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| Autism & Related Disabilities Gym Program, Inc |
| P.O. Box 770306 |
| Winter Garden, FL 34777 |
Mission Statement
Download our Program flyer here
To establish a center with recreational programs for individuals with autism and
related disorders where innovative ideas come together to enhance the lives of
individuals and their families. To build new friendships, promote learning,
community involvement and disability awareness.
AutismGym Program Goals
- Volunteers on Tuesdays at the program
- Learning and play equipment
- Disney and other character visits
- Funds for food and equipment for special activites such as a summer picnic,
A Day at Disney and a boat trip
- Swim therapy with a licensed therapist
- Music therapy
- Dance therapy
- Art therapy
- Open play with a coach for more structured activities
- Field trips (Disney, Sea World, Discovery Cove, Zoo, Parks, etc…)
- Therapeutic riding
- Support group meetings (weekly)
- Autism news presentations (latest interventions, local resources, etc…)
- Fundraisers
- Expanded outreach
Larger program and community goals
We would like to do an event such as a 5K run, bike or walk for autism awareness
that is sponsored by Walt Disney World with a dinner and entertainment with extensive
press coverage to raise money for the AutismGym Program.
Download our Program flyer here
This mother's 'big dreams' just may come true
Published April 13, 2005 in the Orlando Sentinel
Jo-Anne Houwers has just worked a 10-hour day, but hearing her talk you get the sense she can work another 10 without a hitch. She rattles off a list of exciting possibilities as giggling children run around an Ocoee gym.
More mats and equipment. Music instruments. Field trips to amusement parks. A swim with the dolphins. A theater room. A music therapist. Oh, and a horseback-riding camp.
"I have big dreams," Houwers tells me as several dozen families stream into the gym for their special kids' weekly hour of fun.
If it's Tuesday, it must be the Jim Beech Recreation Center in Ocoee, where Houwers started a volunteer program five years ago for children with autism and other related disabilities. She hopes to expand the program, which runs most every Tuesday from 6 to 7 p.m., to young adults.
It all started thanks to Joey, now 20. Houwers was looking for a place where children and teens like Joey could "go where they don't have to feel different." A place where parents could share their experiences. The Ocoee center gave the nod, and through word of mouth and a Web site (www.autismgym.org) whole families started showing up.
Joey has an obsessive-compulsive disorder, a common symptom of autism. He has difficulty speaking. He can retain information, his mother says, but "he can't always let it out."
On this particular Tuesday, Joey is tossing a ball with parents of younger children. A 3-year-old boy with Down syndrome giggles as one of the center's counselors lifts him up to touch the basketball rim. Even the loud music that's playing can't muffle occasional screeches from delighted kids and hollers of "Be careful!" from vigilant parents.
It's all part of what Houwers sees as a nurturing community to help families cope with a disability that now affects one in 500 American children. Some studies have suggested high levels of mercury in certain older versions of vaccines as a possible cause, though others dispute those findings. One thing's clear: The number of cases has grown exponentially for this neurological disability.
Alan Moss says the Ocoee program gives his soon-to-be 9-year-old son, Joseph, the chance to make friends, have fun "and not break anything." He's helping Houwers recruit 144 golfers for a May 7 tournament at Walt Disney World's Palm Golf Course at the Shades of Green Resort in Lake Buena Vista.
I don't usually write about fund-raisers, but I'm making an exception because there are so few taxpayer-supported recreational activities specifically for those with developmental disabilities. State-financed basic care programs to help those with autism, cerebral palsy and other disabilities have long waiting lists. Last year, almost 14,000 were waiting.
The state has designed flexible programs that train family members to provide care. Joey gets some of that assistance. His parents work different shifts so that he's always supervised. What's lacking are organized activities. Houwers' program, which sometimes includes volunteer therapists, is an ingenious way to help families help themselves.
If you would like to play golf May 7 or help in some way, call Houwers at 407-234-7456 or Moss at 321-303-7672. Or drop by the Ocoee center. Joey will be waiting. If you're lucky, he'll smile and toss a ball your way.
Myriam Marquez can be reached at mmarquez@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5399.
Download our Program flyer here
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