Golf has always been a game for everyone. It’s introduced at a young age with plastic clubs to use in the backyard. By teenage years, you’ve gone to a mini golf course and maybe even had your first kiss by a windmill after a hole-in-one.
What about the autistic, though? Is there room in the sport for them? Absolutely, and Ernie Els is making it even more accessible. The South African professional golfer has created the Els for Autism organization – and their global mission is to “transform the lives of people with autism and those who care for them through lifetime services and collaborative partnerships.”
The golf programs feature evidence-based practices to help teach golf to those who are on the autism spectrum. It’s possible to teach golf skills while also helping to focus on specific learning concepts such as motor and communication skills, emotional regulation, and social skills.
There’s a full webinar that explains the curriculum and how those with ASD can learn golf.
If you or anyone you love is on the spectrum, you may believe that sports and autism don’t go together. However, the CDC has shown that 1 in 59 children in the US has ASD – and introducing them to a sport can help to overcome some of the various behavioral, communication, and social challenges that exist.
The Junior Golfer wrote on their site that “Golf may, in fact, be a wonderful sport for an ASD child who finds comfort in routine and the outdoors.”
It’s almost summer, and that means that golf courses around the country will be opening up. It might be time to find a golf course that has partnered with the Els for Autism mission, don’t you think?
