The room was filled with excited children, ready for another fun day at day care. Screams of children's laughter roared through the corridors of the day-care center. Kids grouped off and played with various toys and games, but there was one child sitting by himself, not necessarily by choice.
John Woolfolk is a rider at Storybook who lives with Autism, a developmental disorder that affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.
"I knew something was different when he was 7 months old because he was not developing like he should," said Frances Woolfolk. "He was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3 years old."
Depending on where the child is on the Autism spectrum determines the severity of symptoms. Generally, children with Autism are overly sensitive in sight, hearing, touch smell or taste, have unusual distress when routines change, communicate with gestures instead of words, just to name a few.
From a young age Frances noticed John did not maintain good eye contact when communicating.
"You would talk to him and it was like he was deaf, he never answered me," Frances said. "In order to get his attention I had to tap him on the back, he never talked."
When John was 3 years old, Frances enrolled John into speech therapy for three days a week, where he learned how to properly communication. Within no time John was beginning to use words to communicate, but Frances knew she had a long road ahead of her.
Through the center where John did therapy, Frances learned about a wonderful place called Storybook Farm. Two years ago, when John was 6 years old, they visited the farm for the first day.
His first day at Storybook John would not put a helmet on. He even refused to pet Gulliver, so a few volunteers played football with him instead. His second day to the farm was a little different though. Cowboy Jack came and got him, put a helmet on him and sat him on the horse, and he loved it!
This fall will be John's sixth session with Storybook, and we greatly look forward to having him back.
"John is such a different child when he comes here," Frances said. "After we leave it soothes him to talk about the Farm. When we don't come to the farm it is like he has lost something. I do not know how to word it, but we always look forward to our next visit."
During sessions, John greets Gulliver (his horse), grooms him, then rides him. Not only is the interspecies relationship special, but the human interaction he has with the volunteers is also a blessing.
"The joyful, enthusiastic personalities the volunteers have attract him," said Frances. "It is like you all understand how they are, how to work with them and spend the time with him that they need. He is not aware the autism is even there when he is at the Farm."
Some kids dream of perfect worlds where fun is always had, and kids can just be kids. Especially for children who have to deal with difficult situations, such as John, Storybook is the highlight of their weeks!