Unique Venture Brings Horseback Riding, Camping and Surfing Experience to Autism Families It all started at a coffee shop in Half Moon Bay. Rupert Isaacson, founder of the HorseBoy Foundation was sipping tea and chatting with Joell Dunlap, Executive Director of Square Peg Ranch before heading out to do an intense training with a dozen …
Continue reading “Five Charities Collaborate to Serve Autism Families”
It’s simple if you ask Rupert Issaacson originator of the Horse Boy phenomenon – “you just let the children take you on an adventure.” Rupert, with his rockstar hair and his Hollywood smile and upper caste British accent throughly delights with a boyish grin and self described “potty mouth.” He held rapt a group of …
We’ve just returned from a memorial for a mother, artist, musician, wife, autism advocate, photographer – a woman whose warmth and smile lit up any room she stepped into. Her autistic son opened the memorial by singing “Chasing Angels” a perfect song about loss. He sang and played from his heart and his talent showed …
The question of how to help parents, teachers, and community members understand that many children who have been identified as having “behavior issues” that have traditionally been dealt punishments, isolation, and worse actually are desperately needing attunement, care, and acceptance is on my mind very much. I could spend time “preaching to the choir” talking …
Continue reading “Resources for Understanding Trauma – As a Hamilton Parody”
Perhaps you remember the 1990 ad campaign from Volkswagen. They cleverly coined a silly made up German word – “Fahrvergnügen” means “driving enjoyment” in English (from fahren, “to drive,” and vergnügen, “enjoyment”). That’s not what Fahrvergnugen means at Square Peg. Here – Fahrvegnugen means much much more. At least to one little guy. Like all of …
Joell’s note: My friend Davis Finch is a deep thinker. His honesty is rare and the clarity of his writing inspires me. He is generous with helping me see the world though his unique lens which includes autism and anxiety. Below are his thoughts about the COVID lockdowns, mental health, the importance of meaningful work …
Have you ever been bombarded by sounds that made your skin crawl? Are there sounds that make your guts clench and your ears ring? Could you imagine being locked in a room with somebody raking fingernails over a chalkboard while somebody else dragged a fork over a plate? What if that room had flashing disco …
Like you, Darius and I have been overwrought with recent events. We honor the lives of the brutally murdered man George Floyd, for the injustice suffered by Christian Cooper and way, way too many more. We grew up believing that we lived in the greatest country in the history of the world. Americans put a …
Right now, I am wondering who I can trust in the government. I do not trust Trump, which is not good since he is the president, but I do like his optimism and his desire to reopen economic activity quickly. I mostly trust Governor Newsom, especially since I saw him speak in person twice, but …
Founder’s Story The experts say that people won’t care what you do – they care why you do it. Square Peg was dreamed up by a young mother with a child that needed to move and to be encouraged for his curiosity and to have his kindness understood as a strength. It was created to …
