Special%20Recreation%20Association%20and%20Park%20District%20Inclusion%20Options

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Special Recreation Association and Park District
Inclusion Options

• Matthew R. Corso, CPRP

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What is a Special Recreation Association?

• A special recreation cooperative is formed by 2
  or more park districts/villages who want to join
  together to provide recreation programs for their
  residents with disabilities.
• There are 28 special recreation cooperatives that
  serve 199 Illinois communities.

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SRAs Offer Recreation Opportunities for Children
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SRAs Offer Recreation Opportunities for Adults
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What Types of Programs Services Are Offered by
an SRA

• Arts Crafts
• Athletics
• Sport Competition
• Dance
• Social Clubs
• Day Camps
• Away Camps
• Music

• Special Olympic Training
• Community Trips
• Fitness
• Skill Development
• Vacation trips
• Outdoor education
• Wheelchair sports

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Who do the Special Recreation Associations
serve?Most of the SRAs serve individuals all
ages and abilities.SRAs offer programs for
individuals who have

• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Alzheimers Disease
• Autism
• Behavior Difficulties
• Developmental Delays  
• Down Syndrome
• Epilepsy

• Hearing Impairments
• Learning Disabilities
• Mental Impairments
• Mental Illness
• Multiple Impairments
• Physical Impairment
• Visual Impairments

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Benefits of Participating in Recreation Programs

• Play is essential to the human development
  process

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Benefits We Have Seen (just to name a few)

• Increased physical fitness
• Increased appropriate socialization skills
• Exposure to new activities the kids would have
  never been exposed to before
• Visit new places and learn new skills
• Increased self esteem

• Increased conflict resolution skills
• Learn and practice life skills

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But wait, there is morehere are some quotes I
have heard from participants

• I get to meet new people and make new friends.
• I learned how to interact with others.
• I feel good about myself when I dress up for a
  dance.
• Etc., etc., etc.

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How do I find out if there is a Special
Recreation Association where I live?

• Please use the list I provided and locate your
  community. If your town is listed, then contact
  the appropriate SRA

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If I live in a community that is not in a Special
Recreation Association where can I go for
programs?

• If your community is not listed, you should call
  the nearest SRA for information and contact your
  park district or recreation department and let
  them know you are interested in receiving
  services. A near-by SRA may accept non-residents.

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Who should I contact if I want services and there
are none?

• Call you local park district or village
  recreation department and ask to speak to the
  director.  Identify yourself as a resident who is
  seeking services for someone with special needs.
  Many park districts and villages have not been
  contacted by their citizens and therefore may not
  think there is a need to provide recreation
  services for their residents with disabilities. 
  If there is a near-by special recreation
  association, you can contact the director to ask
  for assistance in talking with your park district
  and village officials.

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What if I want my child to participate in a park
district recreation program?

• That leads me to the next important
  topicInclusion!

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What is Inclusion?

• If your community belongs to an SRA, that SRA may
  provide inclusion services. Inclusion allows
  individuals with disabilities to participate in
  the same recreation programs and activities as
  their peers. Reasonable accommodations are
  provided to enable an individual's successful
  participation in a program. These accommodations
  will vary depending on the needs of the
  individual and they may include a simple program
  modification by the instructor or a staff member
  assigned to work with the individual on a
  one-to-one basis.

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Why chose Inclusion?

• It allows residents a greater choice of
  activities.
• It also allows all residents to learn about one
  another as they participate together regardless
  of any individual's needs.

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What is the process? This will vary by SRAs
and communities, so Im giving you the most
common method.
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• Basically, you register your child in the program
  at the park district and be sure to let the staff
  member know that your child has special needs.
• The park district will then contact the SRA who
  serves their residents.
• The SRA staff or park district staff will then
  contact the parents to learn more about what
  needs their child may require to help them
  participate successfully in the program.
• Then those accommodations are set up and the
  individuals participates in the program

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Will it cost me extra money?

• It shouldnt. The Americans With Disabilities
  requires park districts to serve all residents
  and reasonable accommodations must be made to
  make that happen.

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Comments Questions