I've been working with atypical skaters for several years-- kids who have special needs, first as a designated aide, and now as a Program Leader with the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA), part of a national movement of "SRAs," essentially park districts for individuals with special needs.
On Saturday mornings, I teach in a fast growing program called SPICE (SPecial skaters ICE Experience) with 20 kids and 20+ "buddies"-- high level skaters who work one-on-one with class participants. SPICE was NSSRA's very first program, a couple of decades ago. Here's a typical class:
Staff and buddies are gathered in the lobby waiting for the skaters to start arriving. N, 14 and a huge flirt, has the buddies fighting over him. His regular buddy is absent; we finally settle on him helping one of the older girls to teach a new student.
S walks in with his beautiful service dog, repeating Hi Xan! in his booming voice several times. S is also a popular skater, both because he's a really good skater, and because he tells amazing stories while skating around.
C won't look at me, but I happen to know he's into lions and have brought a hand puppet.
J also knows better than to look at me, because I am really mean and have been making him stand up on the ice (I know, right?). P is usually quite quiet, and needs two helpers to stand on the ice, although he physically strong. Even with typical skaters, it's often one of the biggest challenges to help them understand that "slippery" is not the same as "impossible to stand on this." In fact, T, who was doing great last week, has decided that Dad is a way better option than the skating teachers. Like the hero that these kids often are, however, a few minutes into the class, and with the help of two buddies, his gliding like a pro.
C is complaining, but the lion is proving to motivate him.
M missed the first four classes-- we wondered where she was; turned out her registration had gotten lost. She showed up today, with pink hair! (I knew I liked that kid!) Last session she absolutely insisted that she had to have a pusher, but today she just zipped right past them without a thought.
G missed two sessions as well, for his bar mitzvah. His buddy also missed those sessions, because the kids have bonded so beautifully-- His buddy JG went to the service and party. These are the kinds of really beautiful things that happen at SPICE. G does not stand on his own and has a special adaptive frame so he can skate, with JG pushing. There is nothing quite so joyous as his laughter as he moves faster than anyone else on the ice.
Each class we sort out all the pairings, have a 10-minute class (typically swizzles, backward wiggles, two-foot and one-foot glides and other basic skills) and about 15 minutes of free skating (so that I have time to fight with J about standing up instead of scooting around on his butt).
These are just a few of the 20 skaters that I work with every week. They and their families are literally what keep me skating-- I've thought often about quitting. But knowing the difference I make in these lives, the volunteer buddies that I am inspiring, and the joy that all of us feel from these special classes keep me coming back for more.
Showing posts with label special_needs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label special_needs. Show all posts
Feb 15, 2014
Jan 31, 2012
The kids who need us
I just started working for a skating program for special needs kids; two classes with about 10 kids in each one. There are several teen volunteers, 2 off-ice program "leaders" and me as officially the Program Assistant; in practice the on-ice program leader.
I've had many special needs kids in regular classes, sometimes with an aide, and sometimes just dropped into the class. Most of them have been variously developmentally delayed, or ADD and ADHD, but also several autistic students, my dyspraxic student Miss E (who still reigns as my all-time favorite student), Downs students, developmentally delayed, and cerebral palsy. They've all been in the regular classes, however. This new venture is an all-special needs program.
Currently the class is something of a free-for-all. There is no structure; not necessarily a bad thing. The kids are having a lot of fun, but I think they're being sold a little short. There are only three who I think would really not be able to get anything out of a mainstream class. Being in this environment, however, is somewhat antithetical to structured learning.
The thing with special needs kids is, well, they're kids. They're individuals, and you need to reach every individual on his or her own terms. Some of the participants have really high barriers to really learning skating skills, starting with simply understanding that there's more to skating than gliding around.
But many many more of them are perfectly well capable of learning intermediate and advanced skills, with some extra understanding and outreach. And you reach them the way you reach any kid.
Just skate
I'm a big proponent of "just skating." It's the best way to bridge the gap from new to structured learning. With these kids, though, just skating is too much of a metaphor for what their lives might be--going around in circles and never getting anywhere.
One-on-one instruction
All of the participants in this class get a personal aid in the form of a youth volunteer. These girls (and one boy) are pretty gifted at this, and they're doing something challenging and even scary with a lot of compassion and joy. But they're focused on undirected playing. It's something to talk to the program designers about--what is the mission of this class? Is it essentially a safe public skate for these kids, or are they supposed to be learning skills, or is it a combination? It would be interesting to have a lesson plan for each child.
Game-based learning
Singing songs, imitation, challenges. Just as these work with mainstream kids, they can work and sometimes work even better with these kids.
Mainstream with aide
Many of the children in this class could thrive in mainstream classes, especially with an aide, which most municipalities will now provide for the asking if your child has a special needs diagnosis. And I think for many of these kids, the structure would be helpful.
Mainstream on your own
For the specific individuals in these classes, mainstreaming without an aide would be problematic. But several of them could get there, if they were learning, not just to have fun on the ice, but to take instruction, and to get joy from learning more advanced skills.
I've had many special needs kids in regular classes, sometimes with an aide, and sometimes just dropped into the class. Most of them have been variously developmentally delayed, or ADD and ADHD, but also several autistic students, my dyspraxic student Miss E (who still reigns as my all-time favorite student), Downs students, developmentally delayed, and cerebral palsy. They've all been in the regular classes, however. This new venture is an all-special needs program.
Currently the class is something of a free-for-all. There is no structure; not necessarily a bad thing. The kids are having a lot of fun, but I think they're being sold a little short. There are only three who I think would really not be able to get anything out of a mainstream class. Being in this environment, however, is somewhat antithetical to structured learning.
The thing with special needs kids is, well, they're kids. They're individuals, and you need to reach every individual on his or her own terms. Some of the participants have really high barriers to really learning skating skills, starting with simply understanding that there's more to skating than gliding around.
But many many more of them are perfectly well capable of learning intermediate and advanced skills, with some extra understanding and outreach. And you reach them the way you reach any kid.
Just skate
I'm a big proponent of "just skating." It's the best way to bridge the gap from new to structured learning. With these kids, though, just skating is too much of a metaphor for what their lives might be--going around in circles and never getting anywhere.
One-on-one instruction
All of the participants in this class get a personal aid in the form of a youth volunteer. These girls (and one boy) are pretty gifted at this, and they're doing something challenging and even scary with a lot of compassion and joy. But they're focused on undirected playing. It's something to talk to the program designers about--what is the mission of this class? Is it essentially a safe public skate for these kids, or are they supposed to be learning skills, or is it a combination? It would be interesting to have a lesson plan for each child.
Game-based learning
Singing songs, imitation, challenges. Just as these work with mainstream kids, they can work and sometimes work even better with these kids.
Mainstream with aide
Many of the children in this class could thrive in mainstream classes, especially with an aide, which most municipalities will now provide for the asking if your child has a special needs diagnosis. And I think for many of these kids, the structure would be helpful.
Mainstream on your own
For the specific individuals in these classes, mainstreaming without an aide would be problematic. But several of them could get there, if they were learning, not just to have fun on the ice, but to take instruction, and to get joy from learning more advanced skills.
Do you know any special needs skaters? What method helped them?
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