Autism Skateboarding Foundation partnered with The Autism Society of North Carolina's Onslow County Chapter to offer a skateboarding event for children with autism on Saturday, April 20, from 9am to 12am at the Jacksonville Commons Skatepark, 100 Recreation Lane.
Everyone is welcome - children with autism in all counties, ages and abilities.
A.Skate Foundation is a non-profit organization involved in the event. Their purpose is to introduces children with autism to skateboarding. Particularly important is the factor that children with autism may otherwise never be able to experience a sport due to their disability and social inhibition, that prevents them from fully functioning in a team sport. With skateboarding the drama is left outside - children, including kids with autism, have an opportunity in an unrestrained environment where they can in a relaxed manner find their own way to work things in a skating park.
For this event in Jacksonville, children will not be left alone to do what they want, but will be assigned a volunteer who skillfully engages them in a skateboarding activity, paying attention to children's abilities such as language factor, motor development.
Skateboarding has a reputation of a reckless sport. However, under supervision and with a lot of passion involved, the opportunity is incredible - autism affected children get a sense of what it's like to do something their neurotypical peers are doing, be a part of something they might only have looked at from afar. Benefits are obvious - the sense of inclusion as opposed to being left out increases self-esteem and helps children with autism to open up, make contact. And maybe, lift the protective curtain so that everyone can have a chance to see them for who they are.
For more information about the skateboarding event contact Marina Jorge, ASNC Onslow chapter leader, at 539-1182.
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