Camps + Activities

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Once your child has gained more skills and adjusted to the expectations of team sports, you might feel ready to try a “competitive” program.

4/ Prioritize sports in your busy family schedule. For ND children in particular, appointments with essential providers, such as a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist or counselor, seem to overfill the family schedule, leaving little time for participation in after-school activities. Parents often wait many months (and maybe even a year or longer) for those coveted time slots and know that they can’t be easily changed, if rescheduled at all. All the same, notify your child’s providers well in advance (i.e., as many months in advance as possible) of the start of the upcoming sports season about potential conflicts, emphasizing the importance of sports to the social and emotional, not just physical, development of your child.

Likewise, speak with your child’s coach and/or the sponsoring organization about your family’s schedule. Some teams practice later in the day, especially starting in the middle school years. You might find more opportunity for schedules to align than you anticipate.

5/ Remember the special experiences and assets that your ND child brings to athletics. Finally, don’t forget the special gifts bestowed by your child’s neurodivergence. ADHD kids are often the most energetic and enthusiastic of teammates! Autistic children can show remarkable dedication for, and perseverance in, their special interests, including athletics.

All neurodivergent children have confronted obstacles and overcome challenges in their daily lives and at school, and these experiences will serve them well in their sport endeavors. You might find that it is your child who kicks the ball the hardest, supports their teammates with the most passionate loyalty, or smiles the widest whether they win or lose.

Don’t underestimate your ND athlete; get out there, knowing you’ve set the stage for success, and watch them have fun! ■ Candace Barlow lives in the North Sound area and writes about parenting, neurodiversity, education and travel. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her hiking, reading or spending time with her family.