Cochran’s is a small ski area in Richmond, Vermont. Cochran’s is an amazing place for children with special needs. From the instruction to the smallness of the ski area, it is an amazing place to have your child learn to ski. The best part is the sense of warmth, caring, and community that they offer for every family! Cochran’s offers a 6-week “Spectacular Ski School” program for children with special needs.
This 4-week basketball clinic is designed for individuals to work on their fundamental basketball skills in a supportive environment. Enjoy a small group size, individual support, peer interaction and lots of fun.
Occurs several times a year.
Friends on the Go supports children who have difficulty with social relationships and wish to connect with others. This group hopes to support kids ages four and older who have social challenges and wish to make friends in a low stress environment. Monthly or bi-monthly outings will be scheduled to local destinations such as Wildflower Studio, Petra Cliffs, Spare Time and more! Descriptions of each event will include cost, age range, noise level, etc. so families can choose the activities that best fit their needs. Age appropriate siblings are invited to join in as well!
Activities are listed on Event Calendar as well as Facebook.
Green Mountain Adaptive Sports is an incredible program designed to increase the independence and physical and mental well-being of people living with disabilities. They offer the following programs: skiing and riding, swimming, paddle boarding, indoor rock-climbing, kayaking, and movement. Green Mountain Adaptive Sports mission “is to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities living in or visiting Vermont by sponsoring participation in adaptive sports and recreational programs”. For more information click here.
ONTA Studio offers martial arts for children and adults of all ages. The owners, Zach Stevens and Lauren Ballard, have extensive experience working with children of all abilities. They chose to open Over Nine Thousand Academy as a place where both kids and adults could come to learn rare Taoist practices as well as integrated martial arts, fitness, and self-defense in a fun, playful, and supportive environment.
Join UVM’s Ballet Viridis Ballet Company in a dance workshop for children with disabilities. The first half of the program will consist of simple warm ups and movement, while the second half will be focused on choreography and improvisation. Every child will be paired with a company member who can tailor movements to their specific needs with the goal of helping every child discover the joys of dance. This class happens several times a month during the school year.
Shelburne Craft School offers after school programs, summer programs, and workshops throughout the year. They do a fantastic job at including all abilities in their studio. They have a table top pottery wheel for individuals to use and offer headphones for children who are sensitive to noise. It’s definitely a fun place to go and be creative!
Smugglers Notch adaptive program provides therapeutic recreation for children and adults of all abilities. Their ski program comes highly recommended by many families!
Experiences are tailored to meet the needs and goals of each individual. Some campers/students may require two counselors/instructors, while others may be appropriately paired with one counselor.
We also offer an inclusion program with our ski and snowboard programs for children. This gives a child with special needs the opportunity to socialize with his/her peers while still maintaining the support he/she needs through the adaptive program.
There is no age limit for the program. Half and full day lessons are available. Our highly trained instructors will evaluate each individual’s needs and goals and determine their equipment requirements. Smugglers’ adaptive program maintains an inventory of adaptive equipment including mono-skis, bi-skis and a slider. Snowboarding is also available.
Kayla’s Directory is partnering with Cochran’s Ski Area to enable 6 children with special needs to participate in the “Spectacular Ski Program.” The class will begin Sunday, January 7, 2018 and run for 6 consecutive weeks. Each class will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end by 10:10 a.m. Each skier will be matched with a local high school student or community mentor to ensure their success on the mountain.
This well-run 6-week program is for children ages 4-21 who have any disability. It starts in January and is held in the afternoons at the EDGE in Essex. Kids are paired up with a high school student to ensure they have a good time.
One parent states: “My child loves basketball and this program has made a difference in their life. Thank you for an amazing program!”
For information go to: STAR BASKETBALL
Kayla’s Directory partners with Full Stride to run two 8-week skating programs for children who want to learn the fundamentals of skating. This program is all about FUN and allowing all children to have the experience of being on the ice! We try to pair each child up with a mentor to help them be successful.
We are currently trying to get ice-time for a winter program.
Team Impact connects children who have special health needs to local college athletic teams. Team Impact’s mission is improving the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team.
Team Impact has had such a positive impact on our daughter. She has been on the UVM women’s hockey team for three years. There is something magical about being part of a team, feeling included, and making connections. The connections that have been made will leave a lasting impression on our daughter.
Open year-round, the 47-acre campus features state-of-the-art raptor enclosures, exhibit spaces, classrooms, and interpretive nature trails. VINS places a priority on bringing high-quality, compelling, and engaging education programs to people at the Nature Center, in the community, and in schools throughout the region.
VINS offers a fully accessible Forest Canapy Walk which is over 100 feet above the forest floor.
Individual, 30-minute lessons for people with physical or developmental needs. Students work one-on-one with an instructor. An application must be completed two weeks prior to lesson start date.
Bart Adaptive Sports Center provides people with disabilities and their families the opportunity to enjoy outdoor sports in southern Vermont. They offer instruction in skiing, snowboarding, cycling, kayaking and golf as well as a summer camp environment at Lake Shaftesbury State Park.
Buddy Up Tennis is a full body workout class designed for our Athletes with Down syndrome ages 12 years old and over. Our 8 station circuit training program is designed to combine activities that both increase heart rate and strengthen muscles with particular attention on core conditioning. Buddy Up Tennis will be filled with challenges and fun to help our Athletes reach their fullest potential.
CHAMP at Good Hope Farm offers group or individual therapeutic lessons Monday thru Saturday. CHAMP serves individuals with physical, emotional, behavior and cognitive challenges. Each rider progresses according to his or her own skill and comfort level. A horse leader and up to two side-walkers are available to be with the rider as needed.
CHAMP also has a wonderful summer camp option for riders of all abilities age 6 and up.
The Community Sailing Center in Burlington offers an Adaptive Watersports Program (AWP). AWP supports individuals with cognitive or physical disabilities and uses adaptive teaching methods and specialized equipment to teach individuals to sail. They offer group recreational sailing, individual lessons, and kayak and canoe rentals. The Community Sailing Center also partners with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports.
Offers weekly classes and summer camps. Allows children to express themselves in an artistic way. The staff are amazing at accommodating kids who have special needs. One of the best summer camps my child has attended.
The Echo is a great place to be a member! The membership is affordable and makes a great Christmas or birthday gift! It is nice to have a place to go downtown with kids that you can stop in for an hour or so and then continue with errands or head to lunch or a park after! The bottom exhibit is always changing. There was an exhibit on feelings and emotions that was awesome. You could talk and see your speech light up, warm words like love were in red and cooler words were in blue.
They just added champ lane which is a small kids area but is well laid out and packs a lot into a small space! There is only once entrance so it is easy to stand right by it and let your kids safely explore. There is a really cool tunnel tree slide, a water table, a boat, a stage, a grocery store, kitchen, and lastly an animal hospital. There is also a small space for nursing and a somewhat quiet area with Legos and blocks.
I really like being a member as we can go their frequently enough that we both know the space and how to navigate it. I also like that if he is struggling we can leave without feeling like we didn’t get our monies worth! Visit the Echo Center for more information.