Football in Madrid to swimming in Oshkosh
With December now upon us, we have got our final instalment of the Spautism Global Spectrum series for 2020, collating just some of the many stories that caught our eye over the last month from across the world.
The Galácticos way
Real Madrid is widely known as one of the most successful football clubs in the sport’s history, but the Spanish outfit’s charitable arm brings many other benefits and aspirations. In November, the Real Madrid Foundation’s Training Area began its eight-month Inclusive Sport course as part of its Sport&Values Academy, which involves 96 hours of online training around how football and other sports can be made more accessible and enjoyable for diverse people, including people with autism.
Please click here for the full story.
Mass movement
More than 2,000 people recently attended Special Olympics Australia’s webinar series on delivering sport to autistic children in schools – an outstanding turnout that suggests an increased interest in autism awareness, as well as an understanding of the physical and social benefits of effective participation in sport. The series involved a range of speakers, including autistic individuals, and its success bodes well for everyone working for autism acceptance around the world.
Over the moon
Here is a great, uplifting story from the Oshkosh Northwestern about a senior high school student called Ryan Moon, who has autism. Ryan has found his happy place in the swimming pool as part of the Oshkosh West junior varsity boys swim and dive team – a small community that celebrate Ryan and his differences, and embrace him for the great person and swimmer that mum Joyce and coach Kelly Wayne know he is.
Please click here for the full story.
Returning
After stopping in-person classes and resorting to virtual sessions earlier in the year, Love Serving Autism received a $25,000 grant to ensure the non-profit organisation can continue and expand its great work in Palm Beach County, Florida, throughout the coming months. Love Serving Autism uses tennis to grow and develop autistic children, and will use the grant to ensure they can safely come together again to socialise through sport.
