SLIDESHOW: Autism Field Day

 

 

 

 

(Photos by Holly Bensur)

On Friday afternoon, the University of Miami hosted a field day for children and teens with autism in Miami. April is Autism Awareness Month and UM students had the opportunity to join the UM Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) at the UM Field Day for Teens. One child, Alex, took his turn sitting in the middle of a colorful parachute as volunteers and other autistic children spun him around. There were a variety of stations and activities including limbo, hula hoops and cornhole. UM students Robert Pursell and Lindsay Rosen spearheaded the event. Pursell organized this event with CARD to leave a lasting impression at the U. “I think it did a lot for not only the kids with autism, but also for the college kids who came out and had never worked with autistic kids before,” he said. “The ability to impact a child with autism is very powerful.” More than 100 UM students and 30 autistic children from the community came to campus to participate in the festivities.