Summer Recreation for Kids with Autism

Back to school means back to camp! With the school year beginning in August comes the return of yellow school buses pulling up to CSS in the afternoons. Kids getting off the bus are all smiles not realizing that they are going to be learning valuable skills for the next few hours.

One of the many therapy activities in the CSS After-School Camp is art. Art Therapy gives participants the opportunity to engage in different creative outlets. Communication is often a struggle for children diagnosed with autism and art provides an alternative to traditional speech. Art is a window for the imagination and gives individuals visual tools for expression. Therapy groups are clearly structured with themes and art materials, but allow the artists to freely express themselves within the given frameworks while ensuring each child has his or her individual needs met .

Even the most affordable art supplies do come at a cost and it can really add up over the course of the school year. Fifty dollars can provide one week of art supplies for the camp. Over fifty children attend the after-school program at CSS. Each day the program ensures that every child has the chance to engage in activities and therapies designed for him or her. The difference art makes in a person’s life is evident in the smiles as children proudly show off their masterpieces at the end of the day.