The Benefits Of Social And Recreational Programs For Children With Special Needs In NYC

By Enid Hinton


Becoming a parent is probably life's biggest challenge. There is nothing that can prepare someone for the joys and challenges that parenting will bring to their lives. Yet when a child is born with a disability or additional needs, those challenges become even more significant. Many people find themselves becoming over whelmed by the demands on their time and energy. Without help it is all too easy to sink in the despair of coping with all the extra demands.

Having a good support group is vital to most peoples emotional success. Accessing good social and recreational programs for children with special needs in NYC can make all the difference. The advantages are wonderful and not just for parents, but for siblings as well. Having a brother or sister who has additional needs can place a lot of stress on the entire family and often the other children feel left out.

In many cases the referral comes from the family doctor. They may have noticed issues relevant to the child's social development or other clues to indicate a potential problem. The child can then be referred to a psychologist for further tests. It can all take quite a lot of time and the family will need to be patient. If at the end of all the testing the child receives a diagnosis or autism or any other type of disability they will qualify for extra help through a number of community based programs.

Many parents are very relieved to find there is more than enough help available to them in New York, NY. This ranges from therapy for speech, fine and gross motor delays and even feeding problems. However, the child still needs to have fun and learn to socialize with their peers. Each case must be considered as an individual and the child should be pushed to reach their full potential.

After the diagnosis the family will be registered with many local and state wide agencies. They will also be assigned a case manager. These managers can be tremendously important as they can give the entire family help and support finding all the best programs to meet individual requirements. Some children only have minimal needs and are able to participate in regular activities such as scouts or guides and school based activities. Others have very significant challenges and need more specially designed activities.

Recreational programming is also a great opportunity for a child who have a disability. Today many of the youngsters are able to participate in regular sporting activities. However, it may be necessary for some to attend events that have been specially adapted. This may include everything from wheel chair accessible sports to adapted bicycles.

Much of the specialized equipment is very expensive and out of the reach of many families. Having access to this can make all the difference in their lives. For example, specially trained swimming instructors providing individual help to a disabled child will allow the rest of the family time to swim at the pool together knowing that their youngster is in safe hands.

Many children in New York, NY who have autism or other special needs are over sensitive to noise, lights and other sensory input. Having a quite place to socialize is essential to them. In many typical venues the noise level is far too much for them and they are simply over whelmed. Understanding their additional requirements is the first step in providing the right conditions for them to socialize and play, just like every other kid.




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