The Sporting Life
Charlie can only sporadically catch a ball thrown to him. He cannot run and kick a ball. He learned to hop at the age of seven.
Charlie goes on eleven-mile-plus bike rides with his dad.
Charlie swims laps in the pool, jumps off the diving board, bodysurfs and boogie-boards in the ocean, and knows to time it just right to duck under a cresting wave.
So yes, a “can-do approach” is essential in getting Charlie, my autistic son, involved in sports and athletic pursuits; this is the subject of an article, A Can-Do Approach to Autistic Children and Athletics, in today’s New York Times. The article does refer to autism as a “devastating developmental disorder” but if you see Charlie swimming in the ocean—standing up to pedal his bike—and hear about how he taught his mother (me) how to swim—I would say that you may think otherwise.
1 opinion for The Sporting Life
Rose
Aug 3, 2006 at 1:03 am
That is a great link! Thanks,and give the “uber-athlete” a thumbs up from Rose!
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