From Terror to Triumph and Tranquility! How our Autistic Son Faced His Fear and Went Rafting!

Gabe has been attending a camp in Glenwood Springs, Colorado for individuals with autism since he was 8 years old! He loves this camp, but he has extreme fear and anxiety that prevent him from doing the things he does want to do.
The morning he was supposed to go rafting with his camp he was so excited! Although Gabe can't speak due to apraxia he understands everything and can express himself in various ways. It was clear that he wanted to go on the rafting trip. When it came time to get on the raft he panicked and they had to leave him behind with his counselor, Sophie.
Only because we knew he did want to do it, but couldn't get passed the fear I decided to ask our friends at Hanging Lake Adventure Co-op to help us out. I explained our situation with Gabe and asked if they would be able to lift him into the raft if necessary. I was on a mission to make this happen for Gabe.
Hanging Lake Adventure Co-op set us up with two amazing guides from Blue Sky Rafting. Gabe, Caroline and I met Mudflap and Matthew from Blue Sky and could tell we were in good hands!
When it came time to get Gabe on the raft he was definitely scared and tried to run away a couple of times. When he was ready we all surrounded him and lead him onto the raft. We didn't have to pick him up. Mudflap held on to him tightly the entire trip while Matthew took us through 5 rapids on the Colorado River! I cannot begin to describe the feeling of being a part of something as life altering as this experience was for our son. We were aware that he was scared, but we could tell that he wanted to be on this rafting trip and trusted Mudflap to keep him safe. It was a dream come true for both myself and Caroline to get to do this with Gabe.
Three days later Gabe had a second chance at rafting with his camp. This time he got on the raft with the help of the staff just like he did with Patrick, Mudflap, and Matthew. The difference this time is he was not holding on for dear life, he was smiling, he was visibly excited, happy, and proud of himself! He got to experience it with his counselor, Sophie and the kids at camp!
This experience of pushing Gabe out of his comfort zone was necessary and worth it! Later he got on a boat on a lake and loved that too!
We are excited to do it all again next summer when we return to Glenwood Springs, CO! #autism #nonverbal #nonspeaking #rafting #colorado

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