Motorcycling with Meaning: Bikers Convene for Arts 'n Autism

A motorcycle enthusiast for nearly a decade, I have taken countless rides across the country with my husband Reggie on our Honda Goldwing GL 1800. We've participated in rides with friends, traveled to numerous motorcycle rallies and enjoyed meeting members of various motorcycle clubs and organizations. However, I would have to say that of all the memorable times we've shared, none were more personally meaningful to me than our recent participation in the Arts 'n Autism Motorcycle Ride in Tuscaloosa, AL.

On Saturday, June 5, 2010, Reggie and I joined approximately 50 other motorcyclists for a ride in support of Arts 'n Autism, a nonprofit program that is housed at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa and provides after-school and summer camp programs for autistic children ages 3 and up. My 20-year-old cousin Corey Marbury has been a participant in the program for several years and is now an ambassador in their Learning Independence for Future Education and Employment (LIFE) spinoff program. Corey suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism that is often associated with abnormalities in communication and social interaction. His smiling face was one of the first that we saw as we pulled up to our meeting location at Tuscaloosa Fire Station #2.

"Hi Reginald. Hi Jamie," Corey greeted us as we descended from our bike, pulled off our helmets and exchanged hugs. Accompanied by his parents, Orlando and Sharon Marbury and 13-year-old sister Brianna, Corey was eager to watch the motorcycles assume formation and take off on their journey. "I had been waiting to see it," he would later indicate. As his dad captured snippets of the event with a video camera, Corey walked with him and excitedly surveyed his surroundings.

In a few minutes, Reggie and I, along with the other motorcyclists who came out to support the event, would embark on an approximate 40-mile ride escorted by the Tuscaloosa Police. The rain that had been forecast would hold off until later in the day, permitting us to enjoy one of the most pleasant and peaceful bike excursions we had ever experienced through some areas of Tuscaloosa County that even our navigation system could not pick up. As we waved to friendly bystanders who stopped what they were doing to witness this spectacular moment, I reflected on how much more difficult cousin Corey's trek with autism has been than our smooth trip.

Corey's mother Sharon gives thanks for two people in particular who have been instrumental in her son's development. The first, Joan Wheeler, a special education teacher in Alexander City, AL, volunteered her time and efforts to help Corey learn to communicate verbally. "He learned to talk first through sign language," Sharon explained. "Joan worked with him 3 days a week during the summer when he was 4 years old. She taught him to sign and then actually say, 'My name is' and 'I want'." Wheeler, who is married to a former co-worker of Sharon's husband Orlando, unselfishly dedicated herself to helping Corey without any expectations of financial compensation.

Corey would spend his elementary school years in the special education program at school, complete with caring and supportive staff members who were knowledgeable of his condition and special needs. Shortly after the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was signed into law on January 8, 2002 by then-President George W. Bush, however, Corey would be mainstreamed into regular classes, which would prove challenging for him and his parents. "Ninth grade was hell," says Sharon, who noted that Corey's special education teacher (who worked alongside the regular classroom teacher) chose simply to classify him as 'mentally challenged' and took no extra steps to educate herself on his autism or how she could better assist him.

During the 10^th grade, a second person would enter Corey's life who would have a profound impact on his development. Celetrius Hughes was a special education teacher who began working at Corey's high school. Caring, savvy and highly personable, Hughes would take Corey under her wing and form an alliance with his mother Sharon in an effort to help him matriculate successfully through high school. Sharon also worked diligently to support her son by creating weekly assignment sheets for all of his teachers to fill out and sign so that she could help him stay abreast of his homework.

I was so proud to attend Corey's high school graduation in May of 2009. I was equally proud when he took on a part-time job at Park Manor Nursing Home in Northport, AL, where he works four days each month. And despite his lackluster reaction to local publicity, I couldn't have been more excited to learn that Corey had been featured in an article by Ashley Boyd entitled "Growing up with Autism," that was published in the Tuscaloosa News on Sunday, May 23, 2010.

Corey, of course, takes everything in stride. These days, the highlights for him are drawing, watching movies on DVD, downloading his favorite songs off iTunes and more importantly, serving as a helper and mentor to the younger children at Arts 'n Autism. He was doing the latter while all of the bikers were on the road. In fact, when the big motorcycle ride was over and we all reconvened at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Corey was too busy with the kids to hobnob with us older folks and welcome us back. "I was with the little ones," he replied in a serious tone when I inquired about where he had disappeared to that afternoon. "They were excited."

When asked how he enjoyed watching the Arts 'n Autism Motorcycle Ride takeoff, Corey's response was simple: "It was good," he said with a smile. "I liked it."