EL CENTRO — For families with autistic children, navigating everyday spaces like grocery stores, restaurants and doctor offices can be challenging. That’s why so many parents felt like they found a safe space at the third annual George’s Kids Bowling event for children on the autism spectrum and their siblings.
“Sometimes kids with autism can have behavior issues,” explained Vanessa Medina, mother of Ernesto. Autistic children’s sensory sensitivities and behavioral differences can easily turn into public disruptions or create difficulties, leaving families feeling flustered and frustrated.
“Nobody’s going to care about that here,” Medina said of the George’s Kids Bowling event at the PlayZone Bowling and Amusement in El Centro. “We can come to these events, and we know that it’s going to be OK for everybody. It’s a friendly safe space for all kids with autism.”
On Thursday, April 24, more than 100 families gathered at PlayZone for an afternoon of bowling, pizza and spring break fun. The event was hosted by El Centro Rotary Club in partnership with Autism Support of Imperial County and the San Diego Regional Center.
“We do family socialization events like this one so that these kids can get out of their shell of being just at home and come out to really socialize,” said James Gonzalez, president of ASIC, a parent support group. “It’s awesome to see how many families we have out here participating.”
The afternoon also provided an opportunity for families to connect and find community. “I didn’t realize how much support there is,” Evelyn Rios stated as her son, Andrew, screeched with excitement to begin bowling. “At these types of events you realize, you can relate to the other parents that are going through the same thing.”
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Medina added, “While the kids play, it’s an opportunity for us to see how we are doing in our families, what resources we are using, and share experiences, which has been very helpful for me.”
Alan Castro, a behavioral assistant who provides applied behavior analysis therapy to autistic children, said, “this event is a safe space for (my client) to be himself and express himself. It’s nice knowing that he won’t get dirty looks or anything like that because he’s surrounded by people who are in the same position.”
Caitlin Chavez, board member of El Centro Rotary and co-planner of George’s Kids, emphasized the importance of celebrating and supporting neurodiverse families. “It’s important that we understand that it’s not an easy road navigating spectrum diagnoses, but loving our family means accepting them for who they are, having a good time, and making memories.”
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