Special Needs Special Times – October, 2012

| October 1, 2012

By now you’re probably just about settled into the back-to-school routine, and if your child with special needs is anything like Joey, he or she is likely begging for something fun to do to unwind after a long day or week in the classroom. Watching your kids acquire new knowledge might also have you yearning for a useful way to enhance your skill set. This edition of “Special Needs, Special Times” has ideas for bringing more personal fulfillment into both of your lives.

This late autumn and upcoming early winter, the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association is living up to its belief that fun is for everyone with a full slate of exciting programs. NSSRA participants include adults and children with mental, physical, emotional or other disabilities, visual impairments or behavior disorders, as well as individuals who are on the autism spectrum, who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who have debilitating conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis or Alzheimer’s disease.

For the youngsters (ages 7–12), on December 8, NSSRA will be holding a special themed Afternoon Adventures session at the Legoland Discovery Center. Registrants are invited to step inside and feel as though they’ve just jumped in to the world’s biggest box of LEGO bricks—more than 3 million blocks, in fact. The deadline to register is November 16. Signups will be taken until November 2.

One week earlier, on December 1, teens and adults will be the center attraction at the annual NSSRA Bowling Tournament. Pizza, soda pop, mingling with friends and other SRAs, and spending the day competing with fellow bowlers are all on tap for the day.

And for those who want to learn more about the hundreds of other programs the association offers, a Cultural Arts Open House will be held the evening of Thursday, November 29. This free event will feature performances by current NSSRA Cultural Arts programs such as Choir, Drama and Ukulele Therapy as well as an artwork showcase from other NSSRA programs. Complimentary activities and refreshments will be provided to attendees.

Another organization I’d like to bring to the attention of “Special Needs, Special Times” readers is the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL). SEDOL’s mission is to provide educational programs for children with moderate to very severe disabilities from birth through age 22 who reside within about 400 square miles of Lake County, Illinois.

At the district’s John Powers Center, the next session of the popular Sign Language Classes is currently taking applications. Both Sign Class I and Sign Class II will be offered once per week, with a total duration of eight weeks. The next session is slated to begin January 23, 2013.

If you would you like to see your organization’s activities and services described in our upcoming reports, please email your calendar of events and information to: steven@joride.com.  As our column grows so will the ability to feature not-to-be missed special needs events.

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Category: Articles, Special Needs, Special Times

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