Published: September 04, 2008 05:24 pm      

YMCA gives special needs special attention

New program to help kids who are somtimes left out

When Angie Frazier-Cannon started looking for athletic programs for her 9-year-old autistic son, she realized there was not much offered for him in Southern Indiana.

After brainstorming with other families with special-needs children and her co-workers at the

YMCA of Southern Indiana, Frazier-Cannon decided to develop more special- needs programs through the YMCA.

“We didn’t have any (special-needs) programs before, only child care,” she said. “The only special-needs program in Clark County is Challenger Baseball.

“So, since everybody automatically thinks of the YMCA anyway, we thought we should do something.”

The new special-needs programs include soccer, flag football, swimming and fitness. There are plans to include basketball and baseball.

Besides swimming, which is ongoing every Saturday, the sports programs will have a short overlap, but will be scheduled on different days. The one-hour soccer and football programs will consist of 30 minutes of practice skills and 30 minutes of scrimmage. The programs are open to all special-needs children, ages 5 to 17.

“We figured soccer would be the easiest for special-needs children, and it will help us get our feet wet,” said Frazier-Cannon, who is the special-needs coordinator at the YMCA of Southern Indiana.

Lisa Owen plans to get her 12-year-old son involved. He has participated in adaptive swimming before, and she is looking into getting him involved in soccer.

Owen’s son is autistic, and such programs give him an opportunity to get out and be a part of the community, she said.

“Services are limited in rural areas, so we have to come to Clark County for things,” said Owen, a Washington County resident. “It’s great having him get out and run — it’s a social activity that gets him out and lets him exercise. I don’t want him sitting home all day.”

Frazier-Cannon brainstormed with families in the home-school association she belongs to, Heart and Home. She said there are several other families with special-needs kids, and they were able to figure out the best way to meet their needs and have fun, too.

Frazier-Cannon was selected to head up the program because of her experience with her son and her background in child psychology.

Child Services Director Judy Smith said the YMCA is always looking for gaps in services in Clark and Floyd counties. The staff at the YMCA is trained to deal with a multitude of diagnoses in special-needs children, and the ratio of staff to children is kept low to provide the best possible experience for those kids.

“There are a large number of people not being served,” Smith said. “Children with special needs have so many programs to help them develop skills, and it gets overlooked that there need to be programs just for fun.”



Who can participate?

• The sports programs are open to special-needs children between the ages of 5 and 17. The YMCA in Jeffersonville offers year-round child care services for special-needs children at school sites in Clark and Floyd counties. The YMCA also hosts family fun night once a month, which provides physical activities and socialization. For more information on the programs or to sign up your child, call 812-283-9622, or e-mail Special-Needs Coordinator Angie Frazier-Cannon at acannon@ymcasi.org.