Kickin' It Coalition soccer camp at University of Richmond promotes autism awareness, inclusion
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April is National Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month.
With a heightened spotlight, many know more about autism and those who have been diagnosed, yet there are still areas that are under served. This has motivated one college group into action.
At first glance, the Kickin' It Coalition soccer club at the University of Richmond would not give the impression of being anything out of the ordinary. Outside of the players being a little younger than usual, it would resemble thousands of similar workouts across the country.
And you could look intently all day and still not figure out what is special about this group. Until you talk to the parents.
Katie Putnam's daughter Audrey is one of the campers and was diagnosed with autism when she was 2 and a half.
"All of the typical things you dream of when you're pregnant and at two and a half when you still haven't heard the words mama or I love you, you kind of have to take a step back and redo those expectations of life, and it's hard," Putnam said.
While Audrey is still mostly nonverbal, she has found other ways to let her mom know that this is something she looks forward to each week as an opportunity to do what other kids her age are doing.
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