Activities

My Saturday Suggestion for the week is to look into activities that might work for your child. I know sometimes it feels like a stretch and I know you won’t always get a break if your child needs help and support during the activities, but I still chose to get Mikey involved.  Even if that meant I was doing all the cub scout activities with him (yup).

Activities for All Kids

Cub Scouts was not geared towards special needs kids, but they were accepting.  I went to the first meeting and they announced that the parents would be in the cafeteria and the scouts would go to the gym.  Off Mikey and I went to the gym and I just pulled one of the adults aside and let him know that Michael has autism and I’d need to be with him to help and support.  He assured me this was totally fine and away we went.

Activities for Kids who Need More Support

There are also lots of activities geared towards kids with special needs! Most people are familiar with Special Olympics which has programs for young people (and adults). There are also Challenger Sports teams that pair special needs kids with typical buddies to help them participate. In our area, we also found Pilot House, a place where kids with autism (and other diagnoses) could do all types of activities just like their typical peers.  Michael took an art class and a cooking class there on Saturday mornings.

One especially cool thing they offered were monthly socials.  They had a different theme every month and the kids could go do something that was similar to what kids their age might do. They had plenty of staff to keep everyone safe and engaged and they purposely told the parents not to stay (or to stay in the waiting room out of sight) so the kids could really have a teenage night out.  This part of Pilot House closed during COVID and has not reopened, but if you have a place like this near you, count yourself lucky.

Finding Activities Near You

To find things like this in your area, join a facebook group for parents of kids with special needs that is specific to your geographic area.  For reference, a couple of the facebook groups here in Connecticut are called “Special Needs Families Networking Group” and “CT Special Needs Mentors, Sitters, Respite Providers.” They may ask you a couple of questions about your child, their diagnosis and where you live to make sure you’re a real person, but it is worth it because any question you have, you can ask a big group of parents who may have a similar situation. 

Ask about the activities and give them a try. Some places will let you come to the first class or meeting to see if it is a good fit for your child. Don’t limit yourself to things exclusively for kids with special needs. It’s good to try some things with typical peers and see how it goes. After all, it’s great to have some friends just like you and also super fun to have some friends who offer a different perspective on life.  We love ‘em all!