AUTISM EXPO Free Youth Showmanship Clinic June 10 at Washington County Fairgrounds

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“I can tell you, I was very skeptical myself,” said Juergen Hahn. “But I’ve seen my son work with this, with a skilled practitioner. I have no doubt that these are the things he wrote. And he wrote some fantastic things.”

“There is a lot of resistance to these methods, because the children show, on average, such high level of ability compared to what they’re believed,” Mariah Hahn said.

Since beginning the S2C/ RPM method with Lucas, the Hahns are hopeful that word will spread and it will become more widely used. Mariah Hahn said she is “so excited” about a new documentary called, ‘Spellers,’ following the journey of eight nonverbal people who have learned to use the letterboard method to communicate.

“One gift that they can give Lucas and all those with profound autism is to go see it,” said Mariah Hahn. “I can’t tell you how excited these kids are about it.”

Local showings of the film will be held April 26 at 5:45 p.m at the Upstate NY Autism Alliance in Queensbury, April 29 at 1:45 p.m. at the Clifton Park Library, and April 30 at 2 p.m. at RPI.

Hahn said she knows of five other families in the area who are practicing the S2C/RPM method. She said she is hoping to start a homeschool group to teach children at grade level using the letterboard.

“What I’m trying to do is build a community where this is acceptable,” said Mariah Hahn. “There are other schools that have been started. There’s only three in the country, but they’ve been successful, and I’m hoping to start one here.”

This is where Saratoga Bridges’ Autism Expo factors in, allowing families such as the Hahns to meet, discuss ideas, and exchange valuable information. The Hahns said places like the Expo are valuable for finding services, support groups, medical and dental care, and more.

“There is a lot of collective knowledge among families who have children and adults with ASD, and it’s fantastic to tap into that knowledge,” Juergen Hahn said.

The expo will offer therapeutic opportunities, employment resources, recreational activities, academic programs, and more. This year’s Autism Expo features over 70 exhibitors and vendors, and will offer a children’s activity zone, a sensory room, an exhibit displaying works by artists with disabilities, and more. The Expo is free to attend.

“I’ve actually seen practitioners become inspired to do things, and open their practices to those with severe autism, profound autism, having attended this,” added Mariah Hahn. “In fact, one person in the area is actually being trained in S2C. … She’s now pursuing training in S2C because of what she saw when she attended the Autism Expo a year ago. It’s kind of an allaround community thing.”

GREENWICH —

The Washington County Fairgrounds and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Washington County are hosting a Youth Showmanship Clinic for all area youth exhibitors of dairy cattle, beef cattle, equine, sheep, goats, and poultry, at the Fairgrounds on June 10 starting at 9 a.m. Participants are not charged and need not be from Washington County or 4-H Members to join the event.

Each exhibitor will have a group of educators to take them through showmanship tips and tricks for their species, nutrition information, fitting, and much more. Youth are encouraged to bring their vetted animal to work with, but if they cannot bring their own, an animal will be provided to practice with. Lunch will be free for participants between the morning and afternoon sessions.

In addition to the clinic, a Tack and Tailgate Sale will happen throughout the day.

Booths for the Tailgate sale are available for $10.00 for a 10x10 booth under the roof. For more information and sign-up forms, please visit our website at www. washingtoncountyfair.com. The deadline for sign-up is June 1.