act. For he finds that the same principles apply to teaching them their various routines.

Max is performing on the Island with the Follies, and his supporting cast includes Niffer the dog, Spike, the sulphur-crested cockatoo, Lil' Deke, the dwarf rabbit, and Mr. Thing, the African Grey parrot.

While he attended Utah State University, studying business and psychology, his time was spent very profitably working at a place called the Children's Behavioural Therapy Unit in Utah.

"When I was at school,'' he says, "I met a couple of people who worked at a place called the Children's Behavioural Therapy Unit (CBTU) and they were offering stipends to college students. Well, I thought `This would be great,' and there had never been a male stipend. Mostly women worked there, and I went and thought I would like it. I had studied some psychology in school, but I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life.

"So they hired me and I was the first male stipend. And it wasn't a big deal (being the first male). It was like one of those jobs where there aren't a lot of men (such as teaching pre-school), which is unfortunate because we need men in those roles. We need a balance of qualified people, regardless of sex, but there's just not that many men.'' Max said the experience was very rewarding.

"I loved working there, and the results that they were getting,'' he said.

There was one autistic kid, named Eric, that we were teaching how to walk. He learned how to walk, but he couldn't stand up. He needed us to physically prompt him. We had to pick him up. So we taught him how to stand up using a chair. As time went on we would use a smaller chair and then a little box, and we would make smaller the thing that he would go to (to help him stand).'' That turned out to be a dot on the floor, and Eric would end up going to the dot to stand up.

"Eventually the dot got smaller and smaller,'' Max said. "We took the dot away, and he would be on the floor and would see a piece of lint, and go over to that. His autistic mind needed that prompt. So we had to vacuum the floor and it finally faded to where he didn't need that prompt.'' Working with autistic kids was exciting, he added.

"And who would've known that down the road when I started working with birds that I would use those same skills. I had never had any training, nor mentors, I just had an understanding of positive reinforcement. And it works! If you are consistent, you get incredible results.'' Max said he was also grateful for the opportunity to work with autistics and to see how they live.

"There's thousands and thousands of people who are disabled, or handicapped, or have children who are in one way or another. It was nice to spend time in that community; it gives you an appreciation of yourself.

"Even though you are complaining, `Oh, I have to work so hard, or Oh, I have to do this or that', you just realise that these people are happy, and it's so much more difficult for them than it is for us, and they're happy. So where do I get off (complaining)?'' The animals that Max works with are extremely talented, but he made it clear that in no way are they abused.

"Spike the Wonderbird doesn't really drink beer,'' he said. "The bottle is empty. There is a whole list of no's that birds cannot have, and alcohol, cigarettes, or coffee are at the top of the list.

"I put the cap over the bottle, and he pops the top off. It's completely empty.'' Also travelling with Max and his band of merry animals is his wife Joni. She is a capable artist.

"Joni is the most interesting person you ever want to meet, just an amazing woman,'' Max said. "I'm lucky to have her share her life with me.'' Max and Joni are based in Reno, Nevada, but spend about 10 months of the year on the road. The other two months are spent lining up the next job.

"But being in Bermuda has been the best experience by far,'' Max said. "We really love the people.''