Great thanks to Sharon Robertson for sharing this with the CawsnJaws readers. – CAW and JAW –

I don’t know if any of you have ever thought about my blast and what it might mean but because of recent events, I’d like to explain.

My son is autistic. Autism is very misunderstood, even among the “experts”. And I certainly don’t claim to have some extraordinary knowledge regarding what is labeled as a “disorder”. But I do have the experience of having lived with my son for the past 16 years, which I feel gives me some understanding, at least of him…

Let’s start with “Different does not equal less.”...I came up with this myself…at least I think I did…if someone before me coined that phrase and I have inadvertantly “plagerized” the idea, I apologize. But I’d like to explain what it means to me…

There seems to be in our society the idea that if one does not somehow fit into the “norm” (meaning what, exactly?) that they do not have any value. I’ve experienced this first hand, so I have a knowledge that others who do “fit” may not. I can assure you, it is quite painful to know that others see you as having less worth simply because you do not look or act as they do.

I’ve also experienced this by observation. I remember quite well a girl I knew in elementary school who was “retarded”. She was the recipient of much harassment and heartache, simply because she had the misfortune of being born brain damaged. I learned again in third grade, what had been brought home in my own life so many times before – if you aren’t what people in general perceive as the same as themselves, you don’t deserve to be treated with aything except derision and hatefulness.

This is a lesson I’ve experienced as a mother as well…It is painful to be misunderstood yourself…it is DEVASTATING to see it happen to you child.

My son’s behaviour is very “untypical” at times and always has been. He has been judged and “misjudged” many times in his short life. As he gets older, it becomes more painful for him because he is aware, to some extent, of his differences and the judgements people make against him. And yet he’s as powerless to change these behaviours as a person of color is powerless to change the tone of their skin.

But does he have value? Oh! Dear Sweet Jesus, yes! Because of him there are people, like myself, who have the courage to press forward day after day, despite the hardships we face. Because that’s exactly what he does…despite all the difficulties he faces each and every day due to a brain that is “wired” differently, difficulties that most of us can’t even FATHOM, much less think about dealing with…he goes forward with humour and grace and a gentleness of spirit that definitley comes from a source greater than mere humanity.

Now, lest you think he’s a saint…he’s not. Sometimes he’s rude and disrespectful and loud and obnoxious. He gets angry and rebellious just like any young man going through the changes of adolescence. Sometimes he’s selfish and I’ve heard him be quite spiteful at times. Some of these behaviours stem from adolescence but they are greatly exaggerated by the differences and deficits of autism.

But for the most part, he’s a sweet spirited, fun-loving soul. Will he ever make lots of money? Unlikely. Will he discover the cure for AIDS? Probably not. Will he solve the problem of global warming? I doubt it. Will he ever do more than be a janitor? Or a Walmart greeter? Or maybe a bag boy at a grocery store? I don’t know.

But aren’t there others for those more “important” tasks? Is there really anything WRONG with being the person who cleans up after kids at school? How long could they continue to learn in an environment littered with trash and filth? What’s WRONG with being the person who with a genuine, warm smile says “Welcome to Walmart” and gets a cart for you? Isn’t there value in a young man who carefully bags your groceries and then offers a word of encouragement as he finishes loading them into your car?

You see, I think sometimes we have things all messed up. I KNOW we have when we think that someone is less valuable just because they don’t do the tasks to which we’ve assigned honor.

Read more The Blast ...

Nearly a decade ago, a young boy with a lot of problems was flipping through television channels on a long Sunday afternoon. He was not out with the neighborhood kids on a skateboard or bicycle, playing tag or sharing news of video games, and that was fine with them. They did not know what to make of him with all of his strange body movements and verbalizations or his usually inappropriate attempts at socializing, so their human nature compelled them to avoid and ignore him as much as possible.

Television did become a consistent and gratifying companion to this person, never turning away from the tics or judging an infelicitous comment. So the boy clicked away at the remote, looking for something interesting. That is when he came upon a NASCAR race, and his life and the lives of his family members changed forever.

Now the boy had something to look forward to for many weekends in the year, and quickly learned the drivers’ names and stats, and the cars and companies associated with them. His infectious enthusiasm for the sport quickly ensnared his parents, and the weekends metamorphosed from long afternoons and evenings of concern and worry, to excited anticipation of the races to come.

The young man I refer to is my son, Joshua. I have witnessed the change in him from the time he became a NASCAR fan, and it is nothing short of amazing. While the tics from his Tourette Syndrome and his unique style of socializing from his form of Autism (Asperger’s Disorder) have isolated him from the community that surrounds him, the world of NASCAR welcomed him with open arms and he has blossomed in it.

Read more NASCAR fills the void, and helps make a president ...

Did you ever notice that no two people load a dishwasher the same way? My Mom never washes pots or pans, only using hers for cups, saucers, plates, and silverware. I willingly wash anything that will fit in the racks and still allow the blades to spin. The only thing that I draw the line on is washing baseball caps in there, using those plastic hat forms. The idea of my drinking glasses being washed in the same machine as a sweaty ol’ black-and-pink Jeff Burton Exide battery ball cap makes me ill.

I was emptying my trusty and most beloved Maytag this morning, and, once that was done, began the process of putting the dirty breakfast dishes back in again. Doing something mundane gives your mind time to wander around, so it occurred to me that a lot of my life is filling something up, watching it empty, and then filling it up again. Along with the wonderful service my dishwasher provides, my washing machine and dryer enable me not to have to beat my clothes on rocks down at a stream, and I really appreciate that. They are also appliances that I fill up, empty out, and fill up again.

My mind continued to wander this morning during my ‘clean-ones-out, dirty-ones-in’ process, and I realized this process pertains to other things in life as well, like child-rearing. And as my brain most often does, it journeyed to NASCAR, and I realized I had some pertinent advice I could pass on to Jeff Gordon, a new father.

Read more A lesson in parenthood for Jeff Gordon: Fill it up, watch it empty out, and fill it back up again ...

A few months back we came up with the idea of interviewing NASCAR fans with handicaps or other impairments, and placing the articles about them on this website. Not for the purpose of making a spectacle of them, but to give them a chance to be in the spotlight, and to share their hopes and dreams. Also, to give them a chance to bring awareness to any organizations or groups that may have helped them (which may ultimately help someone else). We have had a few responses, are we are deeply appreciative of the folks who shared their lives with us.

Up until this point we have had a questionnaire available for people to fill out, and the articles would be based on the answers provided by the respondent. However, we were contacted with the following email, and were touched by it. We gladly share it with our readers, as we think its message stands on its own:

My son is Autistic and a HUGE Nascar fan. Although I’m not comfortable having private/personal info about him posted on a website (thus the reason I didn’t fill out the Q&A form), I did want to share a brief bit of info. He was diagnosed around age 3. He had been normal on all levels of development prior to age 2, then over a 6 month time span after getting his 2 year immunizations he did a complete regression (over that 6 mo. time frame) to a less than 1 year old status. He lost all speech skills, etc. He re-developed his speech thanks to Nascar. He knew all of the driver’s names, sponsors, etc. and could say them all before he was able to re-learn simple words like “ball” or “mommy”. Thanks to the efforts of many friends and co-workers, we have been able to take him to several races and give him the chance to meet many of the drivers for autographs. Last summer, he was able to meet his hero and favorite Nascar driver. Good luck to you and your son, and God bless you for what you are doing with this site!

Read more Young Autistic fan regains speech, thanks to their love of NASCAR ...

The grandstands of Phoenix International Raceway hold app. 77,000 racing fans. When the ticket-holders for these seats file into the track on Saturday night for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 Cup race, they will all have one goal: to see an exciting NASCAR event with their own eyes instead of on the screens of their television sets, and to experience other sensations not felt in a den’s easy chair, such as the vibration of the stands when the engines fire. While sitting in the presence of thousands of other like-minded individuals, seeing a live race is a heady experience that should be experienced by every NASCAR fan at least once.

It is impossible to know who you will be sitting with until you arrive and find your designated seat. It could be a group of fans several states away from yours, or one family from your home state who root for a handful of different drivers. It might be a newlywed couple who are rabid fans of one particular driver, or grandparents who are bringing their grandchild to his or her first NASCAR race.

There is a great likelihood that you will also be sitting with someone with arthritis, diabetes, or some kind of heart condition. In the USA, these conditions, as well as many others, are unfortunately quite prevalent.

As April is Autism Awareness Month, it may surprise you to learn that there is a chance you could be seated by someone with this disorder as well. You will likely hear the latest statistics about Autism as a news byte on television, or read them as part of headlines to various articles. Artie Kempner, Director of NASCAR on Fox, will make sure the phone number for the Autism Society of America will be on-screen, and the drivers who sport special paint schemes for the cause will be featured in interviews. He has a vested interest in spreading awareness of Autism as the parent of a child with the disorder, as do I.

Read more Chances are good that many NASCAR fans know a child with Autism, and chances are becoming greater that many of them will raise one ...

As members of a family touched by Tourette Syndrome, Autism, and other companion disorders, Cheryl and Joshua (‘CAW’ and ‘JAW’) both understand the need for awareness of disabilities. Only through awareness can indifference and intolerance be abolished, and the march toward cures be supported and given strength.

While Joshua has interviewed the likes of such NASCAR luminaries as Mike Joy and Kenny Wallace, Cheryl and Joshua believe there are other stars in the NASCAR universe that should be given their time in the spotlight as well. As they believe that NASCAR fans are very compassionate and caring people, they believe they have the perfect audience for these special individuals and families.

Cheryl and Joshua are honored to bring these exceptional people to their web page to be made a ‘star for a day’. They welcome posted messages of support and kindness from the fans following each article. Help make a special someone have their place in the sun.

NASCAR’s Special Individuals and Families in Focus: Meet Glenn Price

Those lucky individuals who have been touched by ‘NASCAR fever’ know that the sights, smells, and sounds of this great sport are electrifying. The colorful cars running under the airport-bright fluorescent lights and the smell of the fuel and burning rubber are an intoxicating combination. Add to that the teeth-rattling roar of forty-three powerful engines at full throttle, and you have the sensory-numbing experience known as NASCAR.

It is true, though, that not all NASCAR fans experience these sensations the same way, or with the same intensity. For example, many fans that attend short tracks like Bristol bring along ear plugs to muffle out some of the auditory mayhem they know they will experience. Others are shielded from the intensity of the sound by wearing their scanner headphones.

One gentleman who you might occasionally see at Talladega Superspeedway won’t be wearing any earplugs, but the blasting cacophony doesn’t touch him the way it does others. He can ‘feel’ the roar of the engines, but cannot hear it with his ears. Glenn Price, of Alabama, was born with a hearing impairment, and is now completely deaf.

“I enjoy watching NASCAR races and seeing the drivers I like win, it is a neat hobby to have and I have enjoyed attending the Talladega races I have seen in person,” says Glenn.

Read more NASCAR’s Special Individuals and Families in Focus: Meet Glenn Price ...

As members of a family touched by Tourette Syndrome, Autism, and other companion disorders, Cheryl and Joshua (‘CAW’ and ‘JAW’) both understand the need for awareness of disabilities. Only through awareness can indifference and intolerance be abolished, and the march toward cures be supported and given strength.

While Joshua has interviewed the likes of such NASCAR luminaries as Mike Joy and Kenny Wallace, Cheryl and Joshua believe there are other stars in the NASCAR universe that should be given their time in the spotlight as well. As they believe that NASCAR fans are very compassionate and caring people, they believe they have the perfect audience for these special individuals and families.

Cheryl and Joshua are honored to bring these exceptional people to their web page to be made a ‘star for a day’. They welcome posted messages of support and kindness from the fans following each article. Help make a special someone have their place in the sun.

NASCAR’s Special Individuals and Families in Focus: Meet Gene Herbert Gaddis

Some of the roots of NASCAR are buried deep in the state of Kentucky. Such NASCAR stars as Jeremy Mayfield and the brothers Darrell and Michael Waltrip were born here, and the Kentucky Speedway is located in Sparta.

The Gaddis family (David, Dorothy, Gene Herbert, and Michael) are NASCAR fans from this great state. They began their interest in 1992, the last year that Richard Petty ran. They are fans of Dale Earnhardt Sr., Mark Martin, and Tony Stewart. They are also able to boast that they have attended a few races at what some consider the most exciting racetrack on the circuit, Bristol Motor Speedway.

Today in particular we would like NASCAR fans to meet Gene Herbert Gaddis. He is a young man who needs a lot of help and support from his family members. He is stricken with Cerebral Palsy, an incurable disorder that affects body movement and muscle coordination; and Hydrocephalus, an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain.

While people with Cerebral Palsy can be affected by it to varying degrees, Gene’s mother, Dorothy, says that Gene will need care for his lifetime. That care is intensive, requiring her to be on-call for him 24/7. He requires a feeding tube, as well as help being moved from room-to-room in their home. He cannot sit or stand by himself, and essentially everything must be done for him. When out in public people stare, and Dorothy and her family members do their best to explain Gene’s conditions and answer any questions that people may have.

Most of all she would like curious onlookers to know that people with handicaps are sensitive to the stares and whispers.

Her advice is this: “Just treat them like one of the crowd and remember they have feelings also, which can be hurt just like ours can.”

Read more NASCAR’s Special Individuals and Families in Focus: Meet Gene Herbert Gaddis ...

Our website, cawsnjaws.com, was ‘born’ two years ago. Prior to that, we were invited to be a part of the Frontstretch.com family as a forum on their original message board. People responded to our posts about NASCAR, special families, and the information we provided about Tourette Syndrome (a neurological disorder our family is affected by). After a time, we were inspired to start our own website, and continue our mission to not only write columns about NASCAR, but to help spread awareness of Tourette Syndrome and the disorders that many times accompany it.

The desire to do this is derived from the experiences we have had as a special family. Everything from being ostracized in our community, to the wide-open acceptance that we have experienced from the very day we became NASCAR fans. The good and the bad; the defeats and the sweet victories. And the knowledge that the world is always a better place when people can see something that is not ‘ordinary’, identify it, and have compassion and empathy for it instead of fear or disgust. What people make up when they don’t understand something is almost always so much worse than the truth.

Not only are NASCAR fans notorious for their allegiance to their favorite drivers, but they are well-known as the most spiritual, compassionate, and giving sports fans in the country. My son, Joshua, and I have enjoyed so much sharing our thoughts about NASCAR and our experiences in our lives through the years, and NASCAR fans have responded to us quite positively.

As the bleak and dreary off-season is upon us, we thought this would be the opportune time to try to launch an idea that we have had for a while. Joshua in particular has a talent for asking good questions in interviews, and has gotten folks like Mike Joy, Artie Kempner, Kenny Wallace, and Dave Despain to do interviews with him.

We have been thrilled about that, of course, but we think there are some very exceptional people out there in the world of the NASCAR fans that could be showcased as well. We are thinking in particular of the special people, the people with diseases, disorders, and other handicaps, who live courageous and difficult lives that families not affected by things such as this are aware of.

It was not until I was the parent of a special child that I was aware of the additional difficulties that exist in the world of the handicapped. For instance, going to school is a normal routine for most families; but it is not that way for a child with special needs. In the generation I grew up in, the special kids were in classrooms kept apart from the other kids, but it is not that way anymore. The trendy term is ‘full inclusion’. I could write a novel as lengthy as ‘War and Peace’ about my experiences getting Joshua through high school, and my mental wrestling with subjects like full inclusion, and that is just one aspect of his life. That isn’t including the decisions that need to be made about doctors, medication, therapy, and such things as the transition from school to adult life.

We would like to offer the special families that are also NASCAR fans the chance to be in the spotlight. We have put together some questions that, when answered, should be able to provide an idea of who they are, how their lives are affected by their disabilities, and what dreams they may have.

If you are a special person with a disability, disorder, or handicap, or are a family member or friend of one, please answer the following questions and submit them to specialfamily@cawsnjaws.com. Joshua and I will review them, and will contact you when we are ready to run your story on our website.

Read more Please help us showcase NASCAR’s special families ...

The actual number of people affected with the neurological disorder known as Tourette Syndrome is not known, but recent research is suggesting the number is somewhere near 1 out of 200 people.

The tricky thing about having Tourette is that you might not even know that you have it. The tics, or involuntary movements, that are the hallmark of the disorder do not present themselves immediately (the most common ages for them to begin are from 7-9 years of age) and may or may not last a lifetime. But if a person is afflicted with Tourette Syndrome, they are born with it and die with it. Whether or not it is correctly diagnosed and treated is the difference between a full and happy life (when the person is aware of their disorder, is educated about it, and learns ways to cope) and one filled with pain and self-loathing (when the person never truly understands their own body, is blamed for the lack of control over it, and is unfairly judged and ostracized from their community).

Doctors and other medical professionals may or may not recognize the disorder, so the chances for people to be correctly diagnosed are hit-or-miss. In my case, we travel the length of our state to receive the proper care for our family member with the disorder. We were unsuccessful in finding a doctor in our area that thoroughly understood and knew how to treat the Tourette Syndrome, as well as the disorders that many times accompany it.

If you do not have a family member or friend with Tourette Syndrome, you may dismiss the above information as important, but not significant to you personally.

The purpose of this column is to suggest to you, a NASCAR fan, why you should care about the above the information.

If 1 in 200 people are afflicted with Tourette Syndrome, then let’s apply that to attending a NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bristol holds 160,000 people. The seats are always full, so that means that 800 folks in the stands have the disorder. Let’s compare this to the number of people with arthritis, which is 1 in 100 people. That means that 1,600 in the audience have arthritis. How many people do you know with arthritis? It’s fairly common, so you should. What should strike you then, is that Tourette Syndrome is half as common as arthritis. In my clumsy way I am trying to drive home the point that there are more people out there with Tourette Syndrome than you realize, and in all likelihood you either work with someone with the disorder, live near someone with it, or maybe even have a family member with it.

Are you now thinking about that boss with what you have always assumed was a nervous condition, wherein he would constantly clear his throat and blink his eyes, might really have Tourette Syndrome? Your grandmother might have even made you giggle when she brushed the hair from her forehead over and over and over, even when the hair really wasn’t hanging there anymore? Or perhaps you have become concerned about your son, who constantly rubs his eyes. The optometrist and allergy doctor have both assured you there is no medical reason why he does so, and you are becoming irritated with your boy because he is actually rubbing the skin raw around his eyes.

In all of the cases above and many more, your ability to identify what the problem may be might make a vital difference in how you react to or take action about what you are experiencing. As is the case in so many other things in life, knowing exactly what you are dealing with is so much better than not.

Read more Why NASCAR fans should care about Tourette Syndrome ...

I find myself once again being so thankful to Kenny and Steve Wallace for coming forward and sharing with NASCAR fans everywhere that they have the neurological disorder known as Tourette Syndrome. I am in no way celebrating the fact that they have any kind of problem at all; if it were up to me no one would have anything that you have to look up in a medical book. The fact remains, however, that they do have Tourette, and as a family member of people who have it and advocate for the rights of anyone afflicted with it, I am thrilled that, by their admissions, they have people interested in learning about it. The end result of otherwise compassionate folks like NASCAR fans knowing what Tourette Syndrome is when they see it can only be a positive thing for themselves and the people they may meet with the disorder.

The most identifiable symptom of Tourette Syndrome is physical tics, or involuntary movements. These can take the form of repetitive eye-blinking, shoulder shrugs, opening and closing of the mouth, grunting, or adjusting of clothing. There are many kinds of tics, and they wax and wane, get replaced by others, or may disappear completely (for more complete lists of tics, visit the National Tourette Syndrome Assn.’s site, or just put ‘Tourette Syndrome’ in your address bar and follow the links). Generally tics appear around the ages of 7-9, and may or may not last a lifetime.

If you have read this so far, I commend you for your interest. Perhaps you are now thinking about someone you know that has a habit of making some kind of odd movement that you now think may be a tic. There is a chance it is a symptom of Tourette, and, if it is, the person may or may not know they have it. Unfortunately Tourette is still often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed altogether. The reality is that there are still many doctors who are unable to identify it, or have no idea how to treat it or where to send a patient to receive the correct care.

Therefore I would like to help you if you ever are in the presence of someone with the disorder. Imagine if you were attending your favorite racetrack and ended up sitting next to someone with Tourette. Let’s say the person constantly jerked their shoulder and cleared their throat. As this would be happening often enough that you realize that it isn’t that they have a cramp in the shoulder or the beginning of a head cold, you might think to yourself, “I don’t think this person can help what they’re doing. Maybe this is Tourette Syndrome.”

Read more What would you do if someone with Tourette Syndrome was sitting next to you at your favorite racetrack? ...