A Good Fence
May 18, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
In Terre Haute, Indiana, Barbara Sollers needed a fence and Quality Fence built one. Sollers’ five-year-old son, Zach, is autistic; her husband is in a wheelchair and Sollers is only person who could be with Zach outside. The Terre Haute News reports that Zach’s school aide, Nancy Alkire, called Quality Fence. Owner Matt Dillon and a crew built 270 feet of a five-foot-high galvanized chain-linked fence, so Zach can roam in his yard.
Since we’re living in a (second-floor) condo now, we don’t really have a yard (we do have a parking lot, which is not exactly a great play space for Charlie, though traffic is minimal). We used to have both front and back yards in our old house; one reason Jim and I were drawn to the house is because it had a very nice fenced-in back yard. Charlie has always, though, preferred to be in the front yard, which we’ve never had fenced and, when Charlie was younger, there were some heart-stopping moments when Charlie was there and then he wasn’t. (One time, he had gone into a neighbor’s backyard to play on their play structure and was unfindable for some very long minutes.)
Last year when we were living in Jim’s parents’ house—it has huge front and back yards, and a long driveway—Charlie, on his own, started staying within the boundaries of the yard. There was no fence but he seemed to understand that he was to stay on the grass (there was a lot of it) and on the sidewalk. I still often found myself sitting in a chair on the driveway—you just never know.
We are working on fencing in our yard right now. It has to get done! M is good about staying with us but like you said, You never know.
That is awesome that the fence place built that family a fence. Fences are very expensive.
We’re in the process of getting bids for fencing too. Alas, our kiddo is NOT good about staying with us, though she respects boundaries reasonably well at daycare. At home she takes off running for the sheer game and joy and sensory bang of it, and she is remarkably strong and fast for a 4-year-old. (I dream of competitive sprinting for her someday, but that takes self-discipline which is not within sight just yet.)
It’s encouraging to hear about Charlie learning to stay within the grass-and-sidewalk boundaries. Gives me hope.
Just about all of the back yards in my town have concrete walls around them. Let me tell you, that walled-in back yard of ours has been a life saver, figuratively and probably literally. My little 5 year old autistic boy has a lot of fun outside, and I can be a little less vigilant while he’s out there. Overall our back yard is safer and more fun than anywhere else we know, including inside the house!