Extracurricular activities for kids with autism.

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It is a well-known fact that most of the waking hours of a child with autism are spent in some kind of therapy. It feels like there is no life outside of therapy. We feel the need to provide intervention to our kids at every available time. It is very important for us to provide our kids with a chance to be kids because that is exactly who they are. It is vital we help our kids to take part in different extracurricular activities outside of therapy which can help in their overall development. Most of our kids have  poor motor and social skills. Engaging in these activities can help with this.

I was very keen on Aarian to participate in different activities right from the beginning. I enrolled him in a gym program since he was four years old. He continued the program until he turned twelve. The program was very unique as it gave Aarian an opportunity to integrate with typical kids. They had relays, noncompetitive gymnastics as a part of a one hour program which Aarian attended on the weekend. It helped Aarian a lot as he had very weak motor skills. By the time he left the program he was able to participate in games and follow directions. His coordination and balance improved to a great extent. Even though he did not engage in playing with other kids he did do a parallel play which was very important in his overall social development. He loved being around other kids and adults even though he never reacted with them. All the instructors at the program were very helpful and cognizant of Aarians strengths and needs.

I strongly believe our kids need to be given a chance to go out in the community in different settings so they can get a chance to learn from it. It gives them a chance to learn different skills which are needed in the real world. Most parents are scared of this as they are more worried as to how their children will behave outside and how other people will react to it. We need to have a no-care attitude and give our kids a chance to experience different places, settings, and people.

I used to take Aarian to different programs almost every day of the week. We used to go to the gym, social skills program for kids with special needs, different community programs that used to be hosted by Autism Ontario like bowling, horseback riding, visiting different places like museums, libraries, musicals. It gave a chance to Aarian to experience the world outside of the therapy room. Today he is a teenager and now there are no programs for him to go to. Over the years I met some wonderful parents whose kids were in the same boat as us. We still keep in touch.

We always feel there is no end in sight but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Today my son is a teenager and things are definitely getting better . I always look back to reflect on how far he has come. Our children deserve a chance to be integrated and feel like valuable members of the community. It is our job as parents to provide them with that.



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