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Show N T. W S Spanish Fork A8 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2008 Covering what matters most Learning to live with autism American Legion: Ashley Walton STAFF WRITER As part of autism awareness month, Kandace Hamilton expanded on her journey with her son Sawyer's autism. "It's nice to know that there are other parents out there that are dealing with these things and that you're not the only one, because for some reason we all feel that way," said Hamilton. She explained that the first step to understanding autism is understanding that just because children are behaving a certain way doesn't necessarily mean they are being naughty or disobedient. "There's usually a very good reason for their behavior when it comes to autism. Either they're having a sensory overload problem or some kind of anxiety," said Hamilton. When Sawyer was younger, she would take him to the grocery store, and after a few minutes, he would start to have a tantrum. "People would see him and think that he wanted candy or something because that's what normal kids would have a tantrum over," Hamilton said. "But he would be having a tantrum because his ears are so hyper-sensitive that he would hear the buzzing of the florescent lights." Hamilton explained that Sawyer's autism affected his life in so many ways. He had a lot of trouble sleeping in his bed through the night. She said that sometimes if a child has hyper-sensory issues, "they may feel like they are not 'grounded' when the house is quiet and everyone is From HONORS • A l Ashley Walton / Spanish Fork News BEST FRIENDS: Pictured above is Sawyer Hamilton with his dog, Hal. asleep." So she started putting a tent over Sawyer's bed every night, and he's been able to sleep in his bed through the night ever since. The Hamilton family always had a hard time taking family vacations, because Sawyer was very upset by them. Finally, they figured out a strategy that worked for them. The trick was to let Sawyer know well in advance. "When we went to Moab, about a month before our trip we marked on the calendar hanging in his room when we would be going," she said. "Next, we printed a map off the Internet, showing the route we would take. Finally, we planned who would be going and what activities we would do there." Today, Sawyer interacts well with the world around him. His family provides him with a lot of routine and structure, because that is what he thrives on. He has had some excellent support from teachers and programs in the Nebo School District and now gets along just fine in a regular classroom setting. "One of the things that is important is to have a support group," said Hamilton. "Some autistic children have few people that they are comfortable with, but it's important that they do spend time with those people. It actually helps the family as a whole. And it's important to remember that sometimes when a child is at home, away from the rest of the world, you just have to let them be who they are." We've got the cash! '08 Super Dutys Up to $5,000 customer cashl This truck is a real work horse, yet extremely comfortable. '08 F150 Super Crews Up to $4,00 tiistomer cash! * Shirley Wilson joined the navy in 1944, just one week after his high school graduation. He served in the South Pacific during the remainder of World War II, and was witness to many of the final events of the war with Japan. Wilson has served as post commander, and has participated in the post's honor guard in honoring many of his fallen comrades. Garth Hansen joined the navy in 1945 and received training as a medic. He served stateside for the remainder of WWII and returned to active duty during the Korean conflict, where he served on the front lines, treating wounded Marines. Williams said that as a school teacher, Hansen "instilled patriotism in his students." Hansen also served as post commander and participated in the honor guard at the funeral services of hundreds of deceased veterans. Hansen's wife, Carol gratefully accepted the award on behalf of her husband. His '08 Fusions Up to $2,500 customer cash! * Economy, style, dependablity. Call for low interest rates and financing details. SPANISH FORK 2534 NORTH 200 EAST 798-3553 *See dealer for details. O.A.C. must finance through FMCC. Eligibility requirements apply. Not all customers will qualify. t children, Ron Hansen, Dalene Seegmiller, Nan Edwards and Lisa Taggart also expressed their gratitude. Paul Hartley was honored as Legionnaire of the Year for 2007 for his active service throughout the year, along with his positive attitude. "Paul was involved in nearly all of our functions," said Williams. These include military funeral rites. Memorial Day services. Veterans Day programs in local schools, and more. Hartley transported the rifles, Mags and helmets, and made sure the rifles were clean and in working order. He has also maintained the flags at the Veterans' Memorial Building and Fairgrounds. In addition to his hours of service, Williams called Hartley the "goodwill ambassador of Post 68." "He makes you feel good even if you've had a bad day," Williams said. National Champions: From CHOIR • A l captain, agreed. She said the service projects the Ambassadors have done over the school year in order to make a difference, really helped the group perform their show with heart. L 'One of our greatest achievements was during semifinals and finals everyone had heart and the message in mind," she said. "It wasn't just how clean the dance was, but we showed how much we loved what we were doing — how much we've grown together through the service we've done over the year." In addition to the grand championship, the Ambassadors received caption awards for best repertoire, best choreography and best show design. Throughout the year, Lunt has emphasized "keeping the end in mind," and he said this group has done that from the beginning. "This has been such a dream team," he said. "We were all there with the same purpose. ... This is an excel- lent group of kids. They all desired the same result." Making a difference went beyond just performances for the choirs. Dudley said they 'This has been such a dream team. We were all there with the same purpose/' - Rick Lunt made a difference with everyone they interacted with. "I couldn't be prouder of the way they acted — the way they represented Spanish Fork and our ideals and standards," he said. "Many times people stopped us to say how great these kids were." One of the goals for the kids was to win the Cup for their director in his final year at Spanish Fork High School. Lunt's choirs have competed at Branson six times previously, and won first runner-up twice, but had never won the Cup. "Our show was about making a difference," said Lee. "Even if we didn't make a difference for anybody else, I guess we fulfilled on man's dream." For Lunt it has been a dream come true. "You work so hard, and you get so close," he said. "This makes me incredibly happy because we finally won it." But Lunt is the last person to accept the Cup as "his" award. He is quick to give credit to the kids, parents, choir boosters and the school. Applegate echoed that sentiment. "We had 25 chaperones with us. They did costumes, make-up, costume repairs. They were an amazing help. Anything we needed done was done with a smile," she said. "We've had great support from the parents. ... The school has been very supportive as well." Lunt summed it up when he said, "This is everyone's award." Event 'fore' education: From GOLF • A l Best-selling truck in America for the past 31 years. Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News SPECIAL HONOR: Post Commander John Williams, right, presented Garth Hansen's award to his family. Pictured, left to right, are Nan Edwards, Dalene Seegmiller, Ron Hansen and Carol Hansen. studies but rather are available for use with any kind of schooling. "Last year every student who applied for a scholarship received one," said Summers. Those benefiting this year as in previous years are students from Spanish Fork High School and Landmark School. Newly added this year is the Legacy School. One of the things the Spanish Fork Rotary and local Chamber of Commerce like about the golf tournament is that the funds are provided to students who normally would not have the chance of obtaining a scholarship. Summers attributed the long-term success of the event to Dr. Tracy Frandsen. "The driving force behind it all is Dr. Tracy Frandsen, who has been involved since the beginning back in 1993," he said. Besides recognizing Frandsen, Summers called attention to a committee of tireless volunteers; Aaron Brown, Chelsey Ercanbrack, Lana Dahl, Dr. David Jones, Karen Payne, Curt Pulsipher, Lana Hiskey, Brad Walker and Patli Witham. "At the present time we have our consistent corporate and business sponsors but are in the hope that some of the businesses that haven't been involved before might come join with us. Also we could use more donations for the auction to help raise money. Feel free to contact me at Maceys or Patti Witham at the Chamber of Commerce," Summers said. One of the pleasant surprises this year was the decision of corporate sponsors to move up a level and give even more. One such example is America First Credit Union moving from a level two to a level one sponsor. Chairman Summers welcomes more individual players to participate this year but warns, "The Nebo School District has taken first Place the last two years. I think they may be receiving some coaching." Concerning this year's tournament who knows, maybe one of the celebrities from Spanish Fork City, BYU or UVSC sports or state government might win. The truth is it really doesn't matter who wins at Spanish Oaks on May 1, 2008 because the real winners are the students who have a chance at a brighter future, thanks to the vision and commitment of good citizens in our community. 16th Annual Scholarship Pro-Am Celebrity Golf Tournament Date: May 1, 2008 Place: Spanish Oaks Golf Course Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a lunch, awards, and auction to follow Scholarship Awards Banquet: May 14, 2008 with special guest, LaVell Edwards, 7 p.m. at the Chillon Reception Center. For information contact: Bill Summers at Maceys, Patti Witham at the Chamber of Commerce or Karen Payne at the Canyon View Medical Group |