York's Wild Kingdom

On July 31, our students and staff explored York's Wild Kingdom animal park in York Beach, Maine. This field trip offered many new experiences for our students: petting animals, riding a paddle-boat, observing wildlife, and even riding in a go cart--with our instructors at the wheel, of course! Our skilled clinical instructors, special educators, and behavior analysts helped our students navigate through the crowds, don their life preservers, and tolerate the unfamiliar smells and sounds of the park.

"Everyone was involved and engaged!" says Executive Director Christine Guarino. "I saw our students stretching their limits and enjoying their triumphs. I saw students holding the hands of other students, looking into their faces and smiling. I'll never forget this trip!"

Fundraising Yard Sale

Saturday, September 20, will offer a real bargain for the Seacoast community. From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., volunteers from The Birchtree Center, Seacoast United, and Liberty Mutual Group will host a giant fundraising yard sale at the Seacoast United Arena at 311 Winnacunnet Road in Hampton, New Hampshire.

The sale will feature high-quality furniture, toys, sporting equipment, tools, books, and household items donated by families and friends from the three organizations. You might find a rare antique, a nostalgic toy from your childhood, or something else you couldn’t find in an ordinary store.

When you shop, you'll get a great deal on first-rate merchandise; you’ll be ‘going green’ by finding a new home for other people’s treasures; and you’ll help local children. Sale proceeds will benefit educational programs at The Birchtree Center and at Seacoast United, a local nonprofit that sponsors sporting teams, tournaments, and training throughout New Hampshire and Maine.

Sales will be by cash only. A fundraising raffle at the event will provide chances to win sporting tickets, gift certificates, and other prizes. Parking is available onsite and admission is free. More information is available at www.seacoastunited.org or 603-294-4452.

John Elder Robison Book Reading

On Tuesday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m., RiverRun Bookstore and The Birchtree Center are hosting author John Elder Robison for a reading from his New York Times bestseller, Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s.

The reading will take place at RiverRun Bookstore on 20 Congress Street in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Staff from The Birchtree Center will be present to offer information about their organization's programs for children and youth with autism.

This darkly funny memoir offers insight into the life of an individual growing up on the autism spectrum. It also provides another look at the family described in Running with Scissors by the author's brother, Augusten Burroughs.

As a child, with no inkling of how to pass for “normal,” John Elder Robison tried to make friends by petting other children with sticks. He seldom met anyone’s gaze, struggled with the simplest social interactions, and was constantly told to “wipe that strange look off his face” by teachers and other adults. Feeling like a freak, he dropped out of high school at sixteen and took refuge in his savant-like abilities with machines.

Despite his lifelong struggles to communicate, Robison is a born storyteller. The author recounts memorable adventures as a teenage tinkerer, toy engineer, auto restorer, and sound & effects engineer for KISS and other bands. Robison also offers valuable insight into the challenges he has faced in navigating typical social interactions. After reading about how Robinson puzzles over small talk, you’ll never see a simple “How are you?” in quite the same way!

This is the debut of the author's paperback tour. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the event, please visit www.riverrunbookstore.com or call (603) 431-2100. For more information about the author, see jerobison.blogspot.com.