Love Serving Autism - 2020-2021 Mini-Grant Awardee!
Love Serving Autism has received a 2020-2021 Healthier Jupiter Mini-Grant to fund “RALLYing With Adaptive Tennis”.
This project will help individuals become more physically active on a regular basis, as well as encourage people to engage mentally to practice healthy behaviors by….
Many individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders engage in unhealthy behaviors and do not lead physically active lifestyles due to limited life skills such as communication and socialization. Many also demonstrate motor skills challenges and tend to depend on others to enroll in and transport them to activities in the community. Some researchers have gone as far as to suggest that motor planning problems, or dyspraxia, may be a "core deficit" of autism or a sign of the nervous system abnormalities behind autism. Adults with autism have higher rates of obesity, as well as health conditions that can be caused or aggravated by obesity, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Our programs countywide, including the proposed project in Jupiter, are designed to improve functional communication and life skills, including healthy behaviors, through safely conducted, structured tennis lessons. Participants will engage in a hybrid approach a mix of virtual (weekly, 1 hour) and in-person classes (once a week for 30 1-hour sessions) from mid-November 2020 through October 2021 at Jonathan's Landing Country Club in Jupiter..
How will this project create lasting and transformative change in the health, wellness and success of the greater Jupiter community…
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders often have inactive lifestyles due to limited independent living skills, which can result in unhealthy behaviors, obesity and other health risks. Tennis teaches teamwork and interaction with other students, which have been shown to improve students’ communication and social skills. Other activities such as learning to follow instructions and the rules of the game can reduce social isolation and depression, improving mental health. Our organization's mission aligns with Healthier Jupiter to both advocate for and encourage people to engage mentally and physically in healthy behaviors to improve overall well-being.
Love Serving Autism - Serving Autism On and Off the Court - Love Serving Autism expands life skills, especially communication, through specialized therapeutic tennis instruction in order to increase community inclusion and independence of individuals with developmental challenges. The goal is for participants to apply their newly learned skills throughout the community, including school, workplace, social/recreational gatherings, and home settings. We provide education and training to tennis professionals for an adaptive tennis specialization in the industry. You can learn more about Love Serving Autism at www.loveservingautism.org/
Follow Love Serving Autism’s RALLYing With Adaptive Tennis progress on social media:
Interested in learning more about this grant, reach out to Lisa@loveservingautism.org.
More about Healthier Jupiter’s Mini-Grant Program
For the fifth year in a row, Healthier Jupiter will offer $2,500 Mini-Grants to impact the health of our community. The goal of the Mini-Grant program is to fund projects that address healthy eating, active living and mental health in new, innovative and community-centered ways. These projects will create lasting and transformative change in the health, wellness and success of the greater Jupiter community. Not-for-profits, government agencies, civic organizations, public schools, school-based groups, houses of worship, businesses and individuals are encouraged to submit applications. Funds available will pilot ideas to improve our collective community health in one or more focus areas:
Increase availability and affordability of fresh, healthy foods;
Help individuals become more physically active on a regular basis;
Encourage people to engage mentally to practice healthy behaviors; and/or
Change the built environment and policies that promote equitable health opportunities.
Healthier Jupiter, in partnership with Jupiter Medical Center is dedicated to bringing the greater Jupiter community together to encourage each person to live their healthiest life. Healthier Jupiter is part of the Palm Health Foundation’s Healthier Together Initiative, a long-term, community-driven approach to solving a community’s complex healthcare issues.