Adaptive Sports Academy Class

As a mom of a child with special needs, there have been times where I've been frustrated by "limitations".

Oh, you know... the basics. Little things like speech limitations, social skills, or ability to control behavior, etc, etc. But I get it. It's all part of the package and thus, our life. We work around it. We immerse ourselves in therapy, doctor appoints, and medication. With time and LOTS of work and repetition things can and do get better. Progress is made.

But.... there is one area that has been a continual challenge for us on this journey. Because of Jackson's disability, finding interests for him outside of our home has been a challenge. While typical kids can choose from dance, music, the arts, and sports, Jackson has not had the desire or ability to really connect with any particular interest or hobby. Part of that is because he has a hard time connecting with people in general. However, he does enjoy Scouts. Yay, for Cub Scouts!

I think if we lived closer to SLC, there would be more opportunities for him to participate in adaptive sports and activities. Plus, let's face it. When you have a child with special needs AND other children with their own set of needs, the money you normally dedicate to that child's "typical activities" is instead dedicated to their therapy, medication, and medical bills. Plus, when you are going to OT, PT, Speech, and Psych - who has time for one more thing, right? :)

We also tried to get Jackson to "play down" on community leagues with his younger brother. For a few years, this seemed to work well. Although, now we're at a point where the younger age group's skill set is advancing and Jackson is finding it more difficult to keep up. Plus, the desire is not there. In baseball, he enjoys hitting, but would rather pick grass when it is his turn to be in the outfield.

So... what to do, what to do?

This past fall, this topic was on my mind heavily. Jackson has been a therapy kid for 11 years and I have felt the tides beginning to turn. I needed to find something for him that wasn't so clinical. Heaven knows we have our clinical plates FULL! I also wanted to find something for Jackson that would be enjoyable and let him interact with other kids (social therapy) in a more typical environment.

Do you every have those moments where you know you were lead to a certain point? Well, on a certain day in October, I had that a-ha moment. I knew I was where I needed to be. After dropping Lex off at dance, I decided to venture west to a tumbling facility in K-town. But... they were closed. Every time I've stopped there - they've been closed. Grrr...!

I then remembered the Sportsplex. I remembered Collin had participated in their Sports Academy programs in the summer. It was worth a try. So I stopped in and began asking questions at the front desk and described what I was looking for.

One thing led to another and I ended up talking to the Gym Manager, Joel. He was great and very receptive to my questions. While the gym didn't currently offer anything I was describing (other than individual personal training and a kid's class), he said he was happy to help me put something together.

At first I thought I would like to take on another project / opportunity. (There really aren't a lot of adaptive activity options in Davis County.) But, I also knew my plate was full. So... we decided to go with the existing kids' classes and hope for the best.

Not more than two weeks later, we were at ward party and our new neighbors sat down beside us. Camille Bennett is darling and just happens to be finishing her masters in.... wait for it.... Special Education Physical Education. She is currently working in programs like the one I want set up at the Sportsplex.

So, I said... "Camille! I have a business idea for you! You would be perfect for this. There is such a need for these types of programs in Davis County."

Fast forward two months, and.... it is happening! My neighbor, Camille, and Joel, from the Gym, have worked their magic and have created an Adaptive Sports Academy Class. It is going to be great. Here is all of the information. If you are still with me this far into the post, PLEASE help us pass along the information to anyone who may need a little extra help with coordination, agility, sports, technique, social skills, etc. This isn't necessarily a class for kids with "special needs". After all, what does that mean anyway? For heaven sakes, I have special needs - lots of them. :) It is a class for anyone who may not flourish in the typical environment - for someone who may need to take things a little slower and who needs a bit of extra help. This is the class!

They probably need about 10 participants to really make the class work. If they have more register, additional classes will be added. I truly think this is a perfect opportunity for so many kids who just didn't thrive in traditional sport settings. I am crossing my fingers that it will be a success.

(ps - I'm not be compensated to promote this class, nor am I affiliated with the class in anyway. Well, other than being a passionate mama bear who wants to find programs for her son.) :)

pss: Now go!!! Help me spread the word! Classes begin Thursday, January 26, 2012

Adaptive Sports Academy Information

Class Description:

Adaptive Youth Academy provides children who have unique abilities and needs with the opportunity to learn and practice athletic skills, improve fitness levels and to improve self-confidence. Not to mention, having the opportunity to be part of a team. If they enjoy playing sports and want to be a part of a team this is a great opportunity and your kids will LOVE it. This class will be taught by Camille Bennett.

This class will be offered on Thursday from 4-5pm. If there is enough interest a second class will be from 5-6pm on Thursdays. Classes will begin on Thursday, January 26, 2012.

Adaptive Youth Academy is just $30 per month for SportsPlex members or $40 per month for nonmembers. The classes are grouped into four sessions that each include eight weeks of instruction. For example, Session III runs from Jan. 26 to March 15 — classes are not held during weeks surrounding major holidays. There is a one-time enrollment fee of $20.* If you already paid the enrollment fee when you registered for Session I, you don’t need to pay any enrollment fee to register for Session III. You can pay the enrollment fee online to secure your child’s spot in the program.

Visit the SportsPlex website at http://sportsplexgyms.com/youth-academy-center/sportsplex-youth-academy-classes for more questions.

Some quick facts about the new Adaptive Youth Academy class:

· Adaptive Youth Academy provides children who have unique abilities and needs with the opportunity to learn and practice athletic skills, improve fitness levels, and to improve self-confidence.

· This is a great opportunity for to be part of a team and practice sport skills.

· This program provides a smaller group, more practice time, and adaptations needed to help each athlete learn skills at their own pace.

Bio about the teacher:

Camille (Lott) Bennett is currently a Master’s student at the University of Utah in Special Physical Education. Camille grew up in Kaysville and attended Davis High School. While growing up she played many different sports. Her main focus in athletics was Track and Field. She was recruited to be a sprinter and hurdler at Weber State University. She received many All-Conference Awards and was a three-time Big Sky Conference Champion in the Women’s Mile Relay. Camille got her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education, Health Promotion, and Coaching Sport. She has spent over 500 hours planning, teaching, and coaching students with disabilities in Davis and Weber School Districts. Camille is married to Justin Bennett and is currently living in Layton.

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If you know of any similar classes in your area, please leave a comment!

Chromosome Disorder Outreach

Every child is special. Every child has talents and abilities. Every child has value. Every life has purpose.

Enjoying a Journey

Today's post is from Jennie, the newest member of the kidz krew! You can follow Jennie's story on her blog Enjoying a Journey. And here is her son's story....

First of all, I’m so happy to be a part of KIDZ. Raising a child with a disability can be overwhelming at times. I’ve only recently joined your community and already have felt a strong sense of strength and support. It is nice to know there are other moms and dads out there who share our family’s hopes and fears and also on occasion, our frustrations.

Hi, my name is Jennie. I’m a mother to four fabulous children, one of which has special needs. My beautiful boy, Jackson, is now ten years old. His name was chosen before birth. I always loved the movie, Steel Magnolia’s – a little cheesy, I know. But, it spoke to me. The movie conveyed a sense of sisterhood, family, trials, and endurance. It taught me that with a support system and sometimes a good cry, you can do anything. Now, over twenty years later, it seems a little more than the name of Shelby’s fiancé has carried over into my life.

Five months into my second pregnancy and through various ultra sounds, we were told Jackson had brain structure anomalies. Our fears were calmed when the prognosis was slight developmental delay. Our baby may just be slow to learn to walk. Oh, if that would have only been true, life would have been a lot simpler; less adventurous, but certainly more simple.

Instead we started our specialist appointments on day two after our hospital release. Doctor visits and therapy have continued ever since. As we searched for answers and solutions, delayed development, therapy, blood work, every type of specialist available, communication disorder, apraxia, failure to thrive, surgeries, pervasive development disorder, autism spectrum, and genetic testing became regular parts of our vocabulary, schedule and life. However patience, diligence, hard work, lots of faith, prayer and hope, seemed to have been the key for some relief, although, answers still would not be ours for another seven years.

In 2006, a new genetic test was developed. CGH Microarray changed our lives. This new technology was able to identify deletions or duplications that had taken place in DNA during development. Prior to this technology, only certain known syndromes could be tested for through blood work; thus, the reason for our unanswered diagnosis. Who would have thought to test for a small piece of DNA on the long arm of chromosome seven? No one.

The spring of 2007 set us on a new course when a correct diagnosis was finally made. Even though it was hard to hear that yes, a problem had been identified, it was also such a blessing and a relief to finally have a name for Jackson’s delays. It wasn’t a matter of bad parenting or a stubborn child. There was a reason why our child was unable to speak, was consistently fussy and hard to handle, a reason he struggled to develop relationships with others, and had difficulty learning to run, play and progress like his older sister. The name for our struggle was 7q11.23 Duplication. We would learn Jackson was one of only about 11 in the world known to have this disorder. I immediately tried to find others who knew what we were going through and who could identify with the challenges in our life.

Although we have a large family who loves and cares for us, we felt somewhat isolated. We weren’t sure where we fit into the world of special needs and we were often teaching doctors and therapists about the disorder. After learning all we could about 7q Dupe through our geneticist and through the limited information available online, a friend of mine pointed us to an organization in the UK called, UNIQUE. They specialize in providing support and information for individuals and families who have rare chromosome disabilities. Through the UNIQUE organization, I found two other mothers in the United States whose children share the 7q Duplication. I immediately searched them out.

Three years later, our efforts of supporting one another have led to the formation of a new non-profit organization called, Duplication Cares. Not only do we support the families and individuals with 7q Dupe, but steps are being taken to educate the medical community about the differences between the duplication and Autism. As with so many other syndromes, 7q Duplication mirrors autism and a large percentage of the children diagnosed with the duplication have also received an autism spectrum diagnosis. We now know there is treatment to help our children with the duplication. There is hope. Through hard work, progress can be made.

Our numbers have grown. Our small band of warriors is approaching 50 individuals in the United States. Our kids struggle with speech, social interactions, anxiety, behavior, and are developmentally delayed. Jackson also has a thin corpus callosum and enlarged brain ventricles which contribute to his delay.

At various times in our life, we’ve felt Jackson’s syndrome has been invisible to the outside world. This can be a blessing or a curse. Yes, at first glance, Jackson may seem like a shy, typical, ten year old boy. People have even commented about how lucky we are and that things could obviously be more severe. While that is certainly true, and we are immensely grateful for Jackson’s cognitive and physical abilities, we also have passed through the stages of grief and frustration every parent of a special needs child experiences.

Upon further interaction with Jackson, one would notice his lack of interest in carrying on a conversation. When “hard” questions like “What do you like to do?” are asked, Jackson becomes easily agitated. You may think it odd to find such a physically mature boy still clinging to his mom when he crosses a street, anxiety ridden that a car might approach. It will be concerning to see him have a meltdown when he didn’t get the first shower of the night or secure the middle bar stool at meal times. It will be easy to identify when medication in no longer effective and when ADHD, anxiety, and ODD take over. Yes, on the outside, our boy is not the typical, special needs child, but then again…. What is typical?

Our journey may be different from many of yours. However, I know a few things to be true. We all love our children and want desperately for them to be happy. We want them to be able to grow and mature and develop to their full capacity. We each have different struggles but I also know we each need support. Being a parent of a special needs child is often daunting; the therapy, the appointments, the procedures, the melt downs, the setbacks, and of course, the red tape. However, we also know the joys. We’ve met kindred souls who might not have otherwise crossed our paths. We are giddy with joy when our child speaks after years of therapy and silence. We celebrate each milestone and every acquired ability. And, we truly do know what it means to enjoy the journey.