Geordie
Geordie
Kingwood child living with autism writes book, hopes to raise funds for service dog - Your Houston News: NewsAt seven years old, little Taryn Crain is cute as a button and smart as a whip. But she gets lonely at times.
Taryn tends to cross physical boundaries other kids know instinctively, and sometimes the sights and sounds of the environment around her become so overwhelming, she can only find release by screaming at the top of her lungs. Taryn knows she is different from other children and hopes that by writing down her feelings about living with autism in a book, other kids and adults may understand her world a little better. And maybe they can try to be just a little more forgiving.
?I am not like the other kids at school. Though most kids don?t want to be my friend because of how I behave, I do have a few really good friends. All of my friends understand that I have Autism, and they don?t mind that I am different,? Taryn wrote in her book titled ?Putting the Pieces Together: a Child?s View of Autism . ?I am hoping that this book will also help other people see what it?s like to have Autism. I just want people to understand that Autism is real, what Autism is, and to give me and other kids like me a chance.?
Debra Crain, Taryn?s mother, says the book was her daughter?s own idea. Initially meant to be a 6-page leaflet, Taryn?s work quickly turned into a full-fledged book with photos.
?Taryn has always been into writing and journaling. We?re very lucky she likes to express herself that way instead of bottling it all up,? Crain said. ?A lot of the kids in her school don?t understand what?s happening to her, and she wanted them to know who she really was. They see she has outbursts, she throws things across the room, she has tantrums, she?s run away. But I don?t think it?s ever been explained to them what autism is. So she decided to write a book.?
The work was self-published in the United States on Feb. 20 and has already been picked up by Amazon in Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The 38-page volume, in which the young author reveals her joys and frustrations, her fears and pain, is priced at $14.95. All proceeds benefit the Tarebear Project, a fundraising endeavor designed to help Taryn?s family provide a service dog for the little girl.
Taryn attends second grade at Bear Branch Elementary School in Kingwood, where three aides assist her throughout the day. Classified as a high-functioning autistic child, Taryn?s mother, Debra Crain, says the little girl can complete academic work on a third or fourth grade level. Emotionally, however, Crain says Taryn functions on a pre-school level.
?Last year she kept running away from school. The teacher would turn her back and she was gone. When she was in a situation she wasn?t comfortable with, she?d bolt. It was very scary,? Crain remembers. ?I kept seeing this decline and we tried all those things and only to see her backslide. When I did some research, I found a website for a service dog.?
In mid-February, a California outfit called Pawsensitive approved Taryn to receive a Labrador Retriever that will be trained specifically for her. Crain says the family already raised the down payment for the dog by holding bake sales, and now has to pay an additional $12,500 for basic training to begin and advanced training to commence as the puppy matures. The deadline for the full payment is Oct. 1.
?The dog can be tethered to Taryn, can be scent trained so he can find her, and will help her sleep and get through the night terrors. Just knowing that this dog will always be there as their friend has a calming effect on autistic children and they?ve seen children do better over time,? Crain says. ?It?s a working dog and can go anywhere she goes.?
Keeping the animal close is especially important because Taryn suffers from hypoglycemia and has had bouts of low blood sugar in the past. The dog, Crain said, will be able to detect through scent whenever Taryn?s blood sugar level drops to dangerous levels.
Crain said the community has been very supportive of the Tarebear Project. Aside from the funds generated by the sale of Taryn?s book, the family is hosting several events in the coming months to help secure purchase of the service animal. The Tasting Room in Kingwood has stepped up by donating bottles of wine for a raffle, and Kroger and Skeeter?s are allowing the family to host fundraisers at their places of business. A golf tournament benefitting the Tarebear Project, Crain said, may also be on the horizon.
Once the payment for Taryn?s dog is secured, Cairn says her daughter hopes to help other children diagnosed with autism by raising awareness and providing resources and information. Cairn says she hopes the little girl?s book and fundraising activity will also educate the public about the challenges children with autism face. Geared primarily toward children, she says, the book will hopefully reach the hearts of adults as well.
?Please don?t judge Taryn, or other kids like her. Be a little more tolerant. Don?t jump to conclusions,? Cairn says. ?We get a lot of looks, a lot of comments. No, she?s not spoiled rotten. She can?t control her outbursts. These kids are incredible. They have unconditional love to offer, they have an insight into life that?s amazing. They just see the world differently, and that doesn?t have to be a bad thing. I think these kids don?t get a chance to really show the world what they can do. Taryn wanted to speak for all the kids that couldn?t.?
Taryn?s book is available online at Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more or www.createspace.com/4174288. For tickets in the April 1 drawing of the 99 Bottles of Wine raffle and to learn more about the Tarebear Project, visit www.facebook.com/tarebearproject.
