Exploring what your child CAN do
Every parent undergoes a transformation during those early years of parenthood. It's inevitable. Baby's first smile, those shaky first steps, baby's gurgling turns into those precious first words.
With every milestone comes another cheer. Being your child's biggest cheerleader is one of the most rewarding parts of being a parent. Yes, our child can do anything and we will be there cheering them on.
Then comes the diagnosis. Medical professionals hope to prepare parents for what they see as the reality of the future. Unfortunately, what parents hear seems like an endless list of what their child will not be able to do. It's overwhelming, disheartening and can shatter hopes and dreams.
At some point, parents want to hear what their child can do. Special Recreation is all about exactly that … what your child CAN do. Unique to Illinois, Special Recreation Associations (SRAs) offer the opportunity to have typical childhood experiences by concentrating on their abilities rather than the disability.
SRAs create the best environment possible for individuals with developmental, cognitive, and physical disabilities. They provide children, teens, and adults opportunities to perform at their highest level of ability. They recognize the need for flexibility to accommodate each individual based on their abilities, level of function, age and interest. This is what puts the CAN in can do!
SRA staff are trained professionals well versed in the nuances of life with disabilities. This makes it possible for parents to feel at ease leaving their child during the duration of an art class or a gym program. Eventually it becomes a source of respite for families.
With programs modeled after traditional park district programs, families can choose from a variety of programs including sports and Special Olympics, arts and music, social clubs and camps, trips and special events, and more. They even offer competitive programs.
At the cornerstone of special recreation is the idea of community-based programming. That means that programs, like ballet and basketball, are held in community outlets such as schools and park district facilities.
If participating in an existing park district program is preferable, inclusion services are available at no cost to the family. Accommodations may be provided based on individual needs and may include adaptive materials, activity modification, observation and evaluation, or the provision of support staff.
SRAs traditionally offer high staff to individual ratios, provide trained staff, activity modification, and often offer transportation. Because of the wide range of ages they serve, SRAs can provide programs for the very youngest of children all the way through the most mature adult.
The advantages of SRA participation can be life changing. Through fun and recreation we all learn and practice the skills needed throughout a lifetime, we establish friendships and gain social independence. For a child with a disability, those are just some of the crucial components to growth and development. SRA programs can also help individuals improve self-confidence, gain independence, reinforce existing skills, learn new skills, and increase self-esteem. All under the guise of fun leisure activities.
One of the biggest advantages is the social nature of these programs. Children learn and practice navigating social situations, establishing peer relationships and building friendships. Being able to make friends and build those friendships over common interests allows children to relax, have fun and be themselves. SRAs CAN offer a life full of invitations, involvement and experiences for your child.
Knowing that your child is in good hands, safe, making friends and having fun can provide a tremendous sense satisfaction for you. Watching the excitement of your child discovering what they CAN do is the biggest reward of all. So if at any time you feel that inexplicable urge to tap into your inner cheerleader, just do it! In SRA programs, cheers are encouraged!
There are 33 special recreation cooperatives in Illinois serving 206 communities, 157 park districts, 44 municipalities and one township. They serve individuals with all disabilities including but not limited to: ADD/ADHD, autism, behavioral difficulties, cognitive impairments, developmental delays, Down syndrome, learning impairments, mental illness, multiple impairments, physical and visual impairments. You can find the Special Recreation Association that serves your community by visiting specialrecreation.org.
• Sherry Manschot is the marketing/public relations manager at Western DuPage Special Recreation Association. She leads a parent network of special needs families at WDSRA. Manschot can be contacted at sherrym@wdsra.com. More information about WDSRA can be found at wdsra.com.