Profiles in Brief – Shell Jones, a woman on a mission in Detroit, Michigan.

Play Place for Autistic Children (P.A.C.) is the vision of Shell Jones, the mother of a child with autism.

Talking to the Huffington Post, Jone’s explains that as her son Duane began to grow,

“I found that there was no place for me to take him without getting stares and whispers, and us being made to feel uncomfortable.”

She adds,

“Play is any child’s natural form of engagement. It’s just that simple. As opposed to always sitting in front of a teacher, or a therapist, they want to be on a swing.”

So Jone’s decided that it was going to be up to her to create that special place that all parents of special needs kids would love to see. Various fundraisers have been offered and sponsorship is growing.   Donations are being accepted on the website. Finding a location which is around 16,000 sq feet and able to accommodate all the various services is proving harder than first anticipated. This time last year a facility that met with their requirements was located but by the end of the year 2012, negotiations fell through.

Their mission according to their web site and Facebook Page is:

P.A.C.’s mission is to create a fun-filled, family experience for children and families affected by autism. Through a unique play-powered environment, P.A.C. combines recreation and education with a variety of social, occupational and physical overtones to promote reciprocal & imaginative growth and development. Our bottom line is to create a shared ambiance encouraging friendships between children as well as amongst parents.