# Special needs group visit!



## matt41gb (Jun 21, 2011)

My special needs friends came to visit me and the tortoises today! I worked with all of them at a day camp for special needs for many years. I have also coached most of them in various sports for Special Olympics of Texas. They are all like family to me. The group planned a field trip to my house and they had a great time!


















































































-Matt


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## dmmj (Jun 21, 2011)

That's awesome looks like the giant one is a big hit. My cousin (also special needs) had her first prom, she had a blast I took lots of pictures for her. they all seem to have had a great time at your place.


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## matt41gb (Jun 21, 2011)

Very cool! I hope that she had a good time. My mother still works there and she's the one who set up the visit. They have been talking about it for a week now, ha! We had to keep the visit short because of the extreme heat and humidity today. I snapped as many pictures as I could. 

-Matt


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## Zouave (Jun 21, 2011)

Yet more proof that Tortoise people are some of the kindest, most caring people around.


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## October (Jun 21, 2011)

You rock Matt! My older sister has Down's Syndrome and always always love the outings that she gets to go on with her friends. Thank you for doing this.


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## jackrat (Jun 21, 2011)

Matt,you are the Man!! I've always wanted to do something like that. I'm going to started checking around my area.


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## Missy (Jun 21, 2011)

Thank you for posting. I love working with special needs people that come through the ER. Happiest people on earth and they always make me smile


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## jaizei (Jun 21, 2011)

This was awesome of you.


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## Yvonne G (Jun 21, 2011)

That's pretty special that you allowed a "hands-on" approach. I'll bet it meant a lot to them to be able to actually hold and touch a tortoise.


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## SnakeyeZ (Jun 21, 2011)

Great job!


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## Candy (Jun 21, 2011)

I liked this thread very much. What a wonderful day they shared at your home with all of your tortoises. It's always nice to see people smiling and sharing joy in each others lives. Good for you Matt and good for them to have you and your mother in their lives.


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## N2TORTS (Jun 21, 2011)

emysemys said:


> That's pretty special that you allowed a "hands-on" approach. I'll bet it meant a lot to them to be able to actually hold and touch a tortoise.



"Well said"..Yvonne ............ Very cool Matt~ 

JD~


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## DixieParadise (Jun 21, 2011)

I applaud you and your torts...They looked like they had just as much fun eating the watermelon as your visitors. Great pictures, thanks for posting them.


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## Maggie Cummings (Jun 21, 2011)

OMGosh, look at all those happy faces. That's just what I needed after the insults on another thread. Those pictures make me smile...


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## Laura (Jun 21, 2011)

very nice.. but does your sulcata obey that fence?


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## Maggie Cummings (Jun 21, 2011)

Laura said:


> very nice.. but does your sulcata obey that fence?



I have a friend in Montana who has 4 Sulcata kept with a fence weaker looking than that one. Not all Sulcata are destructive...


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## matt41gb (Jun 21, 2011)

Thanks for the nice replies guys! I've known these kids for a long time and they thought it was so cool to come see all these tortoises I've been talking about . It's really neat to see that others have family with special needs, or just love people with special needs. They are some of the greatest people on Earth! Most of them grew up together at the same schools, so we're all one big happy family. I think that everyone should volunteer at Special Olympics at some point in their lives. I know that once you do it, you'll always want to do it. 



maggie3fan said:


> Laura said:
> 
> 
> > very nice.. but does your sulcata obey that fence?
> ...



That fence looks flimsy, but it has just enough bounce to keep him from going through it. 

-Matt


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## Sky2Mina (Jun 22, 2011)

They all look so happy. I know I would be happy If I could see and touch an adult sulcata.  

Mina


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## dmarcus (Jun 22, 2011)

Thats awesome that you and your tortoises made them all very happy, I am sure there families appreciated that a lot..


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## sara (Jun 25, 2011)

Loved all the smiles and happy faces! After a terrible week of work, just looking at these pics made it all go away! I have worked with a few special needs kids with my horses, and i swear the horses knew these kids were special and were always at their best. Thanks for shareing!


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## onarock (Jun 25, 2011)

Matt, those are some great pics. What your doing is A+


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## stells (Jun 26, 2011)

What a lovely thing to do... great pics.


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## matt41gb (Jun 26, 2011)

Thanks guys! Working with those kids sure makes you look at life a little differently. I don't know what I'd do without them. My wife is a special needs high school teacher, with her Masters in Autism. She's one tough cookie to teach those guys almost all year. It's hard for her sometimes, but I think God knew what he was doing, because I can be pretty tough to live with sometimes, haha!! She has wonderful patience with me.  

-Matt


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## DesertGrandma (Jun 26, 2011)

The world needs more people like you and your wife. Job well done!!


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## Jacqui (Jun 26, 2011)

Look at all those happy faces! What a great day they all seem to be having.


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## Geochelone_Carbonaria (Jun 28, 2011)

matt41gb said:


> Thanks guys! Working with those kids sure makes you look at life a little differently. I don't know what I'd do without them. My wife is a special needs high school teacher, with her Masters in Autism. She's one tough cookie to teach those guys almost all year. It's hard for her sometimes, but I think God knew what he was doing, because I can be pretty tough to live with sometimes, haha!! She has wonderful patience with me.
> 
> -Matt



And all my best to you Matt for this, from the other side of the Atlantic !

I know exactly what you've done here, and how much this is appreciated, since our son is Autistic (he has Aspergers Syndrome).

It was thanks to him that I got involved with RF's, since we actually gave him a yearling on his 10'th birthday (wrapped up in a tiny easter egg)  This RF is now 13 years old and he still takes really good care of it, and all of my other RF's too when needed, although he's now got other interests in his life ( like music  )

Thanks for sharing Matt !


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## matt41gb (Jun 29, 2011)

Mike, that's so sweet of you to give him his red-foot in an Easter egg! I bet that he'll never forget that!! There is one girl in the group named Julie, who has Autism. She is so smart and funny. I bet she remembers everything that I said about the tortoises that day. My wife and I always say that if we have a special needs baby, then we'll both be very prepared. 

-Matt


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## ALDABRAMAN (Jul 12, 2011)

Outstanding!


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## wrmitchell22 (Jul 12, 2011)

AWESOME!! Great job and love the pics! You helped them have a wonderful, fun and educational outing


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## DocNezzy (Jul 12, 2011)

Nicely done man. Keep it up.


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## CJSTorts (Jul 12, 2011)

matt41gb said:


> Thanks guys! Working with those kids sure makes you look at life a little differently. I don't know what I'd do without them. My wife is a special needs high school teacher, with her Masters in Autism. She's one tough cookie to teach those guys almost all year. It's hard for her sometimes, but I think God knew what he was doing, because I can be pretty tough to live with sometimes, haha!! She has wonderful patience with me.
> 
> -Matt



Everyone looks so happy. I am also a special education teacher, it can be a hard job, but when they smile like that it makes it all worth it. I would love to do something like this with my students.


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