By Paula McHugh - The Beacher, April 11, 2002

Rusty, Jim, Joe, Coby, and Brian each live in his own private world, a common manifestation of autism. Yet at the same time, each of the men are keenly aware of every noise, every smell, every touch and every sight from something outside of their mostly impenetrable worlds. Rusty's Morningstar Ranch (RMR) provides the structure and means to allow the four ranchers to stretch their potential for navigating the world, as you and I know it. Mornings after breakfast the ranchers ready themselves to head down the hill to the barn for morning chores and work in the garden. While Joe brushes Jocelyn, one of the two horses, Rusty gathers the hose to fill the water trough. Jim, a compulsive picker-upper, tidies up around the barn. Brian waits for instructions on tending the garden. The ranch dog, Sheba keeps a close eye on her gentle flock while occasionally chasing Smoky the cat around the barnyard. When daily chores are finished, the ranchers might take turns shooting hoops before heading back to the ranch house to tidy up their individual rooms. And when the weather reaches a consistent 80 degrees or more, the outdoor pool becomes a focal pint for cooling off and letting off excess energy.

Every Monday and Friday, with chores completed and rooms cleaned, the ranchers anticipate an afternoon workout with Mike. The personal trainer from Sedona volunteers his time to guide the men to perform bench presses, curls, and other muscle-building exercises with weights. The four ranchers, fit from their weight lifting easy. Well, it appears that way to an observer. Later, after Monday supper, hospital Chaplain Paul will make his weekly visit to conduct a lively, not solemn church service. Chaplain Paul combines humor and stories to engage the ranchers in an hour of spiritual exercise, including hymns and a sing-a-long.

RMR is tucked away in a quiet corner of Cornville, Arizona, not far from the Verde Valley's economic hub of Cottonwood, a 10-minute drive away. Except for waking roosters, barking dogs, and occasional evening howling serenades from coyotes, the quiet surroundings of the ranch are well suited for persons with autism. Notice that I don't say "persons suffering from autism, or persons afflicted with autism, or the autistic. Often it is we, not they, who are suffering or afflicted because of the barriers to understanding the minds of people who behave so differently from our everyday interpersonal experience. Loud noises are unwelcome for many of us; for the ranchers, the decibel levels can be excruciating. Yet Jim makes loud noises, and Brian makes loud noises. Lack of fully developed speech is a prime reason. Rusty echoes speech, and then repeats the same phrases again and again. Joe can carry on a normal conversation with anyone, and then may go off in a corner and converse with himself. None of these behaviors is normal in the sense that you and I know normal to be.

For all the unusual behaviors that Rusty, Jim, Joe and Brian exhibit, they are not kept isolated at the ranch. Each of the ranchers takes his turn riding into town (Cottonwood or Sedona) to help run errands. On weekends, group outings to a movie, a hike, or other festive events allow the ranchers new recreational experiences. Many of the clerks at Cottonwood's Wal-Mart greet the ranchers by name. Taking lunch in town is a treat, where, for example, a rancher has the opportunity to show off his hard-won lessons in dining etiquette. For the many staff members who have come and gone - yes, they each eventually burn out and move on - the rancher's families, who know well how challenging the staff's work happens to be, whisper a prayer of thanks.

It is the staff's responsibility to draw, as gently as possible, these men out from their other worlds and into down-to-earth situations. Staff members Eric, Duane, Greg, John, Bill and Marc work as a team to nudge the ranchers into a routine that is structured and instructive.

Anj, the household coordinator, enjoys what she does, and is sort of the "house mom", serving as a motherly presence in ways beyond her much loved daily lunch and dinner menus. "It's just like a big family, and I love being a part of it."

Ranch founders Jack and Carlene Armstrong lived in Flagstaff in the early 1980's. They were disheartened by the lack, of programs for people with autism yet were not about to deny their son Rusty the opportunity to learn and thrive in a decent environment. They found a piece of land in Cornville with a ranch house one hour south of their familiar surroundings. Full of faith, the Armstrong's set out on a shoestring, selling their Flagstaff home in order to establish a new venture which would become a haven for at least four, and maybe someday as many as a dozen men.

Carlene, a friend and associate of noted autism researcher and advocate, Bernard Rimland, was tirelessly active in state and national organizations related to the needs of people with autism. Carlene's reputation as a fighter for rights of those with disabilities kept the ranch going for the past 19 years. Throughout that time, the pioneering founder and mother of 45-year old Rusty has been sought out frequently by parent groups who hold the same dream of building a similar program for their children. Carlene, who passed away in May 2003, was the first to tell them that it's a hands on, day-to-day challenge requiring persistence, determination, tolerance for setbacks, and a strong underpinning of faith. Battles with budgets and bureaucracies add to the mix of challenges beyond the daily monitoring of each rancher's well being. As a non-profit enterprise, making money is not the point of RMR. Making lives richer, if only for a small group, is.

Lucky are we, whose sons have found an opportunity to live fulfilling lives at Rusty's Morningstar Ranch. It is not a place that advertises itself to the outside world, but its story is an inspiration that's pleasant to share.

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