Education | Differently-abled


CENTRAL FLORIDA MIRACLE LEAGUE One day, Orlando resident Kelly Puckett was having lunch with a friend. The friend mentioned a special on the Miracle League, aired on HBO the night before. Kelly’s first thought was, Why don’t we have that here in Orlando? Fast forward to today, and say hello to the Central Florida Miracle League. The Miracle League is built on the ideal of helping children with disabilities build self-worth, overcome boundaries and achieve their dreams by participating in America’s favorite pastime: baseball. Batter up! This league helps more than 100 kids per season participate in a sport that may not have been available to them otherwise. No barriers. No obstacles. Just fun! The kids have uniforms and play Little League-style. To help the athletes, the Miracle League uses “angels in the outfield,” a buddy system pairing each player with an able-bodied volunteer. What results is a bond that cannot be described. With help from the city, the Miracle League designed its own “field of dreams” for the kids. The baseball field accommodates wheelchairs and other walking-assistance devices. If you ask Kelly why he continues to support the League, his reasoning is simple: “It’s the right thing to do. When you step onto the field and see the faces of these remarkable kids, you will understand.” www.cflmiracleleague.com 888-851-6139


FATONE MUSIC THERAPY ROOM My Healing Harmony is the brainchild of the Fatone Family Foundation. It’s actually a music therapy lab that uses music and musical elements to enhance the hospital experience for young patients at Arnold Palmer Hospital. No doctors allowed here. My Healing Harmony gives kids a break from their daily treatments and testing. A music therapist works one-on-one to help kids channel their inner rock star by teaching them how to play certain instruments and even helping them write songs. One day the program hopes to have enough songs to make a CD. American Idol, eat your heart out. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, 92 W. Miller St., Orlando www.fatonefoundation.com 321-206-6581


Fatone Music Therapy Room


FREEDOM RIDE Saddle up, partner! With NARHA-certified instructors, therapists and trained volunteers, Freedom Ride provides therapeutic horseback riding to more than 54,000 Central Florida adults and children with different abilities, including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, autism, developmental delay, attention deficit disorder, deafness, blindness, and many emotional and learning disabilities. We wondered how, exactly, horses are therapeutic. Question answered: The movement of the horse is similar to that of a human. The stimulation of going forward and backward relaxes muscles, giving the rider a bigger range of motion. Additionally, hand-to-eye coordination is developed as well as short-term memory when learning new routines. 1905 Lee Rd., Orlando www.freedomride.com 407-293-0411


JAVÁMO ART FOR AUTISM FOUNDATION With a mission focused on transforming the lives of children with ASD, this foundation provides resources for children with autism and their caregivers. The foundation firmly believes that pairing Applied Behavior Analysis techniques with art therapy is the best way to support the growth and development of these kids. Art plays a major role in the foundation because of its amazing potential as a communication tool. Since more than 60 percent of kids with autism have severely limited, or no, communication skills, art allows them to discover, and then master, a new outlet for self-expression. www.javamo.com 813-282-7066


Central Florida Miracle League 60 PLAYGROUND Fall 2010


LIFE SKILLS SENSORY INTEGRATION SPECIALISTS Life Skills helps children who are struggling with Sensory Integration Dysfunction. That basically means that the brain is not processing information via the five senses correctly. Here, when the organization says, “Go take a walk,” it’s meant seriously. Jen Goldman says that of the therapies utilized, one of the best is actually walking through sand or mulch. If you’re thinking Play-Doh is just for fun, consider this: Life Skills uses it for children to break apart and manipulate with their hands as another means of therapy. Additionally, Life Skills offers digital audio therapy and handwriting classes, and even works with Freedom Ride. 1016 Spring Villas Pointe, Ste. 1030, Winter Springs www.lifeskillscenter.com 407-629-9455


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