Dear Editor,
As the calendar flips from Autism Acceptance Month in April to Mental Health Awareness Month in May, I feel compelled to share my story. My wife and I met in Big Sky, Montana about 15 years ago. I proposed to her in the crowd on New Year’s Eve as we watched the fireworks light up Lone Peak. We raised our son for nine years here. We both work full time year-round just to make ends meet. I have been taking care of luxurious vacation rentals and managing “second” homes (some clients have as many as seven), while we were fortunate enough to get in on a three-bedroom condo in town when it didn’t cost a cool million. My wife audits food and beverage for Big Sky Resort. Our son goes to Ophir, and participates in the locals ski program each winter. All this is to say, we’re in it for the long haul, and Big Sky has given us much.
However, in one crucial aspect, I feel we could do much better. My son was diagnosed with Autism when he was around three years old. We immediately started early intervention therapies—ABA, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy—often shuttling him to Bozeman throughout the week, as these services aren’t readily available in Big Sky. In fact, the only physical therapist working with kids here shut down her practice last year. Technology helps in some regards, as he can do a few things virtually now, but even that can be problematic (spotty wifi) and less than ideal (meaningful human interaction is always a goal with him). My greater concern though is his access to summer camp in the Big Sky Community Park that is operated through the BSCO. The camp newsletter promises “fun for all children,” but fails to mention that if your child has special needs and requires a one-on-one assistant to safely participate in camp, he/she will not be enrolled unless the beleaguered parents pay, or solicit public/private funding for the additional required staff member (around $6,000 last summer). Fine, as if our life isn’t difficult enough, my wife and I reach out to the foundations around town (Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks, Moonlight, Wellness in Action). Nothing. WIA and Moonlight can not help this year (although both did contribute last summer). Spanish Peaks policy does not allow them to donate to individuals. YC gave me a similar response (although they are still allegedly looking into options). We can not be the only family in Big Sky, or the greater Gallatin area, to struggle with this frustration and indignity. Not only is summer camp a way for my wife and I to continue working when school is out, but it provides our son crucial interactions with his peers. And, really, it’s a win for everyone as these peers learn invaluable lessons in tolerance, inclusion, and learning to participate with people who experience life very differently; while mom and dad can continue to work and contribute to the economy. I am made to feel like I’m asking for a handout, when we are just asking for the ability to work enough to keep our heads above water (like any other working-class parents here), and provide a positive summer experience for our son.
As Big Sky continues to boom, and more and more nonprofits scramble to garner donations from a growing pool of wealthy homeowners and prospering businesses, lets ensure that the people (and their families) that serve this community are not overlooked. The superficial improvements around town are meaningless if the most vulnerable are excluded from basic programs and services. And with all the expanding population, there is more demand than ever for these vital resources such as mental health, therapy and special programs for people with disabilities; but, in the absence of local government, these are often neglected because they are not especially profitable. In a place of such affluence, how can there be such a gap in support during the summer for families with special needs kiddos? The school does not offer extended care; the BSCO leaves us to fund-raise; the local Foundations are constrained by arbitrary bylaws and enrollment periods. And, all the while, people that are already down, slip further and further through the cracks, until we move away and become another state’s problem. When I first arrived in Big Sky there was a spirit of cooperation and neighborliness inherent to small-town life that has deteriorated over time (part of the growing pains), but I also know there are still plenty of generous, well-intentioned citizens with big hearts who selflessly donate time, money, and energy to the community. I just wish this could be partitioned in a way that better served our pragmatic needs, especially in regards to mental health, disabilities and childcare. This is our future after all, Montana!
Best,
Adam Baker
Big Sky, Montana
