Fun aerobic activities for children with special needs
Wow, what an accomplishment! Congratulations!
I don’t work with little kids, but I do work with youth / young adults. I teach Zumba in a gym setting and between 4 and 10 individuals from the school district’s special education program attend my Zumba class. As a mother of a 7 year old girl with Down syndrome, I’m very interested in inclusive activities where everyone is welcome. My Monday morning Zumba class is one of those places. I have participants with a variety of developmental disabilities, including mild to significant autism and sensory processing disorders.
Message me if you’re interested in more info and I’ll tell you what I can. But I just teach my regular class, and they participate at the level that they are interested and able. This is my third full school year with the kids in my class and they’re a tremendous asset to our class.
Thank you for your feedback and prompt response.
I love working with all children with special needs but for the purpose of my capstone I am only doing it right now for children with ASD as I applied for a grant with AutismSpeaks.
Currently on my caseload in schools I have about 4 students with DS and about another 4 or 5 with CP. The rest are diagnosed mostly with ASD and some other diagnoses.
Congrats on your accomplishments as well doing your Zumba class for the chidlren with special needs. I am sure it is a lot of fun!!!
Thank you
Liz
I think my suggestions would still work. I only have one individual with Down syndrome in my Zumba class. The bulk of the students in my inclusive class have forms of autism.
Our lead trainer at one of the gyms where I work has a daughter with autism and he is very involved with her sports and activities. She plays soccer for sure, but I can ask about other physical activities she’s enjoyed.
I admire your willingness to work with special populations. I have worked with those suffering from MS for many years. Special needs, special tasks, special goals. For those of us who have no special considerations, it’s hard to fathom the degree of hardship it is to go for a walk around the block. We jump out of bed, hop on our bike and go for a 20-miler without even thinking about it. I appreciate what you do. Danny