Activities / Sports Programs

CheerAbilities, special needs team, provides athletes the opportunity to compete in their own division along-side their peers at all-stars cheerleading venues. They perform an all-star routine just like any other team, choreographed with stunting, tumbling and dance. Practices are held Wednesday nights from 5:30PM -6:30PM. Open to both boys and girls ages 6-18.

Chuck E. Cheese’s is proud to support families who have children with autism and other special needs. We offer a sensory-friendly experience on the first Sunday of every month at participating locations, opening our stores two hours before their normal opening time. Our Sensory events include a trained and caring staff that work to ensure each guest has a fun-filled visit. We realize that the Chuck E. experience can be very stimulating for any child, so our mission is to create an event that allows ALL kids to be a kid.

Penn State – College for Kids is a summer enrichment program that offers a diverse selection of one-week, age-appropriate classes for Children and teenagers from 6 through 14 years of age. The program offers classes Monday through Friday from 9:00a – 12:00p, and from 1:00p-4:00p., or all-day from 9:00a-4:00p with optional morning and afternoon care available. *College for kids is not special needs specific*

BMC started adaptive sailing in 2000, and the EASE program became established in 2001. This is the first and still the only adaptive sailing program in Pennsylvania. It serves the entire tri-state region. Thank you to the more than 20 dedicated EASE volunteers who organize, schedule, staff, and sail all day with the sailors, while parents, grandparents, siblings, and caregivers share in their experience while aboard the escort vessel, EASE-Y SPIRIT.

The Erie Zoo will be offering 2018 animal classes for adults with special needs. Students will gather once a month for 45 minutes and will meet 4 animals up close and personal at each class. An aide is included in the cost of $8. 2018 sessions are April 20th -10-10:45am, May 26th -1-1:45pm, June 8th 10-10:45am, July 14th-1-1:45pm and August 17th -1-1:45pm.

The expERIEnce Children’s Museum is excited to announce new Sensory Friendly Playtimes. Sensory Friendly Playtime will happen on the 1st Saturday of the month from 9am-10am. These times will be exclusive events that are free for children diagnosed with sensory processing disorders and one caretaker.

The playtimes are designed to allow children to have fun and enjoyable learning experience in a comfortable environment.

The Gliding Stars organization provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to increase their personal potential through development of ice skating skills in a regular program of instruction and practice in their own local community, culminating in the demonstration of those skills publicly in an end-of-season on-ice choreographed performance, which itself serves as a source of motivation, teamwork, increased self-esteem and the ‘magic’ that results from transcending one’s barriers in order to accomplish one’s dreams.

This class embraces movement and music for the differently-abled. Led by a volunteer instructor, Happy Feet is appropriately titled-from the moment the class begins, until it ends, the room is full of happiness. Class participants are welcome to bring support partners to class. Ages 18 and up. Free and open to the community

Special needs & Autistic classes are designed to better meet the needs of a student who is needing extra assistance and attention due to a mental or physical challenge in their bodies. Instructors are trained in a variety of teaching techniques and tools specifically for those with special needs. All of the apparatus will be taught within these classes including; vault, bars, balance beam, rings, tumbling, and trampoline. Strength, flexibility, coordination, fine and gross motor skills are a part of the weekly class curriculum. The instructor will challenge and encourage students weekly within a positive environment.

Challengers enables boys and girls with special needs, age 4-18, or up to age 22 if still enrolled in high school, to enjoy the game of baseball.

Adaptive baseball for all ages with any disability.
**There is no age limit for children or adult with any disability to participate**

Challengers enables boys and girls with special needs, age 4-18, or up to age 22 if still enrolled in high school, to enjoy the game of baseball.

North East Little League is proud to offer Challenger, a special division that enables people ages 4 to 21 with a physical, mental or other disability to play ball at their own level in a fun, safe, inclusive atmosphere.

During each game, we invite players from other NELL teams to serve as buddies to Challenger players. These role models help teach basic skills and play side-by-side with Challenger boys and girls in a fun game with no outs, no strikes. Because making friends is an important part of this experience, we invite players and volunteers to stay after the game for a snack.

Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sport, every day around the world. Through sports, health, education and community programming, Special Olympics is tackling inactivity, intolerance, isolation and injustice that people throughout the world face, especially people with intellectual disabilities.

Recommended for children with sensory needs, social needs, and children on the autism spectrum. This class uses soccer as a fun way of working on social skills, self-esteem, positive peer interaction, and gross motor skills. Parents can watch and enjoy the sessions for the balcony overlooking the field.

A Dance Program Designed for Special Needs Dancers. First class begins Saturday, October 6th. Dance classes will take place every other week.

TOPS Basketball is a community-based program that gives special needs children a fun, rich environment at the Penn State Behrend Junker Center. The men’s and women’s basketball teams have worked side-by-side to promote good health, awareness and basic basketball skills that child participants carry with them throughout the year. The program’s goal is to pair a child with at least one student-athlete for three weeks to participate in activities such as ball handling, shooting, passing or the occasional fun run around the gym.

TOPSBasketball is held in the fall of each year. Registration begins in August.
2022 Season: September 15, 22, and 29 at 6:00pm to 7:15pm

TOPSoccer is a community-based program that gives special needs children from northwestern Pennsylvania an opportunity to participate with the Penn State Behrend student-athletes to build lifelong friendships while developing soccer skills children may carry with them throughout the summer.

The program, in partnership with Behrend athletics and student-body, promotes good health, awareness and basic soccer skills to the community’s youth. The program’s goal has been to pair a child with at least one student-athlete while working to develop soccer talent.

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