Mary Horsley
New Member
My name is Mary Patricia Stark Horsley. I have lived in Virginia since 1978. I grew up in Lompoc, Calif. I was diagnosed with Infantile Autism when I was 2. I went to public school and was in speech therapy, though I have blocked it out of my mind. I finally returned to therapy in college. I always felt socially behind my peers and now wish my mom had kept me in kindergarten for two years. I was born into a very dysfunctional family so I did not have strong support. I am 62 years old, single because of being a widow, and need to work fulltime until retirement. I have one lovely daughter, Laura, who is 28 and will soon be married.
My passions are for Reggio Practices in Early Childhood teaching, my belief in the SonRise Program at Autism Treatment Center in Sheffield, MA, and my genuine love for children. I would one day like to bring them all together if I could ever find the opportunity to teach young children with Autism in a playroom that is a distraction-free environment. Son-Rise works and I am dedicated to bringing it to Virginia. I also believe in the environment as the third teacher and for young children with special needs, this should be as distraction free as possible. Health is also a strong concern of mine. As a person who has her own special needs, I know how the gut and food sensitivities can affect our children. Through my association with Dr. Michael Wild, I personally am healing my body. I want to help parents understand how to help, grow, and feed their own children with Autism. I can be done and I am proof.
But I am not perfect. I came out as Asperger Syndrome about 8 years ago. My clumsiness, my fears, my inability to handle too much stress, all because my brain is different. I stay in trouble at work and just can't seem to cope sometimes. I don't have much family and I do get lonely. I am still searching for my soulmate.
My passions are for Reggio Practices in Early Childhood teaching, my belief in the SonRise Program at Autism Treatment Center in Sheffield, MA, and my genuine love for children. I would one day like to bring them all together if I could ever find the opportunity to teach young children with Autism in a playroom that is a distraction-free environment. Son-Rise works and I am dedicated to bringing it to Virginia. I also believe in the environment as the third teacher and for young children with special needs, this should be as distraction free as possible. Health is also a strong concern of mine. As a person who has her own special needs, I know how the gut and food sensitivities can affect our children. Through my association with Dr. Michael Wild, I personally am healing my body. I want to help parents understand how to help, grow, and feed their own children with Autism. I can be done and I am proof.
But I am not perfect. I came out as Asperger Syndrome about 8 years ago. My clumsiness, my fears, my inability to handle too much stress, all because my brain is different. I stay in trouble at work and just can't seem to cope sometimes. I don't have much family and I do get lonely. I am still searching for my soulmate.
Nice to meet you.
