Story Published:
Nov 12, 2009 at 8:17 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Nov 12, 2009 at 8:17 PM EDT
At first glance, it is hard to tell there is anything different about the kids at Whole Children. Like most kids, they love to smile and laugh and are drawn to new activities. But each of them has hidden obstacles. Their autism, Asperger's, or down syndrome give them unique learning and social challenges. It is something the Whole Children program is helping them overcome.
"It's really kind of a unique resource. There's not anything to match it really," parent Scott Cooper said.
The program was started fie years ago by parents who knew their children needed more help than what they got at the doctor or in school. Whole Children has grown 400 families strong, and teaches children and teens with special needs to navigate situations most people take for granted.
"A lot of the children who come have sensory sensitivity so loud noises bother them and new places bother them. So, when they first come they often have trouble learning how to function in a group," program director Carrie Mcgee said.
Within a few weeks that all starts to change. Parents can enroll their children in a variety of classes that build social skills, like girl talk, gymnastics, shopping trips and fencing.
Joseph Wright is a lead teacher at Whole Children and learns as much from the kids as they learn from him.
"The ability for them to be in a social group with multiple children all interacting at the same time which is really a lot of their difficulties. All of them one-on-one are amazing kids. It's just getting them to work with others and understand that other differences as well and that's okay," Wright said.
For many children, it is a perfect fit.
"He's been learning stuff that he doesn't really get any exposure to. He's not the kid to join the baseball team at school or be in the main stream that way but he does get an exposure to that here that suits him," Cooper said.
"It's really awesome to be able to see them able to do things that you wouldn't normally expect special needs children to be able to do," Wright said.
It is also a good fit for many parents. They come into the program feeling isolated, struggling to raise their children, surrounded by typical families and children who cannot always relate.
"What we see is this joy that starts blooming for people when they now have a community of friends and can find the humor in their lives and the fun in it instead of always feeling like it's a drain," Mcgee said.
The program cannot stand on its own. Recently, Whole Children lost one third of the funding it gets from the state. So the group will rely even more on donations and fundraising than they did in the past. Parents pay ten to 75 dollars per class.
A list of offerings can be found online at wholechildren.org.
"Children are children and people are people. We are all special needs in some way," Wright said.
; "Click for Neighborhood Pinpoint Doppler")
; "Click for Seven Day Forecast")
