Meet Kendall

                  

Kendall Patrick Noble is a 16 year-old sophomore at Battle Mountain High School in Edwards. He was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. The journey with Kendall over the past years has been challenging, full of hurdles but always rewarding. Just like any other kid. We are still not exactly sure where he will end up but we can be sure that the rest of the journey will be just as exciting as the first part. I think his story may help you understand some of the challenges he (and other kids like him) faces and also why it is a huge benefit, not only for Kendall, but for those with the curious and open attitude, to put aside some of the hurdles and get to know him.

Kendall has always exhibited many classic autistic behaviors which people who have not been exposed to kids on the spectrum often find odd and off-putting. When Kendall was younger he would sometimes have tantrums in public as his sensory receptors became overloaded. He has managed to get this behavior under control although there are still infrequent episodes when he loses it in public. He often stims, making odd sounds and noises, sometimes hopping up and down and moving his arms around. Since he is now over 6 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds, it can be intimidating to someone who does not know him. We are always pleased when Kendall meets someone who can accept his behavior, not be intimidated or repulsed by it, and interact with Kendall. Like most kids, Kendall is very curious about other people and wants to get to know them.

A good example happened a few years ago in Beaver Creek. Kendall approached a family and was curious to know where they were from and what they were doing. Kendall is very outgoing but has not yet mastered some of the finesse of casual conversation. His questions often come across as interrogation: direct, rapid fire, with not much information contributed from his end. A lovely family from Indiana patiently fielded his questions with good humor. Kendall was convinced they were from the country of India, not the state of Indiana and grilled them about this. They graciously explained until Kendall understood. Once Kendall’s questions were answered he relaxed and began to field questions from their end. Kendall was thrilled with the dialog and we watched with warm hearts as this played out.

We really enjoy living in our beautiful village in the Colorado Mountains.  It is a small community and many people have gotten to know Kendall, understand his behavior and gladly include him. One of the reasons for this inclusivity is the attitude and culture of the Eagle County School system and Battle Mountain High School in particular. Principal Rob Parish is also the cross country and track and field coach. He has developed an environment that not only has a zero tolerance for any type of exclusion but also has resulted in a group of kids that are genuinely open and inclusive. This was a huge support for Kendall as a new freshman entering into that very scary and strange new world of high school. Upper classmen encouraged Kendall during practices, cheering him on even though he is not one of the fastest runners. They helped him understand the exercises and stretches, pushing him if he got a bit lazy. Their support was not limited to practices. For the first week of school, Kendall was assigned an upperclassman who helped him find his classes and introduced him to other students. Not only did this take some of the anxiety away from the new school, but it gave Kendall a lot of visibility and credibility to the entire school population. His team mates went out of the way to invite him to join their table at lunch when he had no other place to sit. This genuine culture of inclusivity has given Kendall a big boost in confidence and has helped him not only improve his running but also has been a huge factor in fully integrating him into the high school community.

We have been lucky to have several educators who have understood the benefit in taking the time to let people understand the special behavior of kids like Kendall and to go out of their way to ensure that kids get to know Kendall and that Kendall is able to show that he is a normal kid in many ways, despite some of his unusual behaviors. We lived in Switzerland for six years. During that time we were fortunate to have an amazing professional leading the special needs area of Zurich International School, Mr. Elias Barlow. Kendall’s first year at ZIS was the first year that the school had a program for kids with special needs. Elias went to great pains to introduce this small group of kids to the rest of the community, and to be sure they understood that although these kids may behave in different ways that they were kids that were interesting to know and fun to be with. Elias has since moved on to schools in Columbia and Panama. When he was in Bogota, he invited Kendall to visit and took him to school for a day where he met with a class of kids and sat with them while they asked him questions about autism, about himself and about his life experiences. I am sure that any student who has studied at a school where Elias Barlow has taught will enter adulthood with a truly open and inclusive attitude.

I hope you get to meet Kendall sometime. He is great kid, very smart, very funny and mischievous with a good heart. He has a lot of friends with similar disabilities and with the same underlying goodness that is a pleasure to be with. There is a big reward waiting for people who can accept some of the behavioral differences these kids may exhibit and get to know these remarkable people.

Join the conversation.  We want to hear YOUR voice.

Have you seen someone with autistic behaviors? How does Kendall's story help you understand those behaviors?

Have you had the opportunity to live in an inclusive community?  Tell us about it.

Have you had a conversation with someone who has autism?  What was it like?

Resources:

Join the conversation.  We want to hear YOUR voice.

Understand More about Autism:  https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/autism-spectrum-disorders.htm

Is Your Child's School Inclusive?  https://inclusiveschools.org/finding-an-effective-inclusive-school-questions-every-parent-should-ask/

How to Explain to Your Child Why Some People Are Different:  https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/understanding-childs-challenges/talking-with-your-child/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-learning-and-thinking-differences