My friend Donna reports that she recently created a small trust fund for sports uniforms that her son will continue to purchase, but never use. We were well down the same path, particularly with the latest effort of signing up our son for a youth soccer league that advertised “individualized instruction,” only to find that the other students were already being scouted for high school teams! Thank goodness we found out about community inclusion coordinators…
What are community inclusion coordinators? They are typically employees of local parks and recreation departments whose main job is to ensure that children with disabilities get what they need to participate successfully in programs that the community offers. The position evolved as an outcome of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under Title II of the ADA, municipalities must make accommodations for physical and program access for individuals with disabilities. Local recreation councils, productive living boards and other organizations helped partner with parks and recreation departments to bring those inclusion efforts to life by crafting the position of a community inclusion coordinator.
Parents can access their local community inclusion coordinator through their city’s Park Department or local Y (private recreational facility inclusion is similar, but falls under Title III of the ADA). The coordinator will work with parents and children to create a recreational plan. The plan is somewhat similar to an IEP, although usaully not that highly structured.
Planning begins by discussing the child’s strengths and interests. Then, the team works together to find out what activities the child might enjoy – golf, swimming, camps, etc – that the community is already offering. Once the activities are selected, the coordinator helps to figure out what modifications and supports are needed to allow the child to be successfully integrated in the program. Modifications may include additional staff, shorter class times, pre-meetings with the staff, etc. The coordinator will also help procure any additional resources and will monitor progress, working with the child, the staff and the parents to adjust as necessary.
Parents typically pay the same program costs as anyone else for the activity. The costs for the inclusion coordinator’s time is without charge. Many times, parents can be shy about approaching a coordinator for the first time, and to continue to work with them if things don’t work out the first time. If that happens, keep trying! Remember, community inclusion within your child’s rights!
