When children play, great things happen.
Play is foundational in the development of children, from birth on. It provides benefits that touch every aspect of growth from a baby’s ability to sit up to a student’s ability to hold a pencil and write.
When children are denied the opportunity to play and socialize with their peers, they are denied the chance to develop skills that will benefit them forever.
The social exclusion can last a lifetime.
A 2015 survey by the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute discovered that the young adult students with Autism who participated were:
- 1 in 4 were completely isolated (no contact with a peer over a 12-month period)
- 28% more likely to contemplate or attempt suicide than their typically-developing peers
- Those in their mid-twenties had a higher level of unemployment than other disabilities (only 58% competitively employed)
- 75% unemployed or without employment plans 2 years out of high school
Children with disabilities are 2 to 3 times more likely to be bullied than their peers
