On every parent’s journey of autism, we hopefully come across avenues that actually make a difference in our children’s lives. It could be a dedicated speech therapist, a sibling play group that is successful, or an extra curricular activity that is more than just a hobby. How far would you go if this wonderful avenue was about to be taken away? For years, my children have been attending Club Rec. Club Rec is an after school program for children with special needs and typical developing children. In Club Rec, they offer a variety of activities, such as arts & crafts, computer classes, sports & games, and homework help. Most parents use this as a latch key program to cover hours until they get off of work. In my family, Club Rec means so much more. For 5 years, Anthony would go to Club Rec after attending BOCES during the school day. Now in the beginning, it wasn’t so easy. He had a hard time just being in the same room with regular education students. But as time went on, the staff were able to “integrate” him and teach him how to socialize appropriately. I can say with confidence that because of this exposure, he is now able to attend an inclusion class in a regular education setting. Destiny has just started attending Club Rec with good results so far. Last week, when I heard that the Board of Education was going to be discussing the possibility of canceling Club Rec, I had to go speak up at their meeting. It is a little intimidating, at first, to speak to so many suits and ties. But I had the support of other parents who felt the same way. At the end of the meeting, I felt like I gave them a good explanation of the social benefits of the program especially to the special needs students. When an avenue improves the life of your child, it’s essential to speak up and advocate for it to continue.