ABOUT

The Sojourner, along with a few friends, started Dreams in 2005 on the main land of SL. The following year Dreams was given its own private sim.  Soj, as her friends called her, wanted to accomplish a number of Dreams:  to provide a base for creative interaction among people in SL, to provide an area for teaching, holding discussions, and hold events, and to provide a support base for stroke survivors.

She knew that not everyone dreams the same. Some people need a bit of isolation, others need to play off of each other. Dreams is here to provide that variety. Most of all, it is here to provide support, learning, and fun.

The main group at Dreams is the Dream Travelers. Besides being encouraged to follow their own dreams, they are the activity base for the support groups.

The first group was Shockproof, a group of stroke-survivors, family members and others interested in stroke/brain attacks.

The next group was the Brigadoon Explorers who are individuals who have or are interested in Asperger Syndrome and autism.  

The Sojourner’s real life person, Karen Gans, passed in May of 2008.  Her husband asked me, Golda Stein, and my daughter, Dorie Bernstein to carry on the work that was started.  

Since that time we have been carrying on her vision.  I have been told that no one expected Dreams to last more than a year or maybe two.  We have kept the program going for 5 years.

Shockproof, though the first, is our least active support group.  But, a few of the members do participate in the other events held at Dreams.  The leader is Kelyren Benior, who is a stroke survivor.

Brigadoon Explorers, the Asperger’s/autistic group, meets weekly for an informal discussion.  Ariel Miranda is the group leader.  The number varies from week to week.  There are a few who show up every week and more that comes when things are bothering them.  It isn’t a therapy session, but a support session.  Not all of the Asperger’s/autistics who hang out at Dreams goes to the meetings but prefer to quietly, and not so quietly, do their thing.  We work hard at keeping an atmosphere that permits them to be accepted and part of the community.  Some of the members also participate in the other events at Dreams.  There are those who prefer that no one knows that they are on the spectrum and we do respect that.

Our newest support group, started by Sophia Krell is ADD/ADHD Support 2.0.  The group meets weekly for an informal discussion.  Some of the members also participate in other Dreams activities.  It is interesting to note that there are members that are also in the Brigadoon Explorers group.  Some autistics are also ADHD.  And, there seems to be a grey area where it is either Asperger’s or ADHD.  

Dream Travelers provide the structure and support for the other groups.  Dreams has a sandbox which is open to the general population.  Our rules are strict but it is necessary to make things welcoming to our support group members.  

Our main activities are our building contests.  We have a weekly texture contest and a weekly speed build contest.  These are free.  We also have a monthly build contest.  We have found that the few months we don’t sponsor a contest, our donations drop drastically.  Members from our various support groups participate and are often winners.  

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What is Brigadoon Explorers?  
The Brigadoon Explorers are a mainland offshoot from Brigadoon Island and was started in the Fall of 2005 at Dreams.  It was created to answer the need for a mainland/accessible sim location for people interested in AS/autism to congregate, become a part of a community, and obtain a support base.  It also answered the need for a place where greater numbers of participants could find a "home" base without the restrictions of a closed sim.

On July 21, 2004, John Lester of BrainTalk.com created an island called Brigadoon within SL.  This island was a private island and was inhabited by a small community of people connected in some way with Asperger Syndrome.  They were individuals  with Asperger Syndrome and autism, parents, and teachers.   
Because the community needed to remain small, not all SL inhabitants interested in AS/autism could live there.  Eventually, in the summer of 2007, as the group became less active, Brigadoon was taken off line.

Brigadoon Explorers, the Asperger’s/autistic group, meets weekly for an informal discussion.  Ariel Miranda is the group leader.  The number varies from week to week.  There are a few who show up every week and more that comes when things are bothering them.  It isn’t a therapy session, but a support session.  Not all of the Asperger’s/autistics who hang out at Dreams goes to the meetings but prefer to quietly, and not so quietly, do their thing.  We work hard at keeping an atmosphere that permits them to be accepted and part of the community.  Some of the members also participate in the other events at Dreams.  There are those who prefer that no one knows that they are on the spectrum and we do respect that.

On the surface it seems that we really don’t do much for Brigadoon Explorers.  What we do for them, we do for the other Dreams groups.  What is not seen is the impact this has made on the lives of the individuals.  One area the aspie group has problems with is social behavior.  Being able to express themselves without having to worry about what is appropriate and what is not, (such as eye contact or personal space) is freedom to communicate.  I have members from this group who help people learn to build and some who help me with the security of the sim.  Others have branched out in other sims and become leaders.  And what is learned in the safety of SL is carried into real life, such as a real girlfriend and the ability to close the relationship when appropriate.  Our main focus is just being there for them.

For any further information feel free to contact Ms. Golda Stein

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