Recreation
This page offers resources on many aspects of recreation and leisure (exercise, sports, equipment and leisure skills).
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Description: Adaptive Toys for Children with Disabilities and General Toy Safety Inclusive Gifts for Kids with Disabilities and Their Families What Are Switch-Adapted and Switch-Activated Toys and Games?
Description: Video- Play in Early Childhood: The Role of Play in Any Setting - When children play, they can reduce sources of stress, strengthen core life skills, and build responsive relationships with caring adults—all of which are core principles of early childhood development. This video highlights the importance of play.
Description: Brain-Building Through Play: Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Children - From infancy on, play is an important part of a child’s life. This handout series, developed with support from the LEGO Foundation, provides suggestions games and play-based activities based on a child’s age. The activities for younger children are designed for adults to engage in with children. Activities for later ages allow the adults to step back, enabling children’s independence to blossom...
Description: Virginia Parent Transition Survey - This updated survey is a way for parents to describe their expectations for their child/youth’s future and their expectations. Completing this survey before or during a transition planning IEP meeting will provide important information that can lead to improved planning and better outcomes after leaving high school. Not all of the sections or choices may be relevant to your child/youth, so please complete those that best describe your concerns and...
Description: Camp List for Children & Adults with Disabilities 5.2024.docx, 2024 Summer Camps (Northern Virginia, Region 4) Websites to Search for Camps: American Camp Association’s Camp Finder - Lists camps accredited by ACA. The advanced search function allows you to search by disability, distance from home, inclusive camps, and other variables. VerySpecialCamps - Summer Camps & Programs for Individuals with Special Needs MySummerCamps (general finder) - Find the Perfect Summer Camp for...
Description: PE helps children learn about how their body moves and prepares them to be physically active and healthier for life. In Virginia, PE is required by law for all kindergarten through 10th-grade students. This includes students with disabilities. If the IEP team decides the student requires PE beyond the 10th grade, the school division must provide the service. As parents, you can make this request to the team.
Description: The focus of the March 2024 Natural Resources listserv is play for each and every child and family.
Description: Curated in conjunction with Mary Anne Prater, the author or co-author of seven books and dozens of academic journal articles on teaching students with developmental difficulties as well as special and general education topics, this search tool contains information and synopses of children’s and young adult literature about or having to do with people with disabilities. This information includes the name of the author and illustrator, year of publication, publisher, appropriate grade...
Description: AMC is proud to partner with the Autism Society to offer unique movie showings where we turn the lights up, and turn the sound down, so you can get up, dance, walk, shout or sing! Our Sensory Friendly Film program is available on the second and fourth Saturday (family-friendly) and Wednesday evenings (mature audiences) of every month. Please check your local theatre listings for specific showtimes, and don't forget to share your family fun with #AMCSensoryFriendly.
Description: The VATTS: Resource Guide provides instructional strategies, AT solutions, modifications, accommodations, and examples used to address areas of need identified through the AT consideration process to support student success. There are two Resource Guide PDFs: an ADA Compliant version and a printable table version.
Description: My child with autism is doing well in his academic programming, but I’d like to help him develop social skills with peers. He participates in playdates, but I often worry that we are not making the most of these opportunities. How can I help him learn to play with a friend? Considering the recent pandemic, what are some other things I should consider?
Description: AMC is proud to partner with the Autism Society to offer unique movie showings where we turn the lights up, and turn the sound down, so you can get up, dance, walk, shout or sing! Our Sensory Friendly Film program is available on the second and fourth Saturday (family-friendly) and Wednesday evenings (mature audiences) of every month.
Description: CRi is a community-based nonprofit organization with a focus on providing personalized resources to people with developmental disabilities & mental health needs. We believe in serving people within the communities in which they live. CRi is transforming how at-risk youth & people with developmental disabilities or mental health needs live, work & play. Working closely together with each individual, they create plans to empower & connect people with services & support while...
Description: What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses, it’s not something you have to conjure up, you just have to learn how to access it. The Types of Mindfulness Practice While mindfulness is innate, it can be cultivated through proven techniques. Here are some...
Description: The world's largest movie theater chain is adding onscreen captions at hundreds of U.S. locations in an effort to make moviegoing more accessible. AMC Theatres announced that 240 of its locations — in more than 100 U.S. markets — are adding open captioning to certain showings. The change took effect last week and is aimed at improving the viewing experience for people who have hearing loss and for whom English is not their first language.
Description: Presentation Recordings from VDOE Family Literacy Night Family Literacy Night included presentations on the following topics: Early Childhood: Early Literacy Starts at Home Assessment Supports: An Explanation of Your Student's SOL Reports Family Field Trips: Connecting Literacy to the Commonwealth Family Engagement: Supports for the Home Virginia State Literacy Association: Choosing Books for the Children in your Lives Virginia Association for Teachers of English Equity & Community...
Description: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Virginia provides YouTube videos with yoga instruction covering a variety of topics, including: Yoga Ed. x NAMI Virginia: Chair Yoga for Children: What Is Yoga? Yoga Ed. x NAMI Virginia: Chair Yoga for Children: Why Do We Do Yoga? Yoga Ed. x NAMI Virginia: Chair Yoga for Teens: What Is Yoga? Yoga Ed. x NAMI Virginia: Chair Yoga for Teens: Why Do We Do Yoga? And more...
Description: Membership in the Virginia PTA provides the opportunity to participate in the National PTA Reflections program. This competition encourages students to explore the arts and express themselves by providing positive recognition for their artistic efforts. Since it was founded in 1969 by Mary Lou Anderson, millions of students have benefited from this program. Reflections Awards Program Students in Pre-K through grade 12, and a special artist division, create theme-based artwork in...
Description: The Shenandoah Valley Inclusive Wellness Coalition (SVIWC) is an alliance of individuals with disabilities, family members, and professionals who are working to increase opportunities for ALL individuals to participate in community-based physical activity and wellness opportunities.
Description: Take 5 is a great mindfulness and relaxation exercise to use with kids, adults, and anyone in between. I teach it in education, healthcare, and corporate settings and people love it. Try it out! Cory Muscara is the founder of the Long Island Center for Mindfulness. He serves as faculty at Columbia Teachers College and the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches mindfulness and positive psychology, and in 2012 spent six months in silence living as a monk in Asia.
Description: SHAPE America is dedicated to supporting health education and physical education teachers across the country as schools implement reopening plans and continue effective instruction through the school year during the COVID-19 pandemic. PE goes hand-in-hand with social and emotional learning as it’s a learning environment where SEL socialization occurs naturally through active play, teamwork, and motor skill development. Students learn resilience, problem-solving skills, collaboration,...
Description: Young Athletes is a unique sport and play program for children ages two to seven with and without intellectual disabilities. Our focus is on fun activities that are important to mental and physical growth. Children enjoy activities that develop motor skills like balance, flexibility, strength, and coordination. In fact, in a recent study, children with developmental delays who participated in a structured eight-week Young Athletes program showed...
Description: Self-regulation skills help children to control emotions, thinking, behavior and motor actions in different situations. Throughout the day, children need the ability to tolerate sensations, situations and form appropriate responses. It requires that children control their impulses to stop doing something if needed and to participate in something even if the children does not want to do it. Playing self control games can help children learn the necessary skills to self-regulate while...
Description: During this unprecedented year of learning, the Kennedy Center is focusing on developing digital education resources to ensure that students continue to have access to high quality arts education. Our remote learning priorities include: Performances for Young Audiences, Classroom Lessons, Digital Learning Resources, Teaching Artists Present, Moonshot at Home, Virtual "Field Trips" They are continuing to expand their offerings with online courses, web-based professional development, virtual...
Description: Jill’s House is a Christian non-profit that provides short-term, overnight respite care for families raising kids ages 6-17 with intellectual disabilities in the DC metro area, and around the country. Parents regularly receive 24-48 hours to rest and recharge, while their kids are engaged in fun activities, tailored to their interests and abilities.
Description: Celebrate differences and disability awareness in your school. Picture book readings for young children celebrate differences and the importance of including everyone. Videos for older students highlight how people turned their experiences with isolation into inclusive opportunities. These resources encourage inclusive practices that make everyone at school feel welcome.
Description: Stop Learning Loss: Resources for Parents & Teachers - This is a place for parents and teachers across the United States to work together, to collaboratively build out a database of educational resources, materials, and activities so that no parent or teacher is on their own. Resources can be searched by: Type Grade level Subject Review This site was created by two current and former teachers: Rose Sebastian, a post-doctoral fellow in education at the University of Virginia and Kendal...
Description: The Kid Zone: The Literacy Playground for Kids & Families is a place where you can participate as your child builds literacy skills in a fun and interactive way. You can: Listen - Note which sounds, letters, and words seem hard for your child and what he or she sounds like when reading aloud. Look - Watch for the skills or tasks that appear difficult for your child. See if they improve with practice. Help - Pause and give your child a chance to correct a mistake. Then try giving him or her a...
Description: The resources are organized by the following topics: Early Childhood Education Resources Counseling Resources Online Learning Resources Math Education Resources Culturally and Diverse Learner Resources Health and Physical Education Resources
Description: This brief provides guidance to parents, family members, and caregivers about using the power of play to build resilience and support healing. Some of the ideas outlined in the brief include: Create opportunities for young children to communicate their fears and express their big feelings in constructive ways. Support children in releasing the extra energy charge that accumulates in their bodies after a stressful or traumatic experience. Teach infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children...
Description: Supports for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities is a resource that originated in Arkansas. Intended as a means of collaboration between teachers and families, the document offers examples and related resources for a number of lessons that can completed at home during normal daily routines. We asked a number of Virginia special educators to preview the document and then invited them to a virtual discussion where they shared their initial thoughts, offered some great ideas, and...
Description: Hip Hop Public Health creates research-based educational resources by harnessing the power of music and culture to improve health in communities that are underserved.
Description: Distance Learning for Special Education - Resources on this page are provided by educators and families from around the world. We are collaborating to support the needs of students with significant disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. These materials are open source and may be adapted to fit your child or student's need. They may not be used for purchase. We are updating this site often. Please email distancelearning4sped@gmail.com if you have a resource to share that would support...
Description: NetSmartz is NCMEC's online safety education program. It provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach children be safer online with the goal of helping children to become more aware of potential online risks and empowering them to help prevent victimization by making safer choices on- and offline.
Description: Video games are mostly considered a fun pastime. But, these virtual worlds can also be a powerful learning tool for kids with thinking and learning differences. “Kids that play video games are more likely to be able to read and follow instructions than kids who do not play video games,” says our expert. Watch as Jodi Gold, MD, a board-certified child, and adolescent psychiatrist and author of "Screen-Smart Parenting: How to Find Balance and Benefit in Your Child's Use of Social...
Description: disAbilityNavigator is a unique web resource created by and for people with disabilities and their families. Topics covered include: Family Caregiving Family Support Health Fitness & Recreation Health Care Settings & Providers Health Conditions & Disabilities Community Community Resources Community Best Practices & State Plans Individual Supports Advocacy Federal, State & Local Laws Protection & Advocacy Transitions Planning Insurance & Benefits Life Skills My Money...
Description: A cell phone contract is an agreement that outlines what families will do to make sure kids take care of their cell phone and use it responsibly — like not texting while driving. Another goal is to help kids speak up if they see or receive anything on their phone that makes them feel uncomfortable. These contracts include steps that kids promise to take. They also include steps that parents or caregivers promise to take. A cell phone contract can also help set limits on how much...
Description: Parents of children with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities are accustomed to paying close attention to their child's physical, cognitive, and emotional development. This proactive approach should also include their child's sexual development, which for many parents may not seem as obvious or urgent, especially to those with young children. Drawing on her unique background as both a sexual educator and mother of a child with Down syndrome, the author blends factual...
Description: All travelers will get more out of their trip by being able to speak a few words of the local language, but for people with a disability it’s often vital to be able to explain your particular needs. Since standard phrasebooks are unlikely to contain the language you need to talk about needs around disability we’ve gathered together some disability-specific words and phrases and translated them into as many different languages as we practically could. Although things are slowly...
Description: E-cigarettes are increasingly popular among adolescents, and currently there are limited options for education and prevention curriculum specifically targeted at E-cigarettes. While the purchase of E-cigarettes by minors is prohibited, the use of E-cigarettes among youth and adolescents is on the rise. This is particularly concerning as the liquid in E-cigarettes contains nicotine, and the chemicals in nicotine liquids are not currently regulated for safety standards, with unknown health...
Description: A Place To Be helps people with disabilities, medical and mental health struggles face, navigate and overcome life's challenges using the clinically-based practices of music therapy. Our Board-Certified therapists create individualized plans to help our clients achieve therapeutic goals and discover unrealized potential in a supportive, engaging and fun environment. A Place To Be is more than just our programs. We are a community dedicated to the values of inclusivity, respect, acceptance, love...
Description: Sportable is an adaptive sports club with a mission of creating opportunities and transforming lives of those with physical disabilities and visual impairments through sport. We accomplish this mission by providing people with physical disabilities and visual impairments access to 13 sports in the greater Richmond area. These sporting opportunities build a community of athletes with active, healthy lives who take pride in there and each other’s accomplishments.
Description: Do you have a child with special needs? Precious Time is a pediatric respite care program that provides the families of children with special needs an opportunity to take a break from the demands of caregiving. JMU nursing students provide respite care as part of a student learning experience. Precious Time serves families who live within a one hour radius of Harrisonburg, VA. Claude Moore Precious Time (Precious Time) matches JMU Nursing and Health and Human Service students...
Description: The DEA and Discovery Education have joined forces to combat a growing epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use nationwide. Operation Prevention's mission is to educate students about the true impacts of opioids and kick-start lifesaving conversations in the home and classroom. Operation Prevention's School Resources include: Opioid And Prescription Drugs Multi-Drug Exploratory Virtual Field Trips Webinar Student Videos Parent Toolkit: Parents can join the conversation with this...
Description: This page contains a variety of information and resources for teachers of grades 4-8 to use in the classroom and help students make healthier lifestyle choices (Nutrition, Physical Education, Health Conditions and Diseases, Disabilities and Birth Defects, Mental Health and Child Development, Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, and E-cigarettes and Alcohol).
Description: School health programs in Virginia public schools support the physical and emotional well-being of students through school nursing services, health education covering a range of developmentally appropriate topics and other services that promote a healthy learning environment.
Description: As you get older, you’re able to start making your own decisions about a lot of things that matter most to you. You may choose your own clothes, music, and friends. You also may be ready to make decisions about your body and health. Making healthy decisions about what you eat and drink, how active you are, and how much sleep you get is a great place to start. Here you’ll learn how your body works—how your body uses the food and drinks you consume and how being active may help...
Description: The Virginia Department of Education is the administrative agency for the commonwealth’s public schools. VDOE works in partnership with Virginia’s 132 school divisions to support and improve teaching and learning, set high expectations for all students, and promote student safety, wellbeing, and health.
Description: Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions To ensure your security, all travelers are required to undergo screening at the checkpoint. You or your traveling companion may consult the TSA officer about the best way to relieve any concerns during the screening process. You may provide the officer with the TSA notification card or other medical documentation to describe your condition. If you have other questions or concerns about traveling with a disability please contact passenger...
Description: BRCTH provides life-enhancing, equine assisted activities for individuals with disabling conditions, including those who are “at risk”, in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and contingent counties in WV. We serve adults and children from age four. In order to provide these services to the community, we rely upon a dedicated team of volunteers. See our Volunteer page for more information. Contact BRCTH