The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The solo nature of gymnastics can be beneficial to autistic children Children at a young age learn to crawl, walk, climb, tip-toe, run and jump. While they all do these at different stages, most accomplish it by the age of five. For children who struggle in one or more of these areas, gymnastics can be a huge stepping stone to reaching these milestones. For my oldest son, he hit all of these milestones earlier than most, but it was language and social skills that he struggled with in his younger years. Gymnastics was a part of his life from early on, due to my job as a gymnastics coach, and his gym class was always a favourite part of our week. We didn't receive his diagnosis on the spectrum until he was in elementary school, but gymnastics at a young age definitely assisted in development of his gross motor skills. Most children enjoy playing actively, and gymnastics can be especially enjoyable for children with developmental delays or other special needs. The social nature of gymnastics classes helps children to form bonds with other children, yet the exercises themselves are individual so children are less likely to feel the need to impress their peers than they may in team sports. Studies have shown the benefits of gymnastics for some autistic children, allowing them to get necessary activity and exercise while maintaining a sense of control over excessive stimulation. Autistic children have difficulty when they are exposed to too much stimuli, but the solo nature of many gymnastics events allows the children to keep their environmental stimuli to a manageable level. With sensitive coaching and parental support, children with autism and other special needs can gain confidence while getting fit and having fun. My son has gone on to enjoy other sports and programs, all of which benefit from his early start in gymnastics, but he still loves to jump on the trampoline. There are a few gymnastics programs in the area that offer programming for children with special needs. I would recommend that you do your research to find the program, facility and coach that suit your child's needs. --Ariticle by Jenn Unsworth, co-owner of Cartwheels Gym Centre, with Patricia Murphy GEORGETOWN DAYCARE CENTRE Ages 18 mths. to 5 years. 3 Back to School Thursday, August 26, 2010 · · · · · · Parkland Setting JK/SK Program Full & Part Time Homemade Hot Nutritious Lunch & Snacks Community Outings, Family Events Subsidies Available Bus Transportation to & from JK/SK GEORGETOWN BEFORE & AFTER PGRM ·Transportation to & from all local schools · Activities & Snacks · Homework Opportunity · Care available from 7 am until 6 pm Ages 5 to 12 years. GEORGETOWN NURSERY SCHOOL Ages 2 - 5 yrs. · Regular Program 9 am - 11 am · NEW Extended Program 2, 3 & 5 Day Programs BEFORE/AFTER CALL FOR DETAIL DAYCARE 479 Guelph St., Norval NURSERY 11611 Trafalgar Rd. Georgetown 905-877-4376 905-877-6542 905-877-4376 In business since 1985 · Licensed by Ministry of Community and Social Services * Gymnastics for Kids * Drop in play * "Flips & Flicks" SEPT. Movie Nights 24 * Parties & Events REGISTER NOW! · SOCIAL SPORTS FALL CLASSES (special needs programming) Register On Site Monday-Friday 10-2 & 5-7 PM (Cash & Cheque only) rt Classes sta Sept. 13! · · · · TUMBLING KINDERGYM JR/SR RECREATIONAL TINY & MINI GYM 318 G Guelph l hS St., G Georgetown ( (Indoor Plaza / across from Neilsons) s) info@cartwheelsgymcentre.com www.cartwheelsgymcentre.com 905-702-9904 905 90 5 70 702 2 99 9904 04 OPTICAL 280 Guelph St., Georgetown Market Place 905-873-3050 www.familyoptical.ca FREE with any frame purchase Mention this ad. Regular Single Vision Lenses · Professional Eye Exams Arranged · Eyeglasses · Sunglasses