LEARNING TEAMWORK
Athletes and autistic kids come together in after-school program Social skills of team building developed during sports drills
FRANCONIA » High fives and cheers helped punctuate a recent Therapeutic After School Program at Indian Creek Foundation as members of the Souderton Area High School football team brought their game to the social skills program for children with autism.
The program works on developing social skills that children with autism struggle with, such as social awareness, personal space, conversation skills and self-regulation, said Anne Westrom, the TASP/STAP (Theurapeutic After School Program/Summer Therapeutic Activities Program) coordinator.
“The goal is that there is a transfer of skills so that the children can leave this program and join social groups either at school or in the community,” Westrom said.
Participants ages nine to 14 attend the after school program three days a week, with ones that are five to eight years old attending the other two school days, she said.
The program also includes trips with the students to places such as the library, playgrounds and Boys & Girls Club, she said.
“Our hope is that they will interact with members of the community to practice the skills that they’re taught here,” Westrom said. “We like to get the children involved in the community.”
Since December, athletic teams from Souderton Area High School have been taking turns coming to visit and showing the TASP participants athletic drills and skills, she said.
“They’ve acted as role models,” Westrom said. “It’s not only that they’re teaching them the various sports skills, but teaching them social skills as well.”
That includes about sportsmanship and being on a team, she said.
On March 4, the football team was there. Previous team visits were from boys soccer, girls soccer, wiffle ball baseball, softball, tennis and volleyball.
The visits from the teams can spark an interest in the TASP attendees to become more involved in other sports teams, possibly with community, Special Olympics or school teams, Westrom said.
“It gives the high school athletes a chance to give back to the community and share their love of their sport,” she said.
The TASP students love having the athletic team visits and look forward to the teams coming there, she said.
Having the athletic teams visit is a good opportunity for both the team members and the TASP students, Souderton Area High School Athletic Director Dennis Stanton said.
“I think the best service is two way service,” he said.
“We’re trying to enhance their skills in tennis and football and soccer,” he said, “but ultimately provide a venue where they can come and have a good time.”
Inclusion is part of the school district’s institutional mission, he said. The athletic programs include bocce and track unified sports teams with special education and regular education team members, he said.
“The best way to truly master a skill — and none of us have mastered anything in the context of athletics because it’s really hard — is to teach it, so teaching it is helping our athletes as well.”
— Dennis Stanton, Souderton Area High School athletic director
A lot can be learned by being part of a team, he said.
“The best way to truly master a skill — and none of us have mastered anything in the context of athletics because it’s really hard — is to teach it,” Stanton said, “so teaching it is helping our athletes as well.”
At the beginning of the session, the football players and TASP members stood in a circle and introduced themselves, giving their name, age and favorite food.
The TASP program has been held for several years; this is the first year for the athletic team visits, Westrom said. So far, the team visits have only been with the classes for ages nine through 14, but may in the future be extended to include the younger students, she said.
Many of the TASP students come from the Souderton Area or North Penn school districts, but there are also ones from other areas, she said.
“Some kids travel 45 minutes to get here because we’re one of the few programs like this in the area,” Westrom said.
The TASP participants come right from school to Indian Creek Foundation, Westrom said. Classes go to 6 p.m. Medical assistance covers the costs of the program, she said. Additional information is available by contacting Westrom at awestrom@indcreek.org or 267-203-1500, ext. 139.