Austim, Nature & Photography

Who would of thought there was such a thing as Nature Therapy?  Who would of thought it all tied into Sensory Integration?  I never would have.   I have always known that being out in nature is what drives Sam.  Maybe now I know why.

I was talking with Joe Cubiotti, a fabulous photographer, and I said, "I don't know if Sam will grow up to be a photographer.  Photography is not what makes him tick.  Nature is."  I had one worker ask me, "What are you going to do with all of this equipment when he decides not to do it anymore?"  People might say, "Now wait a minute, but he is so talented!"  The future is yet to be seen.

Joe and Sam

I am trying to think of how I knew that nature and photography was the ticket for Sam.  I remember when I decided to do the "Photography Project" with Sam's Music Therapist, it was to get Sam to read.  My plan was to make a facebook page, post his photos and have my friends comment so he could read the comments.  It was a lot of work and I got to reconnect with people back home.  It was a win win, right?  Wrong, I got to connect with my high school friends and I got to listen to a lot of screaming.  I remember a time when someone said to Sam, "You don't have to read the comments if you don't want to" and I am thinking,"yes he does."  Desperation calls for desperate measures and my son was not going to go through life not being able to read.  I remember all of this so clearly and yet I don't remember how I came to the conclusion of taking him out in nature to get the material to teach him how to read.

Sam's worker, Patrick.  We would spend a lot of time reading his comments.

As I look back at all the photographs I feel elation that this is how our story unfolded.  What makes me sad is that  I don't know if I would of continued with the photography if he didn't have the talent.  I can't honestly answer that.  I remember in the beginning sitting with my nephew on Thanksgiving 2010 and asking if we should be Nikon or Canon people.  Talking with my nephew I discovered that Nikon was known for nature and Canon was known for portraits.  I now know that it doesn't matter, it is the photographer.  Not knowing that Sam had the talent, I instinctively knew that Sam would have no interest in taking pictures of people. This is a no brainer since he had such a difficult time making eye contact.  I chose Nikon.

Sam's first camera.  Photo taken by Renee Hall Photography

I sit and pull all the memories I can out of my head.  I remember his very first photograh.  It is hanging at Hochstein school of Music & Dance where the photography started. I remember after that first photography lesson I started having him shoot outside.  I probably knew that Sam would probably not understand the lighting inside and I might remember thinking that.  This is probably what led me to nature.   I needed a subject after all.

Sam's first photo.  This photo was taken January 3rd, 2011.  Sam opened up his first camera Christmas of December 2010.

I don't remember our first trip and that kills me.  My focus was on reading and I just don't remember.  My one vivid memory was loading his photos and asking him, "Did you take this?  Where did you take this?"  Week after week I went to Sam's Music Therapist asking him, "Are these pictures really good or is this just me being his Mom thinking these are really really good photos?"

Sam took this at age 10.  I am outside scraping the windows of the car.

After that the focus was on getting him a creative arts program.and my memories won't surface.  What I do remember is the arguing. Sam went in full meltdown constantly over photography and I would say, "Why are we doing this?"  and he didn't want to stop. Kudos to Sam.  Every time I said, "That is it! I am done! I don't want to argue!" and he would cry and say, "Please don't quit, I don't want to quit."  I have this thing where if I travel over an hour to a location Sam has to come home with at least a handful of photographs.  I am continually pushing.  Sam is too busy throwing rocks and watching the stream.  And this is where my "Aha!" moment begins.

It was last Sunday and we were with Joe.  Sam was lifting heavy rocks and watching the stream.  There are five focuses of sensory integration I believe.  Proprioceptive, Vestibular, sight, smells, touch.  At least these are the ones I know of.

Proprioceptive is the need for heavy lifting.  It gives a person a sense of being grounded and connected with the earth.  Wow, Sam is always throwing rocks and lifting the heaviest branch he can find.  Sometimes he wants to carry a log and I put my foot down on that one.  Sam always has a purpose in his actions.

 And what about the camera backpack?  That thing is heavy.

Vestibular.  Some kids like to spin, some kids like to rock.  Sam likes to walk across streams while balancing on rocks.  He craves it.

Corbett's Glenn, Penfield, NY

Sight.  Oh my goodness!  There is so much to look at.  Take a walk in the woods.  I mean the real woods.  Sam shows me deer beds, deer droppings and it looks like at the end of the night all the deer gather to sleep.  Sam loves birds.  All I have to do is look at Sam's bird photography to get how beautiful they are.

Mendon Ponds, Mendon, NY

Smell.  I love this one.  Last Sunday Sam picked up a pine branch and smelled it all the way to the car.  He even rubbed it on his coat.

Touch.  He kept rubbing the end of the pine branch to feel how soft it is.

Oh my goodness, with all of this no wonder he doesn't have time for photography.  I honestly believe that these are all sensory seeking so Sam can feel regulated.  Thank goodness, right?

I will still keep pushing.  Sam's brain is still developing.

Again, the future is yet to be seen.

Mendon Ponds, NY

*Find more of Sam's photos at https://www.facebook.com/SnapshotsBySamMaloney & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXhzf2Hxhqk

*The background of this blog was a picture that Sam took while looking for Salmon.