Kids In Action

For the past five weeks I have been volunteering with Kids in Action as part of my Adapted Physical Activity class. This program is for children with autism and also their siblings. I have had the opportunity to work with a four year old girl (and some days, her twin sister also). There are almost twenty kids that come for this one hour of after-school physical activity. Half of them do aquatics based activities and half of them do gym based activities. The activities are designed by some of the grad students and they do a fantastic job in keeping things organised and varied from week to week. Each week there is a different focus, e.g. one week it was locomotive movements while another it was rhythm. As today was our last day, the children got the chance to use the sensory lab. It contains tunnels, neon lights, a water bed and many other things that are stimulating for children with autism. The children are really active for the entire session and it is a great way for them to use up all of their energy. I would love to be involved in this program for longer and I would encourage anybody to get involved if at all possible. Every day the children put a smile on your face. Although sometimes challenging, it was a very rewarding experience and I am glad I got to experience it.