February 2008
LEGO® Club an Outlet for Children with Disabilities
By Christina Harper
Inside a busy workroom, a woman with a black cap over her blond hair cheerfully approaches a little boy. He is working studiously, his hands carefully twiddling with tiny pieces of plastic. The woman needs to borrow a head for a LEGO® character.
Without looking at her, the boy rummages in his box and
hands one over. He gets a quick hug in return.
“Who needs help building a car?” cries an adult. One child
looks around and puts her hand up. When someone yells for the “people
bucket,” a quick search reveals that the people in the bucket are
all gone.
Families with children with autism, Asperger’s syndrome
and other developmental disabilities build and create with normally-developing
children at the Arc (Advocates for the Rights of Citizens with Developmental
Disabilities) of Snohomish County’s LEGO Club. The club has seen
a steady increase in families participating since it began in October,
2007.
“It’s our purpose to be inclusive,” says Ronnie Thibault,
assistant Parent to Parent and Connecting Families coordinator at the
Arc of Snohomish County. Her son, Dylan, has Asperger’s (a syndrome
on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum) and was 6 years old
when Thibault began working at the Arc. During a support group meeting,
another mother mentioned that she wished there was something else for
her child. From that comment, the LEGO Club began to take on life.
“LEGOs seems to be the great equalizer,” Thibault says. “It
seems to be that one thing that all kids enjoy.”
Each child has a box with his or her name on it. Some are covered with stickers of cars, tools and the stars and stripes. As they begin to put their LEGO pieces together, they learn to share and be more cooperative.
“For those who are diagnosed with high-functioning
autism, it’s about color and building and stacking,” Thibault
says. Typically, those with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty
with the social aspects of playing together.
Children at the LEGO club are in a comfortable environment where they
are understood by everyone. If they become over-stimulated, there is a
quiet, comfortable tent corner with blankets and soft pillows to soothe
them. Emotional outbursts of frustration triggered by stress, social environment
or other factors are a common symptom of both classic autism and Asperger’s
syndrome.
“If the kids are here and want to flip out … everybody gets
it,” Thibault adds.
Marcee Kerns of Monroe knows what that can be like. Her
12-year-old son Tommy tends to pout, then go on a diatribe when he is
having a difficult time. Tommy argues with his mother and has seizures.
Every one of Tommy’s flying LEGO creations has a character. He likes
spy books and he says he’s going to LEGO College. Tommy enjoys the
LEGO Club, as does his sister Susanna, 7, who is gifted.
Cynthia Weissinger of Everett takes both her granddaughter, Justine Broughton,
10, and her son, Michael Weissinger, who turns 7 this month, to the LEGO
club. Justine has poor eye contact and social skills due to Asperger’s
syndrome. Michael is autistic. Both children have problems in crowds.
But with the support of others, Weissinger can take the children to the
LEGO club knowing that they are not the only ones with those issues.
“It’s like they don’t pay attention to the amount of
kids that are there,” Weissinger says. “They concentrate on
their project.”
Michael is able to walk up to Bob Thibault, Ronnie’s husband, who also has Asperger’s, and ask for help. The LEGO group gives him a real sense of security.
“It’s an extremely big deal to be that comfortable,” Weissinger said.
The LEGO club is held at the Arc of Snohomish County, 2500 Hewitt Ave., Suite 500, Everett. Children with disabilities, their siblings, their friends and adults are invited to attend the free event 1 to 3 p.m. every third Saturday of the month. Parents must be present with their children. For more information, call 425-258-2459 or e-mail Jamie@arcsno.org or Ronnie@arcsno.org.
Arc and Parent to Parent
The Arc (Advocates for the Rights of Citizens with Developmental Disabilities) of Snohomish County is one of 11 in the Arc of Washington State group. The organization offers several programs including Parent to Parent, Sibling Support, Parent Family Coalition, and Housing, Counseling and Guidance information.
The Parent to Parent program provides information and referrals to community services, as well as state support programs. The group also offers information on how parents can connect with each other through support groups and events that bring families together.
For more information on the Arc of Snohomish County call 425-258-2459 or log onto www.arcsno.org.
The Arc of King County is located at 233 Sixth Ave. N. in Seattle. Call 206-829-7005 or visit www.arcofkingcounty.org to find out about its programs, including Parent to Parent.
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