Check with your Recreation Department for programs offered for children with special needs as well as your local Arc (see Arc listings under Health Services). In the Kids’ Guide, see listings under Playgrounds, Enrichment, Camps, Sports, Health Services and Special Education for additional resources.
Circus Place
3 Jill Court, Hillsborough, 908-829-3784. Offering exciting classes in circus skills, aerial arts including trapeze and silks, juggling, stilt walking, unicycle, acrobatics, tot programs, magic, birthday parties and more. Adaptive Circus and special needs classes also offered using modified equipment.
The Connection for Women and Families
79 Maple St., Summit, 908-273-4242, ext. 131. Adaptive aquatics for ages 4-adult, family swim, gymnastics, fitness, teen club, basketball, teen dances, Special Olympics Young Athlete program and "Gateway to Social Opportunities" activity group for ages 6-21 with mild disabilities.
EPOCH (Educational Programs of Children Handicapped)
Madison Area YMCA, 1 Ralph Stoddard Drive, Madison. Afterschool recreation, swimming and enrichment program. Students work one-on-one with a counselor for 90 min., up to 3 days a week during the school year. Contact the Director at PO Box 231, Madison, NJ 07940 for info.
Gateway to Social Opportunity
973-376-0676, 973-635-8204. Non-profit organization provides social and recreational activities for special needs children ages 5-30 with mild disabilities. Groups meet on Sat. afternoons at The Connection for Women and Families in Summit.
Livingston Little League
Challenger Division open to area children ages 5-18 with any physical, mental or neurological disability. Call Livingston Rec, 973-535-7925, for contact information.
MCARP
973-455-1288. Morris County Adaptive Recreation Program for physically or otherwise handicapped persons.
Pathways for Exceptional Children
Montville organization dedicated to advocating for educational and social reform for children with disabilities, trains communities throughout the state in the children teaching children model for providing programs for children from age 3 to adulthood.
Saturdays in Motion
Somerset Hills YMCA, 140 Mt. Airy Rd., Basking Ridge,
908-766-7898. Recreational and social program for autistic children and their families on Sat. afternoons.
Somerset County Park Commission Therapeutic Recreation
355 Milltown Rd., Bridgewater, 908-526-5650. Fees vary for programs. Year round recreation programs for children, teens and adults with disabilities. Camp Okee Sunokee is a 6-week summer day camp for Somerset County residents age 6-14 with learning disabilities or Aspergers Syndrome.
SNAP Special Needs Athletic Programs
Non-profit organization arranges mentoring programs, in-house buddy programs and sports clinics in the Morristown area. Clinics include swimming, tae kwon do, soccer, basketball and baseball. Volunteers sought for mentoring.
Special Olympics New Jersey
3 Princess Rd., Lawrence, 609-896-8000. Non-profit organization with its own sports complex in Lawrenceville provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
TryCan
Summit Recreation, 908-277-2932; Berkeley Heights Recreation, 908-464-0550 ext. 13; New Providence Recreation, 908-464-4430. Through a cooperative effort between Summit, New Providence and Berkeley Heights, TryCan is dedicated to serving children with special needs. One-on-one supervision is provided by trained teen mentors who work with the children participating in sports, leisure and social development programs. Children from all communities are welcome to participate. Call to join mailing list or for more information, contact TryCAN Coordinator at 908-277-2932 or email summitcan@gmail.com.
Union County Recreation Programs for People with Disabilities
Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, 908-527-4900. Activities include karate, golf clinics, ceramics, culinary delights, fishing derbies, volleyball, recreational swim, yoga, horticulture, Arts Unbound and more. Call to be placed on the mailing list.