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Amanda Inscore

Olivia Grace Hamilton, 3, plays at Manuel’s Branch Neighborhood Park in Fort Myers for our November cover shoot. She is one of 14 children with special needs whom her parents have adopted and care for in their home. The Hamiltons have 20 children altogether.

Special fun: Events created for children with special needs

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Theater, sailing, art, music, play groups, horseback riding. The menu of activities for children with special needs now spans a wide variety of things to do in Southwest Florida, from those aimed at fostering socialization and communication to those that are just plain fun. Many are free or offered at a reduced cost.

Craig Price, the director of community education and wellness with The Naples Players, started an improv acting class for children with special needs. The yearlong program runs once a week in 10-week sessions during the school year and five days a week during the summer. Nine children and three volunteers attended a recent session.

“I have kids here with autism, sensory disorder processing, cerebral palsy,” Craig says. “I have lots of assistants in the classroom. It’s been a big success for us. I have really enjoyed that class.”

The children play acting games that focus on emotions, movement and working together.

“We incorporate mindfulness, focus on breathing, a lot of emotion games,” he says. “We show the kids who are verbal and nonverbal how to read emotions. Often it is difficult for children with autism to pick up those cues.”

Emily Buenafuente, 15, took the class for two years and is now a volunteer there.

“It helped me to open up a bit more,” she says. “I am not as shy as I used to be.”

Emily says her favorite improv games are one called gibberish and one where participants jump out from the back row and tell a funny joke based on an audience suggestion.

“Emily started out as a student and then moved on to other improv classes in our program not with kids with autism,” Craig says. “One of the best things about Emily and her success story was being in this class and then being in the other improv classes and now coming back to volunteer with this class.”

Denise Gamache brings her son Steven, 12, to class each week.

“Craig is just wonderful with the kids,” Denise says. “That is why we keep coming back. He looks forward to it. It has definitely helped confidence wise.”

“I mostly like it because it is meeting new people,” says Steven, who loves the mechanical robot improv game best.

Sandra Donohue says the class has been very helpful for her daughter Clara, 17.

“It is the interaction and the socialization,” Sandra says. “Because of the speech impediment, it helps her to be involved with this group. She could not wait to come back.”

Kendal Maloney, 11, has been part of the class for two years.

“I really like it,” she says. “I am meeting friends.”

Sara Weaver’s son Isaac, 8, started taking improv classes this year.

“It’s been really good for Isaac,” she says. “It has brought out some of his motor skills. It’s great for him to interact with other people.”

The Sugden Community Theatre, home of The Naples Players, also plans to host sensory showings of the winter and spring shows. Both “She Loves Me” in December and “Bye Bye Birdie” in March will have performances where the lights are brighter and the sound lower. Anyone who attends is welcome to move about in the theater. The audience is capped at 50% capacity. There is no clapping during the show and headphones are available.

“As sensory-friendly screenings become more common in local movie theaters and even on Broadway, The Naples Players is proud to participate in this national shift towards making it possible for individuals with special needs and their families to experience the same quality theater as everyone else,” Price says.

The tickets to these performances are also steeply discounted.

The activities at Sugden Theatre are just some of the many things in Southwest Florida aimed at children with special needs. Some activities are just for the children. Others allow the entire family to join in.

Every month the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, aka C’mon, has a special evening where it turns off the music, the loud hand dryers and the strobe lighting in the Everglades exhibit and welcomes guests who need sensory-friendly activities. The children’s museum also invites special guests, such as a yoga instructor, Golden PAWS service dogs or therapists from the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida to spread awareness and help families with children with special needs. The program is open to children with any type of need and their entire family.

“For us it is important because we want to serve everyone in the community,” says Beth Housewert, director of play and learning at C’mon. “It is to give opportunities for kids to practice social skills. We really want it to be about all abilities. Sensory night is an opportunity for any child with special needs to come to the museum. It is a quieter evening in the museum.”

Children with special needs in both Naples and Fort Myers can take part in special equestrian programs. At the Naples Therapeutic Riding Center, about 150 to 180 children ride each week. About 55 are on scholarship.The rest pay $10 for a 45-minute lesson.

“Horses can help people if they need physical benefits of balance and strengthening muscles,” says Missy Lamont, executive director. “They can help with social anxiety or someone looking for a friend. It helps with communication and confidence.”

Special Equestrians in Fort Myers provides therapeutic horseback riding classes to children and adults with disabilities from Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. More than 95 riders take part in the program each week at a cost of $15 per week or $90 for a six-week session. Scholarships are available. Riders enjoy both a sensory trail and riding in a covered arena. The facility now also offers carriage riding.

“Some people are not suited for riding or they might think carriage riding will be fun,” says Jan Fifer,executive director. “It is cool. We are proud of our carriage riding team.”

The Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition, associated with the NCH Healthcare System, began offering free swimming lessons in 2010 after an increase in drowning deaths in Collier County. That includes free swimming lessons for children with special needs.

The 10-day program provides one-to-one sessions with the instructor.

“The leading cause of death is drowning, so we supply free door alarms or window alarms, too,” says Executive Director Paula DiGrigoli.

Family Initiative has an array of programs for children and teenagers with special needs. Every Saturday they have a play group at Christ Community Church in Fort Myers.

“There is a lot of physical activity. There is a certified art instructor that leads art projects. It’s great,” says President David Brown.

Family Initiative teamed up with the Alliance for the Arts for a weekly program that focuses on a different aspect of the arts each month from dance and music to art and acting. A certified art instructor leads the art classes. There is also acting, improv, music, hip-hop and other dance instruction.

For teenagers, Family Initiative has an autism spectrum teen hangout group.

“This group has exploded,” Brown says. “It helps promote social skills and friendships. It gives them an opportunity to hang out and be teenagers a little bit. The kids love it.”

Both Lee and Collier counties have programs in their parks and recreation departments. Lee County Parks & Recreation has an after-school program for children with special needs that costs $200 for the entire school year.

“It allows for some free time, homework time; we have a pool on campus, so we go over to the pool, play games and go to the playground,” says Shay Thomas, a program specialist for Lee County Parks & Recreation.

On no-school days, the parks host fun events and camps that include swimming, arts and crafts, and field trips. There are also special events. For May, the parks are planning a disco. In the past, they’ve had an ice cream social, luau and a Valentine’s Day party.

Collier County Parks & Recreation and the Freedom Waters Foundation offer free sailing for anyone with special needs. There is also a yearly adaptive sailing regatta.

Patricia Rosen, senior program leader with Collier County Parks, says adults usually come on the weekdays and children on the weekends.

“They usually will fall in love with the water,” Rosen says. “Any spectrum of special needs is welcome. There is just something very calming when they get on the water. When it comes to competing, they are on a level playing field with someone who is able bodied. Even if you are paralyzed and can’t walk, it is a fair competition.”

The Freedom Waters Foundation also offers free boat rides for children with special needs and their families.

“We use private and public vessels that partner with us year-round,” says Debra Frenkel, who founded the program. “We do local cruises, fishing,kayaking and paddleboarding and sailing. We don’t charge anything for any of our programs.In the last four years, we did over 3,000 on-the-water experiences. Half are veterans, and lots are children with special needs and life-threatening illnesses.”

Movies can be too loud or too stimulating for some children. That’s why some local theaters hold sensory shows where the lights are raised and the sound volume is lowered. Paragon Theaters in North Naples does this each month.

“If there is a family-friendly film available that month, the lights are raised and the sound volume is lowered,” says Niki Wilson, vice president of marketing and publicity for Paragon. “These are two key reasons that someone with sensory issues would not enjoy a film (too loud and too dark in the auditorium). We have had a great response from our guests and have offered these screenings monthly for several years now.”

AMC Theatres partners with the Autism Society to offer a sensory-friendly film program on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

“We want to make sure that all of the families that come to the AMC theaters can enjoy our theater experience,” says Cozetta Smith, coordinator for corporate communications. “We want to make sure we are providing that safe environment for everyone.”

The Young Athletes Program, or YAP, is a precursor to Special Olympics. The free program teaches children ages 2-7 basic movement,coordination and balance skills and runs January through March at Whiz Kids in Naples.

“It is a parent-child class,” says Special Olympics YAP Director Kate Hickie. “It is movement education, and we finish with the parachute.”

IF YOU GO

Improv with The Naples Players

Sensory Shows by The Naples Players

  • When: “She Loves Me” is 7:30 p.m. December 17; “Bye Bye Birdie” is 7:30 p.m. March 31
  • Where: Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave S, Naples
  • Cost: $20 for adults, $10 for students and educators
  • More details: 239-434-7340, naplesplayers.org

C’mon Sensory Nights

  • Where: Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples,15080 Livingston Road, Naples
  • When: 5 to 7p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month. Next one is November 26
  • Cost: $5 (free for members)
  • More details: 239-514-0084, cmon.org/sensory-night

Naples Therapeutic Riding Center

  • Where: 206 Ridge Drive, Naples
  • When: By appointment
  • Cost: $10 for a 45-minute lesson;scholarships available
  • More details: 239-596-2988, naplestherapeuticridingcenter.org

Special Equestrians

  • Where: 5121 Staley Road, Fort Myers
  • When: By appointment
  • Cost: $15 per week or $90 fora 6-week session; scholarships available
  • More details: 239-226-1221, specialequestrians.net

Free Swimming Lessons from Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition

Autism Spectrum Playgroup by Family Initiative

  • Where: Christ Community Church, 4050 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers
  • When: 1-4 p.m. Saturdays
  • Cost: $10
  • More details: 239-910-0712, fi-florida.org/autism-social-skills-playgroup

ASD Art Play by Family Initiative

  • Where: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers
  • When: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays
  • Cost: $10 per session
  • More details: 239-910-0712, fi-florida.org/autism-artimprov-class

Autism Spectrum Teen Hangout Group by Family Initiative

  • Where: Family Initiative, 730 SW Fourth St., Cape Coral
  • When: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays
  • Cost: $15 in advance,$20 at the door
  • More details: 239-910-0712, fi-florida.org/autism-teen-hangout

Club Sunshine After-School Program

  • Where: Karl Drews Special Needs Center, 18412 Lee Road, Fort Myers
  • When: 2-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
  • Cost: $100 per semester or $200 for the entire school year
  • More details: 239-267-2181, leegov.com/parks/programs/special-needs

Sailing

  • Where: Lake Avalon at Sugden Regional Park, 4284 AvalonDrive, Naples
  • When: Noon to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays,Thursdays and Saturdays
  • Cost: $30 a year
  • More details: 239-252-4184 or adaptiveinclusiverec@colliercountyfl.gov

Boat Cruises with Freedom Waters Foundation

Sensory Movies

NAPLES

  • Where: Paragon Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples
  • When: Dates vary (November 23 at 10 a.m. is“Frozen II”)
  • Cost: Regular movie prices
  • More details: 239-596-0008, paragontheaters.com/promotions

NORTH FORT MYERS

Young Athletes Program

  • Where: Whiz Kids, 1050 Pine Ridge Road, Naples
  • When: 9 a.m. Saturdays
  • Cost: Free
  • More details: 239-775-1991, specialolympicscollier.org

Bounce Trampoline Sports Sensory-Friendly Time

  • Where: Bounce Naples, 2320 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples
  • When: 8:45-10 a.m. the first Saturday and second Sunday of each month
  • Cost: $10
  • More details: 239-302-3848, bouncenaples.com