(upbeat rock music) ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ (upbeat rock music continues) ♪ Hey ♪ - Welcome to "A Shot of Ag."

If you're from a small town, can you make a difference on a national level?

Can you make a difference in people's life?

Well, our guest today definitely has.

Today, we're gonna be talking with Erica Matthews from Pana.

How you doing?

- Great.

How are you?

- And I said it right, Pana?

- Yeah, you did.

You nailed it.

- And where is that?

- So south of Springfield, about an hour south of Springfield.

- Okay.

So I appreciate you driving here.

- Thank you.

- That was a bit of a jaunt.

- It was a long drive, but I appreciate the opportunity.

- Is that where you're from originally?

- Mm-hm, born and raised.

- You are the founder of Autism and Movement Project, and you're also the owner of Brewin' Hope Coffeehouse, correct?

- Yes.

- Okay.

Which one came first?

- AAMP, the Autism and Movement Project came first.

- That's a great, a lot of times people have the, I don't know, it doesn't make sense, but AAMP, that has a strong, solid name to it, doesn't it?

- It does, yeah.

The abbreviation is the best part about it.

- So just explain what it is.

- Yeah.

So AAMP is the Autism and Movement Project.

So what it is at the core base is Autism Movement Therapy, which is a dance program designed for individuals with autism and special needs, kind of to help the body realize where it is in space and kind of help with those social skills and motor skills.

- So I'm Gen X. You know, autism, we think "Rain Man," the movie.

- Yeah.

- I remember one of my first interviews doing the podcast, I interviewed a lady that had a autistic kid, worked for Monsanto.

And I learned so much from that interview, and probably a lot of things that made me kind of cringe a little bit 'cause I realized behaviors that I was doing that probably, you know, a person like yourself would go, "Really?"

But she talked about like going to a grocery store, and, you know, she'd have the iPad, right, because they need something to focus on, and people would actually say, you know, "Do you really need?

Can't your kid be without it for a while?"

- Right.

- So there's a lot of misunderstanding in society.

- Absolutely.

Yeah, there is.

It's a lot of thinking that we're babying them or that we are just keeping them occupied so that we can do something else, when really, there's a much deeper reason why they're using that for themselves to help self-regulate or to kinda help block out all the noise from the outside world.

- So why autism?

Why'd you get into it?

- So I had gotten into autism because of my mother.

She was an aide in a special ed classroom in Pana.

And so junior high is where it started.

I would leave volleyball or basketball camp and go over to Washington School with my mom.

And in there with Mrs.

White and Mrs.

Lane were all these kids.

And my mom became a personal aide to a boy named Connor Taylor.

And when I met Connor, he was three years old and had limited speech, but he could put together a 75-piece puzzle starting from the middle.

He could do math problems, like third-grade math problems.

He would also point to all these sight words.

And I'm like, "If he can do all this, then why can he not talk?

I don't understand."

And so he and I developed a very close relationship along with some of the other kids.

I could get them to do things that they wouldn't do for the teachers, and I just kind of really developed a love for that, so.

- So, I mean, what were you doing different?

- I think I was meeting that connection over compliance.

So I would really get on the floor with them, and I'd be super silly with them.

And Connor and I, when it was just me and him, I was his whole world.

He'd be all like into what I was doing.

But if we were out in public, I wasn't there.

There was so much distraction going on.

So I think just having that personal relationship and really building that connection's what kind of changed those gears for them with me.

- So you're like a legit nice person?

- (chuckles) Yeah.

I mean, I hope so.

(chuckles) - I don't get it.

- You don't get it?

- No, never have.

- Oh, come on.

- But the ability to just care for somebody that, you know, is not like a focus in your life, not everybody has that.

You obviously do.

- Yeah.

You know, we have probably 149 clients, and they're all my kids.

Like, I go to IEP meetings for them.

I babysat them so that parents can go different places.

They are my babies, so I do care for them a lot.

- So AAMP, I mean, tell me, so like, you have a place, and people are bringing in their kids?

- Yeah.

- Just tell me the whole overview of it.

- Yeah, so we have a studio, so the AAMP Studio.

So I have clients that do one-on-one sessions, and we have clients that come and do group.

So I have families coming from all over.

So our surrounding communities, Taylorville, Nokomis, they're about 15 minutes away.

Then I have Springfield, Hillsboro, which is over an hour away, and then Oblong is my farthest, she's an hour 45 from us.

So when they come in, we do different sessions.

So one-on-ones look different than group.

One-on-ones kind of are more specialized to what they may need.

So it may be more sensory integration and then working on that task duration.

So when I go to IEP meetings, I also try to hit their goals.

So if they're working on something specific, I wanna make sure that I'm tag teaming it, 'cause that's the only way that kid's gonna be successful is making sure that everybody's doing the same thing.

- So if I have a kid with autism and I don't have the ability to like go to AAMP, right, I don't live in an area or whatever, I mean, what am I gonna be doing?

What are my options?

- So, you know, unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of other places that teach Autism Movement Therapy locally, like close around us in Central Illinois.

- See, that's what the question was for.

You're you're kind it.

- There's other therapies.

Like, I never say I'm one and done.

So I'll tell families, suggest horse therapy.

So there's horse therapy, equine therapy, music therapy.

So there's other ways to kind of look at that.

But there's also OTs that work on primitive reflexes, which is what the core of Autism Movement Therapy is.

So we work on those reflexes to help get the nervous system to calm down.

- So are you the only AAMP, or is there?

- Yeah, so AMAP is like my core name.

So Autism Movement Therapy part of it, I'm the only one in Central Illinois.

There's one group up in Chicago that I certified up there, but he kind of more just does it for his own family in small support group.

- Gotcha.

Is that your goal is to have more of them?

- I would love to.

I'm kind of a control freak, so that's kinda like the hard part, that I would love to be able to expand.

It's hard for me because I do really care of like what comes out.

I wanna make sure that everyone loves my kids as much as I do.

So my staff is very small, and we're very close-knit because of that reason.

But one day, I'll let go of the reins a little bit and hopefully spread out, because it is something that needs to be around in more areas.

- Okay, you need to relax.

- I know.

(Rob laughs) 37 years, I'll learn how to do it.

(chuckles) - So, you know, I will fully admit, like even before talking to you, I thought, well, you know, autism, you're basically engaging them, you know, keeping them calm, entertaining, but there's really no way of like improving or changing them.

But that's not your experience.

- Nah, that's wrong.

(laughs) - Okay.

Tell me.

Yeah, educate me.

- Yeah, no.

(clears throat) Sorry.

No, I've had kids kicked out of every single therapy, schools, classrooms, and when they come to AAMP, they're a completely different kid.

I just got a message, actually driving here, that brought tears my eyes because I have a kid that goes over to a behavioral school.

So he got kicked out of our public school for aggressive behaviors.

And he's only been coming to AAMP for two months, and his behaviors at his school have completely decreased.

His grades are going up.

And so she was so grateful for that because she hasn't seen that side of her kid for years.

And so that's another reason I do what I do, because I don't believe what you may see in that environment isn't who they truly are.

There's a lot more to them than just that behavior.

So we always work on a way to making sure that we find their interests and kind of make sure that they feel heard.

So we work really hard on affirming and making sure that they can advocate for themselves and build trust in people, that they may have lost trust with adults before.

- Mm-hm.

This is your full-time gig?

- Yep, full-time gig from nine in the morning until 6:30 at night.

- So does it coincide with the coffee house?

- Yeah.

So the coffee house is kind of a branch off of that.

So when I started AAMP, I had six clients, all from which they knew my mom.

And so they took a leap of faith on me.

Over the years, those six kids turned into adults, and then I realized that there's not a whole lot for them once they get to high school and graduate.

So we attempted to try to volunteer at a few places locally, but we were told that we were a liability, and so I was having a very hard time trying to get them job experiences.

So then I just decided that I was going to start my own place.

And Mr.

Cross owned that cafe.

- Again, the whole control freak thing.

- Control freak, yeah.

(Rob laughs) Mr.

Cross, he owned an old restaurant behind the alley from us, and he offered to let the kids come in and practice wiping tables.

And so we did, but then he got to know the kids, and he really started getting to know them.

He's like, "Why don't you do like a food fundraiser?"

I'm like, "I don't do food."

Like, "I don't want to do that."

(Rob laughs) But I did, and it was a huge hit, and the kids absolutely loved it.

So we did another one, and they loved it again.

And then he's like, "You should do a coffee shop."

I'm like, "I don't even like coffee.

I don't wanna do a coffee shop.

I wanna do an animal shelter.

Like, that's what I wanna do."

And he's like, "No, I think you should do it."

And so I did.

We started the coffee house November 29th, 2019, right before COVID, and the kids rock it.

And the community supported us all through COVID.

Like, we never stopped working.

And now we are in a bigger building, much bigger, so.

- A Masonic lodge.

- Yeah, so the Masonic lodge in Pana actually was donated to us.

The building was donated to us, and we took it over, and we've slowly been chipping away, rebuilding it.

- Did you find stuff in the basement, like, you know, an ark or something?

- There was a ton of stuff.

No ark.

They left a ton of pictures back from, there was a bunch of books from 1856, though I couldn't read the cursive, (both laugh) so I couldn't tell you any secrets.

- So tell me how this works.

You have the kids with autism working?

- Yes.

- Are these older at this point?

- Right.

So at my first building I have my little one-on-ones, all the way up until like fourth, fifth grade, and then over at the Masonic we have my junior high groups, that's a social group, and then Jumpstart.

So Jumpstart is where my adults are, my high schoolers and adults, and we work on life skills, still social skills, but they also practice the coffee house.

So there is like a tier part of it.

So some of my kids do all the prep work before the coffee house.

So they may not be able to be in the crowd of people or when the coffee house is open, but they do all the behind-the-scenes work.

And then we have students that we train to do the coffee house.

And we have some kids that are on payroll.

And so, when they're on payroll, we've had them get jobs out in the community.

So we've had seven leave us to go get jobs out in the communities.

- Okay, so if I go and I'm getting a cup of coffee, am I gonna order it from a person with autism then, and then they're gonna make it and all that?

- Yeah, so we serve individuals with all different diagnoses, so that you would have an individual with Down syndrome, or you may have someone with cerebral palsy.

It just kind of varies.

But all of our kiddos, they would be there at the register, and then a job coach is with them.

And then some of them that are on payroll are completely independent, so they're just rocking each station by themselves.

- Okay.

When do you ever have time for yourself?

- When I go to the bathroom, that's about it.

(both laugh) - 'Cause you have kids, right?

- I do have kids.

- And how many?

- So I have three.

Yep.

I have an 11-year-old girl and twin boys who are eight.

- And they do have autism?

- Yep.

So they were diagnosed with level 1 autism when they were three.

- And this is after you had done all this?

I mean, your twins were not the reason that you started all this?

- No, they were not the reason why I started it.

They are constantly teaching me more.

You know, so there's times that I'll come home... (chuckles) Ratting myself out, but there's times that I've come home... And my daughter Taylor loves to be at AAMP, so I'm really hoping that she takes over once I retire.

But she loves my AAMP kids.

But I'll come home, and I'm tapped out.

I mean, I've done this all day long, regulating behaviors and everything.

And there's times that I may get short, a little frustrated with the twins, and Taylor will go, "Mom, you wouldn't say that to an AAMP kid."

I'm like, "Yes, you're right.

You're right."

(Rob laughs) - That's when you ground her.

- That's right.

There's moments it's like, (sighs) "Okay, all right, teachable moment, teachable moment."

So they're always teaching me, too, that I have to take a breath.

Like, the dishes can wait.

I'd rather sit on the couch and help you regulate, whether that's squeezes or whatever it is.

You know, that other stuff can wait, so.

- Well, I look at a person like you, and I worry about burnout.

- Mm-hm.

- I mean, do you recognize this?

- I would say there's probably times like I could feel burnout, but then, you know, I have a kid speak for the first time, or I have something happen for the very first time.

Like, I had, you know, an adult, he's been working at a factory, and he had a dream car.

He's 24 years old, has a bachelor's degree in college and still wasn't driving.

And we got him his driver's license.

Like, we practiced it.

We have a golf cart, and we practice driving all the time.

And he kept saving up, and I'm like, "You have to have a junk car first.

You're going to get in wrecks.

You're gonna back up.

You gotta have a junk car."

He's like, "No, I'm gonna get this Camaro."

And I'm like, "Okay."

- Ooh.

- And he did, he got that Camaro, he drove it to AAMP, and he took me for a ride in it.

And that was a very proud moment because I thought, "Oh my God, I'm never gonna get him to drive."

He had tunnel vision on this Camaro and a certain style, a certain color, and by God, he got it.

(both chuckle) So it's those moments that keep me going.

So when there's times that I feel like I'm stuck somewhere, something happens where it's a moment like, "Don't quit, because you didn't quit, and now this child is doing this," so.

- You talked about, you know, getting away from autism and that, you said something to me earlier, that the brain never stops rewiring itself.

- Yeah, so you can always rewire your brain.

So it's never an old dog can't learn new tricks.

That's false.

- That's what they say.

- I know, but even the most stubborn ones, and I've had some stubborn ones, that we can do it.

So yeah, the brain can always remap itself.

So individuals that I have that have seizures, who've had strokes, the brain can rewire around that damaged gray area, and we can make new pathways and build that bridge to make it stronger between the left and right hemisphere.

- Even dementia?

- Mm-hm.

Yeah, even dementia.

So my granny had dementia, and she was shuffling when she walked and she wasn't able to talk.

And so I did one-on-one sessions with her and had to listen to Alabama every day, multiple times.

- There are worse things.

- Yeah, there are.

I'm not a country fan, but God love her.

- You take your most favorite song, and you listen to it nonstop, you're gonna hate it.

- That's right.

And she would speak.

She would talk every, she'd sing every lyric.

And slowly, but surely, she would start walking to the beat, like her steps would get farther and she would start adding on words.

And she told me that she loved me, and I hadn't heard that in years by the time that I got to her.

So it was a big deal.

- Yeah, it's funny the way the brain works.

My dad, you know, whether it was Alzheimer's or dementia, I don't think we really got an answer.

It was funny because every single day when he farmed, at lunch he would have this radio, and it would be Max Armstrong, Oren Samuelson saying the markets, right?

And if he heard his voice, you know, even with the Alzheimer's and that, it always clicked.

- Clicked, yep.

- It's so funny the things that click in a person and that don't.

It's fascinating, but yet, I look at what you do.

- Frustrating at the same time.

- It's gotta be frustrating.

- Yeah, it is.

I mean, it is frustrating.

Like I said, with looking at Connor, I'm just like, "How can you do this, but you can't, you know, tell me something?"

It was frustrating, 'cause there's a lot of times that you feel like you're just hitting a wall, and then the light comes in, so.

- Yeah, I'm sure that they're gonna have a cure for Alzheimer's and dementia by the time we get old, right?

- Yeah.

I hope so.

(both chuckle) My brain may be exhausted by the time we get there.

(Robs chuckles) We're gonna have to.

- You say regulation comes before learning.

What do you mean on that?

- Regulation before expectations.

So we can't expect a child to learn if their nervous system isn't regulated.

That'd be like me putting you in a war zone, trying to teach you how to crochet.

You're not going to be listening to me, you're gonna be in fight or flight, worrying about what's all coming around.

And that's kind of how our kids are feeling with the constant noise.

And really, they have no autonomy.

They're getting told what to do from the time they wake up to the time they go to bed.

So they're stuck in that fight or flight.

So my job is to make sure that they're regulated enough so that their brain is able to take in all this information that's coming to them.

- Mm-hm.

Have you started drinking coffee?

- I have started drinking coffee, and now I'm pretty solid in it now.

So we've made a few new drinks and everything.

But, you know, it is one that, it took me a while.

I had to start with lattes with a lot of milk, little coffee, and then slowly built up.

- But sometimes with the autism and the other disabilities, the detailed stuff, they're really good at.

Are you finding that with like even making coffee?

- Yeah, so like I said, there's different levels.

And so when I look at a kid, they're unique.

So we have TVs up on the wall that have the recipes step by step.

And so some are more detailed, and then some are more vague, and the kids are able to do it.

And some memorize it better than I do.

But it's the same thing with the cleaning down stations.

We make sure that everything is set up for that individual who's doing that station.

So some are more detailed.

We make sure that everything's accommodated to each student.

So it's not just a basic cleaning sheet.

We make sure that they're, whether it's pictures, so some of our kids have to have pictures of each step, but whatever we can do to make sure that they're successful.

- What's this?

- This is my little sock monkey.

(Rob chuckles) As you can tell, he's a little dirty, so sorry about that.

But he is loved on.

- That just means it's been loved, yes.

- I was like, he's been loved on.

So that actually came from one of my very first kiddos.

She picked it out personally for a Christmas present for me back in 2013.

And he's been on my desk, but a lot of times he goes missing 'cause the AAMP kids will just take him and snuggle with him.

And so he's always my little bright little monkey trying to remind me to just keep fun, so.

- The puzzle piece is, that's autism, correct?

- Yep.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

Cute little fella.

- I know, right?

I don't still have a name for him, but he's just my little sock monkey.

But, yeah.

- He doesn't have a name?

- He doesn't have a name.

I just call him Sock Monkey.

- I haven't been disappointed- - I'm slacking.

- in you until this moment.

- Okay, forget that.

We'll just name him right now.

So what do you think his name should be?

- I don't know.

We're in PBS, so maybe Ernie.

- Ernie.

Oh, I love that.

- 'Cause he's got... Doesn't he- - Let's do it.

- The one that had the Mohawk, the grumpy one?

Or was that Bert?

- Good question.

I don't now.

- Is that Bert or Ernie?

(Erica chuckles) They don't know.

They're, yeah.

- We'll go with Ernie, though.

I do like that.

I like Ernie.

All right.

- Well, there you go, Ernie.

(Rob laughs) What do you want people to know about people living with the disabilities like autism, Downs and that?

- Yeah, just that they are able.

It may look different, but there's a way to make them as independent as possible.

So I don't ever want someone just to think that they meet them for the first time, they're not talking to them, that they don't understand what you're saying to them.

'Cause I do have a lot of people that will just talk about that student or talk about that person to me as if that person is not there.

So I always, you know, want people to understand that they are listening, but they are completely capable of doing multiple things.

- Okay, I'll be 100% honest with you, even if it's embarrassing to me, but sometimes you'll meet like someone with Down syndrome or autism, and I don't engage with them because I don't know what to say.

I don't want to talk down to them, but I don't want to talk over them, so then I just find myself not saying anything.

What do tell me?

- All I suggest is just don't talk like a baby to them.

I mean, there's a lot of times that I'll run into someone in the store, and there's a child or an individual in a wheelchair.

I just talk to them as if I'm talking to you.

I'll just walk and go, "Hey, bud, how's it going?"

And even if they don't respond, I'm like, "Man, it's cold today.

It is so cold.

I hate this weather."

And then I'll address them.

- What if it's summer?

- Oh then, "It's hot, I'm ready for the pool," you know, however it is, and then greet the mom and just go on.

You know, 'cause there are times that some, like I said, Connor wouldn't even acknowledge me inside a store.

You know, so I can't take that personal either 'cause there's a lot of sounds that are going on that we don't realize either.

Same thing with tones.

There's a lot of times that adults have tones, and that comes off kind of rude.

It's never really- - That's what I'd be afraid of, is that I would make a situation worse by saying hi.

- Nah.

And even, like I said, just, I mean, as long as you're not up in their face, going, "What's up, what's up, what's going on, what's going on," you'll be fine.

- You need to back up.

- You'll be fine.

See, that's why we teach advocating, though.

That's why we say like, "Need my space.

Peace out."

But I think as long as you're not talking down like a baby to them or up in their space, forcing them to engage back with you, you're golden.

- How big is Pana?

- 4,000 people.

Pretty small.

- Pana's 4,000 people, and it has AAMP?

- Yeah.

- Chicago, like you said, maybe the one dude up there.

St.

Louis, I mean, these big cities that have a ton of kids with autism don't have AAMP.

- Right.

- Besides you edging off the control, I mean, how do we change that?

- Good question.

I think, and again, it's me, but I would love for someone to have the same passion and know that this is not a money-making job.

And I think that's another thing, that autism is a very big thing now.

It's one in 36 that are diagnosed with autism, and not including all the other diagnoses that we have.

But you have to have a well-rounded background with ABA, so.

And where that is, is just knowing how to handle certain behaviors.

'Cause I would love to say that it's all rainbows and unicorns all the time, but I do have some kids that do hit, do bite, do cuss, do throw things.

And so you have to be able to handle those and, you know, work up from it.

But, you know, AAMP is not a money-making thing.

We are a not-for-profit.

We do a lot of things for fundraising, because I only charge $100 for the month, and siblings are free, and they could come up to three times a week.

So that is nowhere near enough to pay.

- It's cheaper than damn Netflix.

- It is, it is.

But in my heart, this is a passion project for me, 'cause I do love the kids, but in my heart, I don't feel like you should have to pay a ton for your child to receive what they need to be successful in the world.

And, usually, it's not just one child.

I do have a lot of families with siblings, too.

- God, you're... (Erica chuckles) I get confused by nice people.

Okay, if people wanna find out more about AAMP, where would they go?

- So we have a website.

It's aamplearningcenter.org.

And then we also have building-215.com, which shows our Brewin' Hope Coffeehouse.

I also, in the basement of building 215, have a sensory gym downstairs that we rent out for birthday parties and we use for our clients as well.

- Okay, so if anybody's going through Pana, they need to stop for coffee.

- Yes.

- And give a big damn tip.

- Yeah.

- You farmers out there, I know you can afford it, yeah.

- Right now we're only open Fridays and Saturdays, 7:00 to 11:00, 'cause during the week we train all the kids.

But we are looking at this summer that we open and expand more days because my clients are just knocking it outta the park.

So I have too many that are ready to work and not enough hours in the day, so.

- Okay, last question.

What can people do to help you?

- Oh my goodness, put me on the spot.

- Hardest question I've given you.

- Okay, well, we are always taking donations, but we also take like any sensory toys or toys that you're not using anymore, we always take those, donations as well sent to those locations, but I think just like word of mouth.

If you have someone that is struggling with speech, behavioral, social, or motor skills, you know, talk to them about Autism Movement Therapy, talk to them about music therapy, horse therapy.

Just know that there are places that your kids can flourish at, that it's not just, you're not alone is the other thing.

I always wanna make sure my families have support.

- All right, Eric Matthews, I want you to take care of yourself, too.

(Erica chuckles) What you do is amazing.

It's just unbelievable what you give back to your community and to this world.

So I want to thank you, not only for just being on this show- - Well, thank you.

- but for all that you do.

And gosh, it's fun having someone like you on here that's making the world a better place.

- Aww, thank you.

Thank you for the opportunity.

I'm excited.

- All right, Erica, thank you for being here.

Everybody else, we'll catch you next time.

- Take care.

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