Nonprofit provides free education, recreation to autistic children
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- April is Autism Acceptance Month and one Philadelphia nonprofit is helping kids with autism by providing free education and recreation. Four-year-old Kal'el Santiago loves playing basketball.
His mother, De Lorbiecki, says the sport takes his mind off the medical challenges he's had stemming from autism and Hirschsprung's Disease.
"It is a rare disease where the nerves in your intestines are dead. And they don't work inside your colon or small intestines. He's four years old and he has had 21 surgeries," Lorbiecki said.
Kal'el was among dozens of children with autism and other disabilities who recently took part in a free basketball clinic in North Philadelphia.
Eric Williams hosted the event. He's the founder of Project Elijah Empowering Autism or PEEA.
"We focus on the gross motor, the cognitive, the socialization, the interaction, those type of things, making friends, as you see, when we go in, they just making friends, and that brings, that warms my heart to what the mission of PEEA is all about," Williams said.
Williams says the inspiration for founding his nonprofit is his son Elijah, who was diagnosed with autism at age three. Williams also says at the time, there were few programs to help children with autism.
"So rather than complain 20 years, 30 years later could have, should have, would have, I started PEEA," Williams said.
PEEA offers many events during the year, but the most popular is the basketball session. Through dribbling, passing and shooting, children like Kal'el can have fun in a nurturing environment.
"When there's more than three people inside of a room, he has that anxiety, and its half part of the medical trauma and half due to autism," Lorbiecki said.
For Kal'el playing basketball helps him beat anxiety and boost his confidence.
"It's amazing and I'm very thankful for that," Lorbiecki said.
The benefits go beyond the sport.
The children create a bond with others and build endurance to overcome obstacles on and off the hardwood.
