Right Fit 5K to benefit autism school in Lisle

It's time for a math lesson at school, but before 11-year-old Brandon Cada sits down with his teacher to discuss numbers, he hops on the trampoline and bounces around for a while.

It's one of the ways his one-on-one teacher at autism spectrum school Giant Steps in Lisle finds to unlock his voice and allow him to verbalize those figures that sometimes get trapped in his head.

"It kind of gets the juices moving in his brain," said Brandon's mother, Dawn Cada, of Aurora. "They do things like that so their brain wakes up and they're able to share what they know. It's not like getting up and going to a regular school and sitting down at a desk for the day."

It's a different approach taken at Giant Steps, and that's why the school will benefit from the sixth annual Right Fit Burr Ridge 5K run and walk that takes place Saturday, June 12.

The run and walk aims to raise awareness about the importance for fitness for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

At Giant Steps, teachers address physical fitness as well as provide speech/communication therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, social work and educational programs in addition to a host of family support options.

The school recently upgraded to a 72,000-square-foot building at 2500 Cabot Drive in Lisle, said Development Associate Joey Maassen, and that move has allowed officials to increase enrollment.

The building is personalized to its students' needs with such features as color-coded walls and angled rooms so observations of students can be made by staff without students knowing.

The demand for such personalized schooling is at an all-time high right now, Maassen said, with one in every 110 children being diagnosed with autism.

"The numbers are kind of getting staggering right now with the amount of kids who are getting diagnosed with autism," he said. "They're trying to figure out the best way to educate them and give them a high quality of life."

Students are placed at Giant Steps through their local school districts, which include some 30 districts in the Western suburbs. The program is paid for by the school districts with money from the state.

Proceeds from the race likely will go to expanding the school by hiring additional staff to accommodate more students.

Last year's enrollment averaged around 40 students. This fall, classes will start with about 80 students.

For the Cada family, who benefited from the school's latest expansion, mom Dawn is in awe of the progress and the work that they've tackled since Brandon began there in January.

Each child with autism learns differently, and they're all treated as individuals there, she said.

"They're taking his skills for how he learns and they're able to incorporate that throughout his whole day and bombard him with what he needs," she said. "While Brandon may need to jump on a trampoline, another child may need to sit in a bin of rice while answering math problems to satisfy that sensory stimulation."

Brandon often has more than one teacher at a time, she said, which is comforting to know because of his seizure disorder.

Schooling for Brandon even includes tasks that many take for granted each day like putting on a shirt by yourself, she said.

"You can already see a difference," she said. "He's been a little more independent. He's 11 now. He needs that independence, and I need to that too."

The run steps off on Burr Ridge Parkway adjacent to the TCF Bank at 800 Burr Ridge Parkway.

The cost is $35 per person. A children's 100-yard sprint is free.

Following the race, an all-you-can eat brunch takes place at the Quality Inn, 300 S. Frontage Road in Burr Ridge.

"For us, there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle, but this school is the key," Cada said. "It may be able to tap into the areas that a regular district maybe wouldn't be able to do."

For information about the run, call (630) 850-4050 or visit right-fit.com. For information about Giant Steps, visit atc-gsi.org.

If you goWhat: Right Fit Burr Ridge 5K Run/WalkWhen: 8 a.m. Saturday, June 12Where: Burr Ridge Parkway adjacent to TCF Bank, 800 Burr Ridge ParkwayCost: $35Info: (630) 850-4050 or right-fit.com