[MR] People banned from SCA events

[David Chessler]

------ Original Message ------
Received: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:03:06 PM EDT
From: Stefan li Rous <StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>
To: Atlantia maillist <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
Subject: Re: [MR] People banned from SCA events

> JR commented:
> <<< So this canton member I was referring to was rediagnosed as not
> having the 3 problems he was receiving medicine for. It turns out he has
> Asperger syndrome instead, and the other medicines he was receiving were
> only making things worst. Now that he is no longer over medicated, and
> we know what he is dealing with, this canton member is on his way to
> becoming an archer. >>>
> 
> I'm not sure what Asperger syndrome is, but here is a message posted  
> on another list, but not yet in the Florilegium disabilities-msg file,  
> that seems to support what JR is saying.

Aspergers is a relatively new diagnosis for what seems to the layman to be a
milder version of autism. The victim has difficulty responding to emotions or
to other people, and so has difficulty communicating. I suspect that "special
education" teachers would be effective at dealing with the situation, but I
think (but don't know) that none of the teachers who regularly attend the
Storvik fighter practices have more than basic training in special education.

I was witness to some (by no means all) of the discussions at the Storvik
practice. What I overheard was that the person was told that he was very
unlikely to become authorized in any of the forms of combat, which means he
would not be allowed on a list field. As for attending practices, I BELIEVE he
was told that he would not be allowed to practice. We had a similar situation
in Storvik a couple of years ago, in which the knight marshall prohibited the
person from touching the heavy weapons. He did practice rapier a few times
with the Deputy Knight Marshall, but not with any of our other rapierists. 

Recall that few of us are trained in psychology or psychiatry. If a person
behaves "abnormally," most of us have no idea of how to handle the situation.
If we have a feeling that the person is "unstable," or, for any reason unsafe,
or just unable to play our "game" by the rules, then we have few alternatives
to asking the person not to come. In the instance a couple of years ago, we
heard that the person had previously been asked to leave Markland, and also
Dagorhir.  
http://www.dagorhir.com/
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Dagorhir

http://www.markland.org/
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Markland_Medieval_Mercenary_Militia
http://www.longshipco.org/

As I understand the situation below, "Liam"'s mother has been active, and has
helped the rest of the Canton deal with Liam's issues. As I understand the
situation above, the patient is the only person who has been in direct contact
with the Barony, and it has become apparent, to some people at least, that the
patient is not a reliable judge of his own needs and situation. 

--

YIS

Davitt il Bigollo da Pisa
Erudit de l'Academie de Espee de Atlantia
Storvik (rapier)
Roxbury Mill (other things) 

> 
> ==================
> To: SCA Newcomers list <scanewcomers at yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: Children
> Posted by: "christopher chastain" ckchastain at hotmail.com draqq0nis
> Date: Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:59 am ((PDT))
> 
> <<< As I said before I am a single mom to a very imaginative ADHD five  
> year old boy. When I attend events it will be alone with Richard (my  
> son) in tow. Any advice?
> 
> Angie >>>
> 
> As far as children and the SCA go let me tell you about my son Liam,  
> he has ADHD and Aspbergers. Everyone in our shire knows Liam and his  
> issues and so do most folks at the kingdom level. He has been accepted  
> with open arms, issues and all. The group I'm with has the philosophy  
> of it takes a village and is something we cherish and do everything we  
> can, not to abuse.
> 
> Yours in Humble Service,
> Pomestnik Dmitrii Ivanov
> ====================
> 
> Stefan
> 
> --------
> THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
>     Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas         
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
> **** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****