Football Standout Takes Special Needs Classmate To Prom
Cecil Bratton, a high school football standout, took Breyonna Nelson, a special needs classmate, to their Senior Prom. The pair was named Prom King and Queen by the student body. Bratton, known for his acts of kindness, took the pink-haired, 4-foot Breyonna Nelson to the pair’s senior prom at Central High after another special needs student rejected Nelson’s request to go to the dance. Rather than be daunted, Nelson walked right up to Bratton, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound football star who she had met as a junior, and asked him to the prom. He immediately accepted with a great big...
Read MoreConner Long Inspires With His Dedication To Special Needs Brother
The 2012 Sports Illustrated Kids SportsKids of the Year was awarded to two brothers, one typical, one with Cerebral Palsy. Although Cayden has cerebral palsy it hasn’t stopped him from competing in triathlons with his older brother Conner, who is an inspiration to all. Conner Long is nine years old. His little brother Cayden is seven. But Cayden can’t do a lot of things his big brother can do. At four months old, Cayden was diagnosed with a condition called hypertonic cerebral palsy, which leaves him unable to walk or talk on his own. Playing sports is a great way for brothers to...
Read MoreResearchers Hopeful $1 Billion Worth Of Autism Study Will Pay Off
Leaders in the field of Autism research say they are seeing the beginning of a wave of scientific reports that should strengthen some theories, jettison others and perhaps even herald new drugs after more than $1 billion has been spent over the past decade researching autism. “I do think over the next three to five years we’ll be able to paint a much clearer picture of how genes and environmental factors combine” to cause autism, said Geraldine Dawson, a psychologist who is chief science officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks. The effort has been infused with new...
Read MoreSpecial Needs Spotlight: Scoring Goals for Autism
On Sunday, April 29, 2012, Autism Science Foundation (ASF) will kick-off its 2nd Annual Scoring Goals for Autism soccer tournament at YSC Sports in Wayne, PA. This event will raise money to fund research to find the causes of autism and develop better treatments for children, teens and adults with autism. ASF currently funds research conducted at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Autism Research, University of Pittsburgh, and at other leading research centers around the country. The tournament will include Men’s and Women’s adult teams. Women’s teams will...
Read MoreSpecial Needs Spotlight: The Sound Of Football
Thanks to Pepsi’s awesome Refresh Project, technology originally developed for the last World Cup has been utilized to allow Blind Soccer (Football) Players to “see” the field of play utilizing directional sound. Created by Tracab, this system was comprised of sixteen cameras covering the entire field — including two innovative stereovision cameras placed at mid-field, and used the different colors of the team jersey’s to distinguish the home team from the away team, and to identify the referees. This set up, which was deployed during the last World Cup,...
Read MoreSpecial Needs Program Spotlight: E-Soccer
Founded by Russell Ewell in 2000, E-Soccer (Exceptional Children Soccer) is an all-volunteer program that teaches soccer to children aged 5 and up in an inclusive environment. They are dedicated to empowering both typical and special needs children of all abilities to reach their full athletic and social potential. E-Soccer’s unique inclusion methodology promotes leadership, social, character, and athletic development for each child in an individualized manner. The San Francisco-based organization respects every child’s ability to be successful and included. Children are taught to...
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