11 April 4 - 10, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents of the gym, Spencer, a 7-year-old girl, hangs on the wall. “You got it, Spence,” yells her dad, Brandon Medley, from below. “Good job!” encourages Kono Gadt, a vol- unteer who works with Spencer often. Spencer pushes off the wall and swings freely, clapping her hands, before pushing off the wall again and repeating the ritual. It’s a habit of hers, a mid-air respite. “Get on the wall,” Brandon advises. “Focus,” her mom, Alexandria, adds. Her parents watch closely as Spencer re- gains her focus and climbs a bit higher on the white beginner route. She continues this way, taking breaks to swing before continuing up. Coach Sadie comes over to check on things and climbs up the wall a bit to offer advice. Spencer reaches for worms — pink, green, blue — and drops them to the floor. Her parents and Gadt cheer her on. Like Kevin and Jonah, Gadt and Spencer have forged a special relationship. “It’s fun watching her figure out the route,” Gadt says. “Other people might think she’s just swinging, but I can tell she’s working it out.” “Did you have fun, Spencer?” “Yeah,” she says, quietly. Excel, Not Struggle W atching Jonah and Jacob climb and laugh at the Grapevine gym, know- ing they lost their home to a fire just days before made for a remarkable sight. Both brothers have autism. People with autism can be particularly resistant to change, clinging to routines like climbers on a wall. Anyone, kid or adult, special needs or neurotypical, would struggle with losing their home. But their mom seemed im- pressed with how her kids were adapting to the extreme circumstances. “The kids are doing well. They’re adjusting to a new rou- tine, but we’re getting through.” Amanda Shaffstall, a speech pathologist, woke up to the fire alarm at 2:30 in the morn- ing. Her husband, Matt, was away hunting at the time. She opened the bedroom door to see a fire engulfing the pantry, the only room with a fire extinguisher besides the garage, which was blocked by the blaze. She got Jonah and Jacob out of the house and into the car with their dog and a few ne- cessities before the firefighters arrived. The heat from the fire popped out dry- wall screws throughout the whole house. Even upstairs, where the flames didn’t spread, the heat melted light switches and blinds. They will be able to recover items made of textiles, like clothes, but not plas- tic. “A lot of kids’ toys are made of plastic.” Amanda tried to salvage some of Jonah’s Legos, but even after six washes the smell of smoke and soot was still prevalent. “Basi- cally, all of their toys were non-salvageable. And then most of their books. Everything but stuffed animals, basically.” Five months since the fire, the family is still in a rental house in a neighborhood adjacent to where they lived in Northlake. Right now, the boys are taking a break from United Rocks as Jonah adjusts to a busy Applied Behavior Analysis therapy schedule, but they plan to go back once life quiets down. The house has to be re- built down to the studs, and the process has been slow. Sometimes the kids ask about the old house. “We told them they can’t go in there because it’s too dirty,” Amanda says. Jonah will start fussing at her sometimes, saying, “You need to go clean the other house!” “Well,” Amanda laughs, “it’s not that easy.” The Shaffstalls were thankful that week for an escape from their suddenly chaotic lives to climb and be with friends. “My two kids, we don’t get to do what some of our other friends do and get to go to a soccer game or a football game or gymnastics,” Amanda says. It can feel isolating for her kids to struggle in activities, trying to keep up with their peers. “Having an activity that you can watch them excel in, instead of struggle with or not be able to be accessible at all, is very exciting.” That week, the Shaffstalls looked to United Rocks as the one part of their routine they could control. The boys were pulled from their beds in the middle of the night without notice. Their home became unliv- able in a matter of moments. But on Sunday at 10 a.m., they knew where they’d be. Nathan Hunsinger Volunteer Carrington Woods sings “Shake it Off” with Wes Chadwick after a climb. *First-time guests only. Valid only for select services. Additional terms may apply. Participation may vary; please visit waxcenter.com for general terms and conditions. European Wax Center locations are individually owned and operated. © 2024 EWC Franchisor LLC. All rights reserved. European Wax Center® is a registered trademark. old town shopping center 214 368 4929 preston royal village 214 987 6995 addison walk 469 726 4464 casa linda plaza 214 320 4929 preston park village 214 778 1434 Smooth Skin, Smoother Moves Your First Wax is Free*
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