"Adaptive Sports for Kids with Disabilities: 7 Things Parents Should Know" by Dr. Mark Fisher

 AWARE is a social group for adults with Autism (ages 18+) who can participate in group events with minimal support or supervision. They meet for monthly low-cost events all over the KC metro area.  

 This is a league that allows individuals of all different abilities a chance to play football! Games are played at 68 Inside Sports Indoor field in Overland Park, KS. There is no cost to play in the Challenger league. If you are able to get your child to the game, they can play.  

This Variety KC flyer has all of its inclusive parks in one place! I love the detail and love they have put into all of their parks. Thank you to Variety KC for making sure every child has a park to go to and be a kid. They now have NINE parks all over the KC area.

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 The Blue Valley Recreation Center in partnership with Special Olympics offers adapted and integrated leisure activities for youth and adults with special needs. Participants are encouraged to consider any of their programs and upon request, they will provide a paraprofessional to help.  

 The Miracle League of Olathe provides the opportunity to play baseball to children ages 6 to 17 with intellectual or physical challenges. A specially designed rubber turf allows assistive devices to move with ease. 

 Partnered with a buddy volunteer, players take the field, swing the bat, and experience the feel of crossing home plate 

Trailblazers Special Olympics offers opportunities for individuals with intellectual challenges, ages eight and up, to participate in competitive sports on a local, regional and national level. 

They offer a chance to participate in  basketball, track & field, cycling, tennis and aquatics

Sports and physical activity help with everything from mental health to physical health. Wichita Adaptive Sports helps to serve over 100 youths, wounded warriors and adults in South Central Kansas. They offer various sports for people to participate in. They offer opportunities for competitions that are both local and nationally in the United States. They offer sports including wheelchair basketball, tennis, track, adaptive cycling and swimming!

This website is your one-stop site for accessible sporting events in the Kansas City area. It includes everything from calendars with the events all over the city, to connections with different companies helping individuals with disabilities. 

Stacy's swim school offers private and group lessons in the privacy of her backyard pool in the Olathe area. Stacy's entire family are swimmers and she helps to make sure all children are safe in and around the water. As an ASD mom she has the personal experience to help make all who come to her program be successful. 

*My own children have taken lessons with Asthon and loved coming to their lessons every day!*

Emerald City Gymnastics offers a special Parent-Tot class that is for ages 4 to 12 years old. This class is staff lead and assists parents to guide their child through obstacles courses, games, and interactive activities. Children will gain confidence and body awareness through gross motor skills, body shapes, and modified beginner gymnastics skills. 

 New Horizon Ranch, Inc. is a therapeutic horseback riding center located in Rantoul, Kansas and is currently offering Therapeutic Riding, Equine Assisted Learning, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, and Summer Day Camp programs to individuals of all ages with physical, cognitive, social, emotional and learning disabilities.  

The Mid-America Games for the Disabled volunteer members are committed to providing competitive, modified athletic opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities and promote a positive image of ALL individuals with diverse needs and abilities. We strive, through our annual Games, to provide opportunities for individuals to reach and expand their potential within their physical abilities. We promote a spirit of healthy competition for athletes with a variety of physical disabilities including Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, spinal cord injury, amputees and many other diagnoses.

Even though we endeavor to create a fun and supportive atmosphere at our Games, we are proud to have hosted many athletes who have competed at the National, International and Paralympic levels. Our primary focus the last several years has been Boccia and Bowling.

 KOMA offers a program called the Explorers Programs. This program offers individuals on the Autism Spectrum a chance to learn taekwondo in a small, consistent class. The engaging and organized classes have helped students with multi-sensory issues excel. Increased focus, concentration, self-regulation, and reduced anxiety are key milestones we celebrate as our students develop.  

Heartland provides equine-assisted activities and therapies. HTR offers adaptive riding lessons, interactive vaulting, horsemanship classes and occupational therapy through hippotherapy. These activities and therapies provide physical, cognitive, and emotional growth through the movement of and emotional bond created with the horse.  

 If we missed a great sports group, please contact us through the contact page. 

 The Whole Person’s Adaptive Sports Program is working with adaptive sports programs all over KC. This program offers a variety of adaptive sports options and at a variety of competitive levels to individuals with disabilities in the greater KC area. Make sure to check the location for the sport you wish to participate in, as they are not all in the same location or area of Kansas City. They offer adaptive sports for archery, power soccer, and tennis. They also have a list of other adaptive sports that people may be interested in and they update their available sports on their website. 

 Challenger Sports offers year-round sports opportunities for people of all abilities a chance to play sports with Y Challenger. They have baseball, basketball, bowling, flag football, soccer, tennis, and fitness, ages 4-30.  

 We Rock the Spectrum provides children with a fun and motivational environment to help them in the areas of strength, movement, sensory processing, communication, positive behavior modification, social interactions, and self-care skills.  

 Midwest Adaptive Sports is a 501.c3 non-profit organization focused on positively impacting the lives of those with physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral challenges through adaptive recreational and competitive sports.  Offering hope, encouragement, and the ability to achieve people with a wide range of abilities MAS empowers athletes and enables them to grow physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally.  

Summertime childhood memories usually have a pool in them or the park. Sadly for so many children, those memories can be hard to have. Variety KC is helping to make those memories a reality at the Splash Pad at the TB Hanna Station Park in Raymore, Mo. 

The mission at DASA says it all "Our Mission: All of those who live with a physical or visual disability or are deaf or hard of hearing will be given the opportunity to participate in sports and fitness activities designed to improve self-esteem, growth, and well-being while instilling family values.

The mission of Jackson County Parks + Rec’s Special Population Services is to provide professional, multi-recreational services to help individuals in Jackson County have access to many different experiences. They do offer dances, but due to COVID 19 the dances are on hold. 

Special Olympics has been giving individuals with disabilities a chance to compete in sports at all different levels for years. They offer a wide range of sports for people to participate in.  

As Shakespeare said all the world is a stage. The KC Ballet Company is helping young ballerinas experience the world of dance through their KC Ballet adaptive dance classes. Through rhythmic activities, their team guides young ballerinas to stimulate fine and gross motor skills and speech and language development, as well as sensory, visual, and auditory processing skills! Class sizes are limited. 

Studio 10 offers dance and cheer classes at their Liberty studio but one particular class there is truly amazing. The adaptive dance class is taught by a certified OT and allows all children a chance to be a dancer. This is regardless of disability or danceability, all are welcome. This class also involves peer dancers in the class.


*The video attached to this picture is truly incredible and I cannot even act like I didn't tear up a little bit.*

 Many people who have suffered a traumatic injury and/or disability get discharged from physical therapy and ask the question, “What’s Next?”. As a 501(c)(3) non profit-this is where Iron Adaptive steps in. Our goal is to to bridge the gap between physical therapy discharge and adaptive life goals. Whatever your next goals are, whether it be competing in a Spartan Para race to transferring out of a wheelchair, our community consists of people who will encourage and empower one another to become stronger, physically and mentally.  

Disabled But Not Really (DBNR) was founded with the vision to empower those with disabilities to live with a limitless mindset. But now, I’m even more resolute in supporting the broader Black community in our fight against daily and pervasive injustice. The Black community deserves a limitless mindset too. It’s time to build a better world. They are currently working to build an inclusive and accessible facility for a community that largely lacks acknowledgment and representation. Within such a space, we can continue growing the reach and impact of our #HelpMeFit Challenge. 

 Jacomo Sailing Club is located on beautiful Lake Jacomo near Lee's Summit and Blue Springs, Missouri in Jackson County since 1958. Education is the backbone of our organization, and we offer many opportunities to learn, with something for everyone, including adaptive sailing. Through both recreational sailing and racing, we are proud to continue the legacy of the Jacomo Sailing Club, helping to build a love for sailing in the Kansas City area and beyond. We’d love to have you join us!

With every class we teach, your kids are growing in mind, body and character.
That’s because martial arts provides instant positive feedback. Through learning to focus on the core moves, they develop discipline and respect. They can instantly see and feel a difference, making them destined to build confidence, self-awareness and self-respect.
And of course it’s a ton of FUN!

Our Special Needs program places an emphasis on appropriate integration into classes with peers while meeting each and every student at their level to help them reach their full potential.

Lee Summit Parks and Recreation has been working hard to make sure every child in Lee Summit has a park to enjoy, regardless of abilities. I love seeing cities making sure every child can play and gives them the opportunity to do so! Way to go Lee Summit Parks and Rec!! 

Melaina's Magical Playground has been inspired by Melaina Cunningham and her love of play. Melaina had   Nemaline Myopathy and it made it hard for her to enjoy a typical playground. But Melaina's playground gives every child a chance to be a kid and their parents a chance to enjoy the park with them. All children are able to be a kid here.