Middleton, KY – A new pilot program offers children on the autism spectrum with the opportunity to receive specialized instruction in taekwondo.
Hwang’s Martial Arts began offering the class last year which was partially developed by Sabine Buchanan as a method to instruct children who were unable attend a mainstream class. Buchanan’s 10 year old daughter Arwen is on the spectrum and had wanted to participate in regular classes which typically have a 1:20 ratio but would have found it too overwhelming.
As a result, Buchanan teamed up with staff to create Hwang’s Warriors which boasts a class of 20 students and currently has a waiting list only one year after it was first introduced. Parents Eric and Jackie Romero enrolled their son Conner in the program and reveal that the class has helped to improve both his social skills and behaviour. Director Mimi Hwang also believes that the class provides a wide range of benefits for the children who attend them. She states:
“A lot of the parents come in for the focus and balance and coordination, and that’s helped them tremendously. It also gives them just a common goal with the other children in the class.”
Program organizers have revealed that they hope to expand the program to other locations in the future.
Source: on The Courier-Journal: Taekwondo class targets kids with learning differences