I would like to thank WCAX television for recently having Kayla’s Directory on their “The :30” program, the 5:30pm weekday local talk show. A friend of mine, Kevin Pellon, who believes strongly in the mission of Kayla’s Directory was exceptionally persistent over several weeks networking with WCAX to encourage them to highlight Kayla’s Directory on their show. His efforts paid off and not only was I invited to be interviewed but they requested Kayla be there as well!
Needless to say, when they made this request, my anxiety spiked. It was a live show! There would be no editing. Although I knew the interview would probably go fine, I could not help but imagine the worse. Afterall, as I have said many times, children like Kayla on the autism spectrum can be particularly unpredictable. Kayla in particular likes routines and dislikes surprises and she is very sensitive to noise. Who knew how she might react in a television studio – what potential unexpected elements of the environment might throw her off?
I had only three days to prepare Kayla (and myself for that matter) for the interview. Fortunately, WCAX was receptive to me providing them with particular questions that Kayla would show both interest in answering and be able to answer. Knowing Kayla’s love for Team Impact and hockey, I focused the questions on these areas and I spent the next couple of days discussing the questions with her so that she would be comfortable speaking. I also spent a considerable amount of time preparing her for what the studio would look like, what the process would likely be and in particular what behavior was expected.
The day before the interview, WCAX called to ask if it would be possible to shoot some video with Kayla and the recently donated Caroline’s Cart at Healthy Living. I hesitantly agreed, recognizing that video of the cart would be a great manner to help educate the community of its benefits but also knowing that shooting the video at the last minute might be difficult for Kayla. Kayla’s day had already been planned and explained to her and adding an unexpected wrinkle to it was a risky proposition. I prepped her as much as possible but as I feared, Kayla struggled mightily at the taping. She was neither compliant nor friendly and could not focus whatsoever. Throughout the process, however, the poor camera man was friendly and incredibly patient and eventually he got footage that they could use. Of course, my anxiety level for the interview the following day spiked. What had I gotten us into?
None the less, the next day we headed to WCAX where we were greeted by the friendly camera man! He gave Kayla a tour of the studio and showed her the video he had taken from Healthy Living. He was wonderful with Kayla and she was able to carry on a decent conversation with him. Fortunately, he had a good sense of humor and said he was able to edit the film from Healthy Living.
We then were introduced to Keith McGilvery, the young gentleman and co-host of ‘The 30″ who would be interviewing us . Keith immediately made a great connection with Kayla, his friendly and outgoing personality being just what she needed. He highlighted the “sparkly” shirt Kayla was wearing and continued to reference it in conversations with her throughout the entire show, helping to anchor her focus and their connection. Keith was also excellent at preparing Kayla, telling her what to expect, where she would sit and what questions he would ask her. As we were toward the latter part of the show, we needed to wait for a while for our interview. Keith helped Kayla wait patiently by engaging with her between segments when commercials were playing and letting her know what he was going to talk about next.
When it came time for the interview, Kayla excitedly jumped up in her chair and sat beside Keith. She was at ease and did an amazing job answering the questions that Keith asked her. As you can see in the clip on WCAX’s website, Kayla was not only engaged but very excited during the segment http://www.wcax.com/story/31388795/helping-vt-children-with-special-needs-and-their-families.
I cannot thank the WCAX employees involved in the whole process enough – the cameramen, the sound people, Keith and everyone else were terrific. They were all compassionate, friendly, and created a relaxed environment which helped put both Kayla and me at ease. They were exceptional with Kayla, understanding and accepting her unique quirkiness. They did not judge her when she was direct in her questions; they didn’t stop filming when she was making faces and grimacing in the camera; and they didn’t cut her off when she would carry on about something. They accepted her for who she is and enjoyed what she brought to the experience.
I left WCAX with a very positive attitude. Not because the directory got exposure but because it was another situation that Kayla shined – another instance where she tackled something which many children, with or without special needs, might struggle and where she was able to share some of her own love for life and happiness with others in the community. I believe Kayla left more than a few people at WCAX with smiles that day and she herself came home with a bag of cookies, a Keith-McGilvery-signed UVM Rally Cat picture and a big smile herself.
If you want to add a little smile to your face, watch the video and Kayla. It is priceless!
Watch the video HERE!