Ben segment on the Pod Cast

[disneysteve]

I just listened to this yesterday and this morning. It was excellent. He is a gifted child and the segment was exactly the type of thing we need more of in this world to educate others (myself included) about what life is really like for those with special needs. As Kevin said, until you've walked a mile in their shoes, you truly have no idea.

Kudos to Ben (and his mom) for taking the time to give us such a wonderful gift as this podcast.

 

[8lovesmickey]

Thanks to Ben for a great segment! I am an 8th grade teacher and have three students with autism in my class (one with Asberger's). I always want to "get inside their heads" and see things from their perspective, and this segment gave me a glimpse. One of my non-verbal students, for example, takes his shirt off the minute it gets wet. Ben's description of water rides gave me a much better understanding of how overwhelming wet clothing can be to these kids. That's just one example of the "a-ha moments" I had while listening. Thanks again for sharing!!

 

[TMcDwyer]

Two weeks ago, on August 15, my seven year old son Ethan was diagnosed with Aspergers. It was a diagnoses that I was expecting in my heart, but I found out that no matter how ready you think you are to hear the words...you aren't. I felt like the bottom had dropped out and I was in a free fall. I was overwhelmed by all of the information that was thrust upon me and honestly did not know where to start to help my son be successful and happy. To be honest, it is two weeks later and I feel as lost and confused as I did back then. It gets better everyday and I have realized that while Aspergers will always be a part of Ethan's life, I will work everyday to ensure that it does not define his life.

Today as I was driving my daughter to Gymnastics I was catching up on podcasts and Ben's show came on. THANK YOU! Hearing his voice calmed me instantly. Listening to his experiences through his own eyes was priceless. We so often have to learn about what it is like to like with Aspergers from people who don't know first hand. They study it and know people with it, but they have not lived it. What a blessing it was to hear about what my son experiences for the first time from someone who has actually been there. I had so many A-HA moments that I could not stop the tears from flowing. I finally understand why Ethan loves being in the pool with his ears under the water for extended periods of time, and why he has trouble differentiating stories he hears from real life. The gift that Ben & Tracy have given me as a mother is one that I will cherish always. Words cannot express the gratitude that I feel for them. We have taken our children to Disney once in December of 2009. It was a great trip, but I did not understand why Ethan struggled at times and did not seem to be able to enjoy things like Pirate's League. After his diagnosis it became a little more clear. We are planning to return to Disney with the kids in December of 2012 (the week after Thanksgiving is our favorite time to go) and some of the advice on this show was priceless to me. Ethan LOVED his first trip to the World and we are hoping to make his second one even more magical. Again, I cannot thank you enough for doing this show.

 

[RIDizney]

Is there a way to get this particular podcast nominated for a podcast award?...This is the type of content that means a lot to people, provides an education, and really helps people. By the responses it clearly shows the impact Ben has had on many people. I thought Ben was awesome and an inspiration and his segment should be heard by many many people. I would like to thank Ben and the podcast crew for doing the segment.

 

[DSNYDREAMER]

I just wanted to pop in and thank everyone again for their kind words! I could not of imagined how many people we would reach. The feedback has been incredible and I think the person helped most of all was Ben. This has given his self confidence a huge boost!!