Helping Others

Below is a letter from Ben Tatar. As an individual that has faced some of the challenges presented by Autism Spectrum Disorders, Ben serves as an example to many. At the age of twenty-five, Ben is a high school graduate, a recent recipient of a college degree from Adirondack Community College, a published writer, and an accomplished athlete. Ben is proud of his accomplishments, and is extremely motivated when it comes to using his own experience as a tool to help inspire others.

"As a person who has faced adversities, I have found that it was important to find an area where I felt confident and achieved success. It is important for people to discover what they enjoy and do well. For me personally, some areas that helped me overcome previous challenges were weight training, writing and surrounding myself with inspiring people.

In high school I was accidentally placed in two consecutive study halls due to a scheduling error. I couldn't sit still for one study hall and two would be very challenging. The solution was to stick me in the weight room to keep me busy. I started working in the weight room and lifting weights on my own. Over a period of time, I discovered I could lift weights other people couldn't lift. This helped my self-esteem. I was also lucky to meet and seek out some mentors who shared wisdom about life and supported me in my quest to be the best person I could be. I then combined my interest in writing and weight training and started interviewing people for magazines and online magazines.

I'm still the same Ben that I was before, but now my life has new direction. I have something positive to do during my time, and my life feels happy, balanced and successful. Finding areas of competency that also bring enjoyment has made a difference in helping me overcome challenges in my life.

It is important to have programs that give people with challenges opportunities to show others and themselves that they are important and that they can achieve a lot. Sometimes individuals don't know their areas of competency until they try a number of things. These programs will give people with challenges opportunities to achieve more than they could ever imagine and feel better about themselves. The self-esteem that one can gain from these programs can be carried into other aspects of life, and the discipline one learns from these programs can last a lifetime. People with special challenges sometimes need special care. This can be challenging for families, and these programs will also benefit family members."

A resident of Queensbury, New York, Ben is the son of ADK Charities director, Neil Tatar and brother to ADK Charities Director, Daniel Tatar. Ben may be reached at ben.tatar@gmail.com.