5. A team effort
Thanks to Nouryon, who has donated more than $1 million, the Eagles Autism Foundation hosts a series of All Abilities Clinics designed with resources and support integrated into the event structure to promote accessibility for all participants. The goal is to create an inclusive environment that offers an experience for individuals with special needs to participate alongside their peers. This includes trained volunteers, a smaller group size, a visual schedule for step-by-step guidance on how to prepare, as well as a quiet space.
There are four All Abilities Clinics: Cheer, Drumline, S.T.E.M presented by Bentley Systems, and Football. The spring All Abilities Clinic series concludes next week with Football. Madden Orlovsky, son of former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, attended the S.T.E.M. Clinic this past fall.
The S.T.E.M. Clinic had four interactive stations where 75 participants of all ages and their families enjoyed numerous activities. The stations consisted of geospatial technology with Cesium, 3-D printing and avatar creating with Create Access, Ozobots, magnetic race cars with Bentley, coloring, magnatiles, and keychain coding.
The clinic marked a powerful day for the Orlovsky family. However, the most special part was seeing Madden be unequivocally himself.
"It was special," said Madden's mother, Tiffany. "There's not that many opportunities where that happens, to be able to do that and just get to see him enjoy it and be himself and not feel like he has to 'fit in.'"
If you miss Thursday night's debut of Awareness to Action: The Eagles Autism Challenge presented by Lincoln Financial, it will re-air on Saturday, April 11 at 5 PM on NBCSP and on Monday, April 13 at 11 PM, again on NBCSP.