Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

updated 9:00 pm 3/23/17 A great concern of parents with children who have special needs is the social integration of their children into the community. Most times, those with Downs Syndrome and on the autism spectrum experience social isolation. With autism, the more severe the condition is the greater obstacles exist for social developmental experiences to occur. Social isolationism becomes even sharper as time elapses and the children become adolescents and finally reach adulthood.  How can the community and special needs parents bridge the social divide of typical children and those with special needs? Is it needful to let things be and accept that the task is too monumental to overcome? I put forth the ‘MindCraft strategy’ as a guiding light that may get community to come together empathically for the good of all.  Send Them on Missions It does not have to be a big orchestration, rather a continuous set of experiences that teach real-world life skill...

updated 2/15/17 When shepherds cease to do their jobs the sheep do scatter. They know not to stay together, nor have the strength to fight off wolves as one flock.  Moment to moment it is not hard to lead the flock. The test is in endurance. Staying with them and moving at their pace. Sheep are slow and keep their heads down. A shepherd task is to be their additional eyes and ears and to care for them with a willing and able heart knowing that the master looks on the shepherd’s way and his management of the flock.  By definition, a shepherd is a constant guide and physician, trained with an eye to watch for intruders, lambs that go astray and lambs that are sick and need tending. Many do purport themselves to be shepherds across the earth and indeed do lead sheep of different sorts.  In the house of the Lord, the guidance and management of lambs has the shepherds walking a fine line, his actions being magnified and creating a shadow of influen...