The After School Dilemma
September 10, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
2pm to 5pm has never been an easy time for Charlie. It’s the transition period between school and dinner, a hump to get over when he and I are feeling low-energy. The day goes by more easily when Charlie has something structured, such as speech therapy or ABA; if not, we usually go on a walk or (if the pool is open for “family swim”) a swim, or an “outing in public” (a store, the library). After-school programs have been off-limits: Charlie would need an aide and the activities, level of possible chaos due to a lot of children and not so many staff, and general “looseness” all end up to a phone call to me, frantically trying to go pick him up after rushing away from work. Charlie briefly went to a daycare after school when he was five years old for a few months, but he was soon mostly wandering at the edges of the playground, and I was relieved when the day that was to be his last came.
I would have been then, and I am very interested now, in hearing about an afterschool program for autistic children in New Jersey, “Anything is Possible,” started by Venita Martin. Martin has an autistic son and another son with Asperger’s who is now in college. The September 20th Couriern News reports on her new endeavour:
While other kids can play sports or enjoy other extracurricular activities, Martin cited a dearth of after-school programs geared toward children with autism.
“Our kids can do something — even if they’re taught to say some words or need help with homework,” Martin said. “Let’s just try to introduce some opportunities for them so they have a better chance of being an independent individual as they grow older.”
Martin said the program will start small Sept. 18 with five children — she hopes it will grow in the future. The two-hour sessions will be conducted three days per week.
Two hours three times a week is not a lot of time but those two hours can mean more than a lot when it is that “witching hour” time of day, at least for my son. I hope that “Anything is Possible” is only the first of such programs—-because anything really is possible when there’s a will, a way, and great kids as determined as their parents.
I would have appreciated something like this when my son was that age, just to have a place to be where he wasn’t getting bullied.
After-school care is still an issue for us. Most high school kids can stay home alone or might even be working. Ours needs one of us home or on the way home. He can handle waiting if he knows we’ll be there soon.
After school care is one big challenge. I am experience great difficulty finding a program that would accomodate my 15 year old needs, she is non-verbal but communicates nicely with her communication device, she needs great amount of assistance with self care. We are lucky she is very lovely, patient and overall easy going. She loves being out and surrounded by kids her age, she as all kids her age wants the same things, hang out with people her age, go shopping, going out to eat etc…
I knew it was going to take some work finding a program or make modifications to an existing program for typical chilldren, but I am experienced greater difficulties than expected. Although I am working on finding the individuals that would be willing to work in the program I do not find a great deal of collaboration from the administrativestaff at this program.
Any ideas??
What are parents of teenagers with autism doing for after school care??
Is everyone caring for a child with autism working from home???
Are these families relying on finding help to care for their children at home???
I hear all of your cries. I currently work with children with Autism as a Behavior Technician. I am in the works of starting an after-school program for children with Autism. I was wondering what you as parents would like out of an after-school program for your children?