1 in 59 people is affected by autism. In the greater Cincinnati area that translates into more than 36,000 individuals who are on the autism spectrum. This effects their lives and the countless lives of care givers, friends, family and beyond. This is why Autism Society Greater Cincinnati exists, to provide programs, resources and support for those affected by autism and for those that support them.
One such program is our School Age Playtime. Held on the second Saturday of each month, School Age Playtime offers students, ages 6-12, who are on the autism spectrum a chance to have fun and interact with other kids in a safe and nurturing environment.
School Age Playtime Goals:
1. To facilitate activities and social opportunities for school age children with autism spectrum disorder.
2. To encourage parents to talk and connect with each other, share information and support each other.
3. To provide pertinent information and resources to all participants.
How School Age Playtime Works:
At School Age Playtime we host up to 18 students with their parents. Once students arrive they are divided into smaller groups (usually of 5-6), at which point they are connected with our volunteer group leaders. From here, volunteer group leaders will lead kids through 3 pre-setup activity stations that are led by staff with each station usually lasting around 30 minutes.
Usually, these activities involve some type of gym/game time, some sort of sensory activity (music therapy, art, etc.), and some kind of hands on interactive opportunity (for example, we talked about and helped the kids make pancakes recently).
Your Role as a Volunteer Group Leader Would Involve the Following:
-Helping us set up/tear down (doesn’t take long usually 15-20 minutes before and after the event).
-Engaging with the kids (learning their names and needs, talking with them, playing with them, assisting them as needed).
-Along with fellow volunteer group leaders (we like to have 2-3 per group), you may need to give extra attention to kids who might need a little more 1-on-1 care (this is mainly for our non-verbal kiddos). This is also be the case when kids would need to be accompanied to the bathroom (as a rule we don’t assist in the bathroom, just help them get to and from).
-Overall just make sure everyone is safe and is having fun!
