Going Home

On the way down to Orlando, we had driven all night- not a fun way to travel- so we decided to get some sleep and leave really early i the morning. We left the condo around 3:30am and besides a pretty nasty storm as we passed Atlanta, we had a pretty uneventful trip home, arriving by 6:30 pm. Our dogs were so happy to see us- they both just hung around Eric for days! ASA was a great conference, we enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people and spending time with dear friends. We are looking forward to MAAP and NATTAP later this fall when we can get together again!

The Final Day

On Saturday we went to hear Temple Grandin’s keynote and then spent time playing in the exhibit hall- especially the kids in the big bouncy house. Jamie went ‘trick or treating’- collecting freebies from the booths. She really liked the silly putty, google socks and earth balls.  The kids helped pack up AAPC and we said goodbye to friends then it was back to the condo and swimming. Jamie mentioned wanting to take a helicopter ride so she and I took a short trip over DowntownDisney- it was really cool to fly over the Gaylord resort- it gave a clear view of just how huge that place is!  We also stoppedi for alittle shopping- her new favorite pasttime!

Presenting and Playing

Friday was when we presented. Jamie and Jordan spent the morning in the incredible pool at the Gaylord Palms Resort- the conference home- with a new friend. Then they met Eric and Craig at the sushi bar that became the family favorite spot to meet.  Our presentation went pretty smoothly , I really enjoy presenting as a family- its never the same twice and I gain insight into the others as they speak. Jamie had found a really cool booth in the exhibit hall- they sold fuzzy soft socks- three at a time and all three didn’t match- perfect for our presentation “Socks Don’t Matter” so she got a set and wore them (without shoes!) while she presented! It was perfect!!

The Conference Begins!

Jen here, taking over the blog. Thursday the conference got into full swing- we attended a few sessions and had a great time in the exhibit hall- that’s the kids’ favorite place at conferences! Cameron continued to make friends and collect emails/phone numbers (he’s famous for that in our family!) Jordan was excited to see the book he reviewed for AAPC arrive. It’s called ‘The Chameleon Kid.” I love seeing my friends from around the country- they really inspire me- and besides, they are alot of fun!! Tomorrow we present, its alot less stressful this year (last year was our first time), especially since we just did our family presentation the previous month in Louisville, so there wasn’t much to do to get it ready. We got to attend the AAPC reception that night. Keith and Brenda Myles are the best! Then it was back to our condo and the kids hit the pool.

ASA Day Two- Meeting up with Friends…

One of the great things that we get to do at ASA is to meet up with some friends. ASA attracts a few of our favorite people in the whole wide world. Here are some of the great people that we got to say “hi” to:

(Eric:) Jill and Simon from OCALI- Fun to laugh with you guys about driving 15 hours! You guys are the best!

(Eric and Jen:) Keith and Brenda Myles from AAPC and from EVERYWHERE in the autism world. Come to think of it…EVERYONE at AAPC is cool and we get to see most everyone from there. Just look up “nice people” in the dictionary. Their picture is there!

Keith with Craig, Jamie and Jordan

(Eric:)Barry Grossman and Ruth Aspy from the Ziggurat Group. They are always helpful and ask about the kids. Simply put, they inspire me.

(Cam:) Steven Shore is a LOT of fun. He is a great guy who has been helping people with Autism and Aspergers advocate for themselves for many years. He has a great sense of humor and he is a brilliant presenter.

(Jordan:) I like Kirsten (from AAPC). I just love her passion for books and I like to talk with her. She is a nice friend that I can talk with about autism ideas.

(Craig:) I like hanging out with Dad the best. We have plenty of fresh seafood to sample here in Florida and at home we are always too busy for cooking and relaxing.

(Jamie:) I did not really meet him, but Elijah Wapner (presenter and comedian) was really funny…I enjoyed that presentation and laughed a lot.

ASA- Orlando Fl - Day One!

(Eric: ) We thought that we would blog a bit about our ASA Conference speaking experiences so that our family and friends can see what we are up to! We will include pictures here where possible and will be adding a Photo Gallery into it tonight!

Actually, we probably should start at Day 0 or even Day -1 (7pm…that’s when we took off on our 15 hour plus drive to Orlando). Long trips are always long and this was no exception, but Team Blackwell did just fine. By the time we got to Kissimmee (suburb of Orlando), everyone was READY to check into the condo and get some rest. Mom and Dad were pretty tired by overall it was a great trip.

We did decide that going through Lexington and south on I-75 through Chatanooga was a little more fun than through Nashville and it took about the same amount of time.

Day 2 - part one!

Here are some photos of the amazing Gaylord Palms Resort and the Conference center.

Alligators! Very cool!

Favorite Sessions for today:

Cam: My first 20 years, Learning to be an effective advocate. This was presented by Jordan Ackerson and Lisa Lieberman, Valerie Paraeiz, and Elijah Wapner. This was great because it had people on the spectrum and their mothers explaining how self determination and self advocacy have helped them in their lives. Awesome.

Favorite thing that he did today:

Jordan: I tried sushi and I liked it! It tasted different, like cold rice and greens, but I liked it!

Craig: Cooking Fresh Salmon last night and having some really good sushi today. Good eats.

Jamie: I like hanging out at the exhibit hall and finding some fun stuff at one of the jewelry places there! I also like to go swimming and that has been fun!