamb" and he calls Kitchi "the doggie". They seem completely at ease with his loud voice and noises. Although the grandchildren seem to make a similar ruckus, the herd definitely is more wary of their advances. John begs to "stay and watch them". It is not uncommon for him to stand with them calling out updates on who is making a mess or needs a haircut for over an hour. Pure enjoyment.

Visitors at the Farm

2008-08-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

This summer has been filled with people visiting our alpacas. John struggles most with the introduction of new people at Alpaca Shack. Once we have introduced him and he shakes hands, the new comers are more than welcome. Smiling broadly, he takes them to see our new cria, Sokanon and the other five alpacas.

We were honored to have a family originally from Iraq, now relocated in Michigan, come to see the alpacas. Also, our close friend, Beth, from Vermont, spent a couple of days with her two neices and her nephew.

But the most enthusiastic visitor, by far, was John's cousin from Hamlin, New York. Taylor is eleven years old, and she spent all of her time out in the pen with the animals. It was love at first sight. Eagerly grabbing the rake, she head down to the pasture to clean poop!

Having visitors helps the alpacas adjust to new people. This is especially important as we make plans to enter our yearlings in the Empire Extravaganza in Syracuse this fall. It also gives John a chance to practice his socializing skills. We see progress in all areas in both cases!

Halter Training

2008-07-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

Working with the alpacas is a wonderful experience for children. John's nephews are nine and ten years old and anxious to try their hand at teaching the yearlings, Sooleana and Kimi, to walk on a lead. This two-week vacation is the perfect time to begin this process.

Ian and John waited in the barn holding the halter and lead, while I held Sooleana by the back of the neck. When she was calm, Ian brought the lead to the pen. I explained to him that having the halter pass over the nose would make her nervous, because she will be afraid that she can't breathe. Ian's reply: "I'm nervous too, Grandma."

Sooleana was calm, and soon she was standing haltered while Ian held the long lead. John often interprets these sessions as "shot times" for the animals, and he wanted it to be over. But having Ian involved distracted him.

Ian was able to lead the gray alpaca by using short signals on the rope. We could see that she was attentive to what he was asking her to do. He used grain to reward her as she returned to the barn.

Sooleana's mother, Alameda, is away at a neighboring farm for breeding, and it was obvious that she is lonely. She buried her head in Ian's shoulder and neck as I unbuckled the halter. Ian later told his Dad that she is "a tickling alpaca": a wonderful memory for us all.

New Girl At Alpaca Shack

2008-06-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

Friday morning, Bob came back from checking on the alpacas and reported that Patagonia's Alameda was acting like she was going to give birth. Our three grandchildren, aged ten, nine and four were staying with us, so we positioned them at John's bedroom window for the show.

It took fifteen minutes for Alameda to produce a pure white cria: her fifth . Last year, John thought the new crias were dogs, but this year he calls her a lamb-and much like a lamb she is-sporting full fluffy fleece, a pink nose and eyelids.

Alpacas give birth standing up. The grandchildren were amazed when the new cria's head and front legs appeared. She was wiggling her ears and shaking her head as the herd followed Alameda in anticipation. For a quick moment, she laid down, then standing, she gathered her strength and dropped Alpaca Shack's Sokanon in a wet, muddy puddle.

John did his usual chores, but kept a close eye on the newcomer, as Alameda and the others cleaned their new member from head to toe. This year he was obviously an experienced alpaca owner.

Fire on the Hill!!!

2008-06-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

Alpaca Shack is located at the top of Irish Hill here in Berne. We are surrounded by the woods. This has been an especially dry Spring in the Northeast, and we have had burn bans most of the month of May. It has been lifted in the last week.

Friday afternoon, our 78-year-old cousin, Ida Mae, burst into the living room shouting "Pam, you've got to call the Fire Department!" John and I were lettering some placards to hang out in the barn. I dropped the paint and immediately called 911. John did not display his usual fretting and sputtering but seemed frozen.

It wasn't until Ida Mae headed out to her car to flag down the fire trucks screaming up the hill that he reacted. He just wanted to close the door and go back to our work. He was not happy standing on the porch as we tried to access how the fire fighters were faring. He was biting his finger and swearing when the tanker came up the hill to turn around in our driveway. With a blow of the horn, the behavior disappeared and John focused on the firemen's voices over the hill. The concrete firetruck as both a distraction and fulfillment of all the vocabulary that John was trying to understand changed the panic response immediately.

The little fire in the pit that jumped to the lumber pile and spread to the trees was extinquished by our wonderful volunteer firemen. We were beyond thankful.

Invasion of Space at Alpaca Shack

2008-05-18T03:35:00.001-07:00

John struggles with the invasion of space. When someone comes to the farm, his reaction is almost always negative. It quickly changes once the person makes contact and speaks to him directly. We have found that the more people around him, the easier it is for an addition to the group.

Yesterday was filled with all sorts of activity. John's nephews, Noah and Ian, were with their father for the weekend. They helped unload hay and were waiting to go for a bike ride with Matt, their Dad, when our vet arrived. John was aware that she was due, but he still sputtered and told her to "Go home".

Once she greeted him, he settled down. Dr Diane checked Patagonia's Alameda who is due in late June, gave her the CDT shot to help the cria's immune system, and announced that her last cria, Alpaca Shack's Sooleana was very healthy.

Kaboom, our gelding, is perhaps not totally gelded. She took a blood sample from him in order to ascertain his testosterone level. We are hoping he will be our "test male" for the females. Alpacas are induced ovulators and show receptivity to a male.

John interacted appropriately and warmly as we made arrangements for Dr Diane's next visit to innoculate Danko's Irish Rose. Once John is acknowledged by a visitor, he becomes very compliant. We are hoping that he can overcome this first negative response with more experiences.

FIRST SHEARING DAY AT ALPACA SHACK

2008-05-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was the day that John and Patty arrived to shear our alpacas. We had spent most of the morning preparing our animals: haltering and vacumning. John was ready for "hair cuts".

Each animal was brought to the mat, stretched on the stretcher and sheared. John followed the bags around as we sorted the prime blanket, seconds and garbage fiber. Each time one alpaca was led back to the pen, he shouted "More!"

There is a rhythm to the procedure as John and Patty exchange clippers to prevent overheating. Patty is invaluable in pointing out areas that need clipping, alerting John to potential problems and trimming around the feet. Our John would echo their voices as they called out "Watch your clippers!" "Switch" "Easy, easy, easy" What we thought might be stressful for John turned out to be exactly the opposite.

At the end of the day, we carried our twenty pounds of fiber into the loft-grateful that we could provide our son with this wonderful lifestyle.

The Lure of Spring Grass

2008-05-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

John has had plenty to do this Spring as another pasture area was added to the farm. Drilling post holes, stringing six foot no-climb fence, and discing the new ground have filled April with lots of new experiences and added responsibility.

With the men working the lowest pasture, it became our duty to handle all the pen cleaning and feeding chores. Yesterday I was in Kaboom's pen-the men were hanging the gate. John was over with the "girls" who are anxious to graze the new, green grass that is currently unavailable due to the wet conditions.

Suddenly John started sputtering and he became quite upset. I looked up to see Princess Nomian and Danko's Irish Rose slipping through the fence in the barn... Patagonia's Alameda was on their heels. Fortunately I was able to divert her, but the two others manuvered around all the barriers I had purposely placed in the doorway, right past our shih tzu, Bootsie, to the green grass up by our motorhome.

John's reaction became more intense when I called down to the men for help. (Those "girls" completely ignored the dish of grain I was offering them-they were totally engrossed in that green grass. ) Although he was yelling at the top of his lungs, he remained in the pen with the other alpacas; they were just as upset as he!

With Bob's help herding the two "mavericks" around the perimeter, I was able to open an outside gate and keep Kaboom busy at the top of his pen-(Kaboom was very interested in that dish of grain! ) They came running in, but now we had two females in Kaboom's pen! When I opened the adjoining gate, the remaining "girls" rushed to roll in Kaboom's shed of dry B's !!!

We were back in the routine....the "girls" got their roll and went back across to their area. John went back to filling the hay wagon.... but, the lure of spring grass is ever-present.

Accepting the Halter

2008-04-09T04:38:00.000-07:00

Kimi was introduced to the halter today. In her usual curious fashion, she sniffed the halter before I put it on her. I could feel her tense as I slid it up over her nose, but once it was secure and high she relaxed. Using a feed dish filled with chaff to reward her efforts, I tugged on the rope. We hook the lead rope to the side of the halter, which helps with the lesson. With a tug on the side of her head, Kimi needs to readjust her balance and consequently does just what we are hoping: takes a step. I was able to lead her through a gate and around back to the pen. At times, she pulled back on the rope, but the chaff was too enticing. The hardest part of this day's lesson was removing the halter. As I reestablished contact with her neck, she reared up on her back legs. I backed away to allow her to calm down, then made a second attempt to unbuckle the halter. This time she complied. I held her after the halter dropped and stroked her head. Releasing her when I am ready is quite important in establishing who is in control. But the best surprise of all was when she allowed me to stroke her neck in the barn as she was with the others eating hay.

Kimi's First Halter Lesson

2008-04-07T03:51:00.000-07:00

Spring is the time we halter train our crias. We use Marty McGee Bennett's instructions to accustom Kimi and Sooleana to accepting our touch with the least amount of stress.

John and I were working in the pen over the weekend when we had the opportunity to enclose Kimi. She had already allowed us to stroke her head, neck and top of the nose while she was eating chaff in the barn, but when I encircled her neck with the soft rope, she panicked. She raised her front feet and pulled back wild-eyed.

Keeping contact with the rope, I stepped back as far as I could to give her time to calm down. Within minutes, I was able to approach her and rub her head and neck with small circular strokes-raccoon strokes according to Marty. As her ears came forward and she relaxed, I held her jaw and tapped her smooth upper dental pad between her front lips. Just as Marty predicted, she found it very pleasant.

I then backed up to see how she would react to her attachment. She walked over to John and put her nose in his chest as if asking for help. She did not seem upset, just anxious to join her mother and the herd.

Quite pleased with her reaction to this new experience, we ended Kimi's first lesson with being haltered.

Meeting potential alpaca owners

2008-03-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

After publishing an ad in a small newspaper, we were contacted by a woman interested in our fiber. She wanted it for felting. We were very surprised when she and her husband revealed the following morning that they were considering buying some alpacas. This was a perfect opportunity for Bob, John, and I to share some of the rewards of this lifestyle.

We talked at length about their specific situation. In these uncertain economic times, we cautioned them to make a business plan and allow for unexpected expenses. John was included in all of the activities. We introduced them to our herd and discussed the benefits of living with and caring for these wonderful animals. They could see John's self-confidence and enjoyment throughout the entire morning.

We have not had the opportunity to interact with prospective owners. We didn't realize how much we had learned about this industry in the past two years. As they loaded their fiber into the car, it was apparent that we would be seeing more of this young couple. Plus, we now have a fiber customer! Hooray!

A Ribbon in the EAA Spin-Off!

2008-03-13T03:14:00.000-07:00

What a thrill! We opened the mail yesterday to see a beautiful red ribbon for the fleece we entered in the Spin-Off held at Saratoga, New York by our Empire Alpaca Association. Our yearling, Princess Nomian, has wonderful fawn-colored, soft, silky fiber. The judge who spun our
bag of fleece rated its quality and returned a small sample of the yarn.

This was especially informative to me, because John just loves to help with the spinning as we sit by the television after dinner and the keyboard. Yes, we have a new addition to our routine. I have been practicing carding the fleece and mixing some different colors.

John likes the dog brushes we use for carding and picks out the fleece from our pillowcases. As of this morning, all of Alameda's fleece has been spun! Each skein looks better. There is no doubt that we will market Princess Nomian's fleece as ribbon winning !

And Away We Go!!!

2008-02-29T02:38:00.000-08:00

While working in the pen last week, Bob inadverdently left a gate slightly ajar. It is not common for the alpacas to leave their hay, but it was about the time for them to cross over and take a roll in Kaboom's dusty shed. Alameda in her excitement headed the wrong way.....out between the house and barn with Irish Rose, Princess Nomian, Sooleana and Kimi on her heels!!! All it took was one loud "Hey!" to send them galloping down the main road and out of sight.

John was standing by the doorway as his father rushed past him. I opened the entry gate wide and coaxed him to move over to the other side of the barn. His steps were like a frozen robot. His grip on my arm and the look in his eyes signaled panic.

Matt, our manager and John's second oldest brother, happened to be at the farm that afternoon. He walked quickly to the rescue. Grabbing some grain, I joined the pursuit.

Suddenly, the top of Matt's head appeared. All five alpacas passed him running right at me!!!! They needed no urging. They passed me in the driveway, entered the barn and went straight to the entry gate and into their pen. Not even the Tourette Syndrome outbursts from the other side of the barn could deter them from their destination.

Just a soft "Come on" had prompted the about-face, Matt later recounted.

Fiber and the Spin of the Wheel

2008-02-15T03:26:00.000-08:00

Fiber preparation is a new venture for Alpaca Shack. We have bags of raw fiber that were shorn from our animals last May. We store it in our cedar hope chest and during the winter afternoons, we begin the preparation of this beautiful fleece.

John and I each have a container: his fleece is separated for spinning, while I put other clean, crimped locks aside to either sell as raw fiber, or to give to the buyer of the alpaca to whom it belongs.

Last week I took a spinning course in an attempt to learn more about working with this precious commodity. John was immediately intrigued with the rented spinning wheel. Beginners spinners are advised to start with sheep's wool which is not as fine or slippery as the alpaca. There is no oil in alpaca fleece and the length of the fiber (the staple) is shorter-a more difficult spin. Even with sheep's wool, it takes much practice.

The afternoons fly by as we alternate between sorting and spinning. I am amazed how much John enjoys filling his bags with the wispy tufts of alpaca. And I know it won't be long before he will ask to have a try at those enticing pedals!

Alpaca's Routine

2008-01-31T03:17:00.000-08:00

The alpacas have a routine to their days that seldom varies. Every morning during the cold weather, they begin with a bucket of warm water, followed by their allotment of grain which is carefully measured out in yogurt cups. A breeding female receives a little more than one cupful in the morning as a way of supplementing the nutrients that are not available in the hay. We separate our girls so that we can monitor the amount of grain each animal eats.

Shortly thereafter, John arrives at the barn to deliver the hay. The animals leave the barn at this time while he helps with the daily cleaning. But, they are quick to return when he starts to give them chaff. They have learned to watch him and jostle to be in the right spot as he nears the gate.

After a lunch and errand run, we return to the barn for the afternoon portion of the day. When the "girls" hear the tractor's engine, they know that it won't be long before they are allowed to cross the gate into Kaboom's area to go roll in the b's (a fine stone dust) in his shed. John helps form a human gate to prevent the females and their crias from encroaching upon Kaboom, who is eating from his hay basket. There have been days when the little ones: Kimi and Sooleana, get frisky and try to stay and play instead of following their mothers out of the upper gate. This often energizes the entire group and they run around jumping and kicking in glee.

We can count on the females to use the poop pile around 2:45. This is helpful for fecal collections. They line up and take turns: mothers and crias ahead of our lone maiden female, Princess Nomian. John holds the bags to label and store for delivery to our vet. A good deworming program is important for healthy animals.

This time of year, our second grain feeding comes before dark. We often serve another pail of warm water too. As we head to the house, it's not surprising to see the alpacas "pronking" in preparation for the cold night. Pronking is a sort of pogo-stick- like jump that they do in order to warm their bodies.

Often in the light of the full moon, we can see the mothers and their crias lying outside...each facing a different direction while they chew their cuds: a peaceful ending to a very satisfying, routine day.

Adjusting to Change

2008-01-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Having a routine is important in an autistic person's life, but life is about change. We find that with the routine chores John does every day, he is always learning to cope with changes.

Today while cleaning the outside pen, Kimi came up and allowed him to pet her....a first for them both.

After their afternoon roll in the fine sandstone, the females started jumping and running. All five ran down beside the gate where John stood alone. He turned his back to them, held tightly with a grimace on his face, anticipating some contact. They jostled each other and raced by.

When the temperatures are low, we spend less time in the barn in the morning. Some days we work until lunch. On Sundays, chores are finished after church. When the snow is deep, we are apt to spend all afternoon snowblowing the pen. Other afternoons are spent sorting the fiber. All within a general schedule, but never an exact duplicate of the previous day.

John has become less anxious about these changes. As we transition, he often remarks, "Alpacas want to come too." Knowing that we'll be back later makes it so much easier.

Language Development Via Alpacas

2008-01-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

What is it about alpacas that elicits such a barrage of sentences from John? These gentle creatures are constantly interacting and socializing in
their herd. They create concrete visual pictures.

He is quick to recognize that Princess Nomian has been moved back from the wagon due to just a head gesture from her mother. She
stands frozen with her ears pulled back waiting for a chance to move to a differnt spot at the hay. Immediately John calls out "Alpaca sad!"

As they run and jump around the pen at the end of the day (this is called "pronking"- an activity thought to warm their bodies in order to withstand the cold temperatures of the night)-he cautions them to
"Watch out for Johnny!" "Don't push me!"

A cria begging her mother for milk, Kaboom spitting Irish Rose away
from his wheel barrow of hay, or worst of all (from John's point of view)
a cria using the barn floor for a poop pile, are invaluable motivations to use language.

This spontanity and excitement that he exhibits is not easy to duplicate
elsewhere. The alpacas allow us to expand and increase this important
aspect of his development without tedious repetitions and meaningless
exercises.

Alpacas Can Increase Attention Span

2007-12-27T04:15:00.000-08:00

When John was young, he was involved in an individualized music therapy program which improved both language development and attention span. Playing the drum just a bit longer than he wanted, did
indeed, increase the amount of time he could attend to tasks.

We have been able to implement these same principles to our chores
with the alpacas. We now own six animals, and the daily routine of
haying is the perfect activity to achieve this objective. Each alpaca consumes about a sheaf of hay a day or one bale a week. We use plastic baskets to carry this out through the pen.

Irish Rose and Alameda, the breeding females, assert their dominance
in the herd and place themselves at the front of the wagon. The six month-old crias, Sooleana and Kimi, burrow under the brood mare
quality hay to suck up the precious chaffe. Princess Nomian and Kaboom are left to fend for themselves. John can immediately
recognize his importance in this endeavor and finds it very rewarding.

Raking up the fallen hay, however, is not as much fun. We fill a wheelbarrow and take it to the tractor's bucket. Knowing that we are almost ready for our "break", I ask for just one more trip. We have
been able to add more time to this chore very gradually, and our progress is not always consistent. But, the trip to the fast food drive thru
for lunch has never failed to motivate!

Self-Confidence in the Snowstorm

2007-12-21T03:09:00.000-08:00

As we were snowblowing the foot of snow in the alpaca pen yesterday, I was watching John among the animals. He made his way from the barn door to the gate in order to see his father clearing paths to the "poop pile". The females backed away allowing him just enough room to squeeze up front. They mull around slowly, which is important for our son. He is startled by quick movement and has trouble perceiving the nearness of moving objects.

Alpacas have designated areas for their manure. As soon as the area was cleared, Irish Rose led the parade of females to that part of the pen. Using the fence system, John confidently carried his shovel to help with his job of "bean clean-up". He enjoys dumping the scrapings into the large, blue tub we pull behind us.

Focusing on the tasks at hand, he shows none of his usual concerns: fear of the slippery footing
or open space. This takes more than an hour....an hour of exercise and fresh air. All tangible, concrete activities that build self-confidence!

Christmas Stressors

2007-12-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is full of extra stressors in an autistic person's life. Words like "going to", "wait", "can't" seem to be popping up constantly. John can immediately sense our concern about the amount of time we have left before the 25th. As it is, he needs at least fifteen minutes to understand and accept an unexpected itinerary for the upcoming day!

So this "Christmas talk" begins to build anxiety instead of expectancy. The alpacas are our pressure value here at Alpaca Shack.

As we begin the day with a "to-do" list in hand and a preoccupied demeanor, John is ready to blow. Ticing and shouting unacceptable words (Tourette's Syndrome characteristics), we head arm and arm out to our alpacas. Distraction is key to defusing these types of situations. The more we react to his behavior, the more it escalates. With verbal cues, John enters the pen. I am always amazed at the immediate change that comes over our son in these events. Within seconds I can hear the softness in his voice as he starts to interact with Alameda, one of our out-going females.

Once into the morning's routine, John navigates the entire day-completed by lunch with our 90 year old uncle.

The Time of Day is Important

2007-12-10T03:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we did the deworming procedure again. Because we have no studs, we do fecal exams immediately after our breeding females return to Alpaca Shack. This exam revealed tape worms: a parasite which C. Norman Evans, D.V.M in his Alpaca Field Manual ,describes as "more upsetting to the owner than the animal". He recommends a three-day deworming program.

John totally enjoyed the often comical production of squirting the thick white paste into each animal's mouth; a completely different reaction from the previous day. He was out in the pen with "the girls" while his brother gave a dose to our gelding, Kaboom, showing none of the negativity of the previous night.

I am convinced that this is directly related to the time of day. John is less able to handle
unexpected situations as the day progresses. He is much more comfortable coping with stimulation in the morning and being able to choose his degree of involvement in the afternoon.

Often our days are culminated with a visit from our farm neighbors down the road. We sit around the kitchen table and discuss upcoming weather predictions and such. As the day winds down, John welcomes the predictable: dinner, an hour of musical duets on the keyboard, and a bag of popcorn with his Dad before heading to bed.

HANDLING THE DEWORMING ORDEAL

2007-12-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

SETTING THE TONE
We have discovered that often setting the tone is invaluable in the success of John's activities. Often pointing out how much he enjoys certain aspects of an activity changes his whole attitude.

When the atmosphere is positive and upbeat, we can count on our son to also mimic the mood. John seems to personalize most of his experiences...even if something isn't directly affecting him. He mirrors the tone of the situation. We parents are not so even tempered that each day is a happy easy-going series of events. But the alpacas have very few disturbances in their daily routine. Prefacing the day with references to the alpacas and their anticipation of our arrival at the barn definitely sets us off on the right foot. "Here comes Johnny!" we call out, as we make our way to the wheelbarrow and broom.

However, this afternoon the alpacas need deworming medicine. John often feels nervous about the interaction of his father and older brother handling these necessary procedures. Does he identify with his animals to the point of thinking that he, too, is going to be dewormed? I wouldn't be surprised.

Late in the day, when tolerance for any irregularities in John's schedule is at its lowest, is usually when these activities are scheduled. It is quite obvious by John's behavior: asking his brother to leave and hugging him, that he is not up to this today. We remain in the house and distract his anxiety with the preparation of dinner. Once the ordeal is over, we are back to our usual routine.

Obsessive Compulsive Issues

2007-12-05T02:49:00.000-08:00

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR
Obsessive compulsive behavior haunts John constantly. When we have a very specific routine, the circle gets tighter each day and begins to strangle the opportunities of new experiences. Having some general specifics helps John feel secure and yet gives us lots of wiggle room to add new turns in his journey. After the shave, shower and breakfast part of the morning, we go outside to start chores.
John is obsessive about keeping the barn clean. Using his Shop Vac, he sucks up every bit of hay, dirt, or twine around the pen that provides shelter for the "girls". The alpacas have become accustomed to this and show no reaction to the machine as it rolls over the concrete floor and bangs against their gate. He brings his rake out with the alpacas and gathers the falling hay in the pen. If there is snow, he cleans the roof of the sheds. So many ways to be constructive and yet satisfy these urges. He expects that we follow a routine: filling the hay baskets, filling the hay bags, refilling the hay wagons, sweeping the outside pen, the inside pen, and finally the barn floor outside the pen! Closing the pen gate is an absolute necessity to John and it sure helps when we are in a hurry and rushing around and forget!

Getting things underway!!

2007-12-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

We're excited to begin to share the wonderful experience we've had with our autistic son, John, and the way his life has been touched by these amazing animals.

We were first introduced to these animals when John, our son of 33 years, was given two llamas to feed in his community- based program at Lamoille High School in Morrisville, Vermont. His contact with the animals produced immediate changes in his anxiety level and feelings of self-worth.
Alpacas are smaller than llamas, and for that reason, we chose a pair of geldings as pets, when we moved to New York State and began our farm: Alpaca Shack. The quiet atmosphere of the alpaca barn with only the sound of munching hay and low volume humming allowed our son to find his self-esteem, dignity and security,but more important-real meaning.
Our days begin and end with alpacas. The focus in the morning is to get to the alpacas....they are waiting for us.
This is a journal of John's life with these mystical animals: alpacas. Hopefully, strategies used and observations and deductions can help other caregivers to enrich the lives of their loved ones.