Special Kids Connect develops resources, raises awareness, and provides support for the over 12,000 children with disabilities and their families in Monterey County.
Special Kids Connect’s REACH Ability-Inclusive Enrichment Programs give youth with and without special needs opportunities to develop skills of inclusion that are transferable to all areas of their lives. With a portfolio of offerings in sports and the arts, REACH gives young people opportunities to participate at their own level and at their own pace while developing fine and gross motor skills, enhancing cognitive abilities, and socializing with peers and adults in nurturing, supportive environments.
Equally important is the way REACH programs break down barriers between young people who have special needs and their neurotypical peers. REACH gives youth of all abilities the opportunity to interact, have fun, and realize that, regardless of an individual’s unique and special needs, we are all more alike than we are different.
Special Kids Connect’s REACH programs are safe havens for youth with special needs. As our children grow up and as their neurotypical peers move on to new friendships, activities, and greater independence, our own children are left without a place where they truly belong. REACH programs fill that gap by creating welcoming, age-appropriate communities where our children are accepted, included, and celebrated. Our son, Josiah, looks forward to every REACH activity…bowling, golf, basketball, and especially dance and art. He has found joy, friendships, and a place where he is valued for exactly who he is. As a parent, there is no greater gift than knowing our son has a community where he belongs.
- Karla Caliz, Soledad
