Special-Needs Kids Enjoy Games With Friends

The Police Athletic League Center was the site for the kick-off of a new program geared to Parsippany's special-needs students Wednesday evening. Games With Friends, a collaboration between the PAL Center and area education specialists, is, very simply, what its name entails: kids getting together to play.

A child with special needs is one who faces unique medical or developmental challenges, and therefore requires attention, help and services that most other kids do not. The bottom line, however, is that they're kids. All children need love, friendship, guidance and physical activity. 

And that's what Games With Friends is all about, according to organizer Brenda Barberio.

Barberio, the mayor's wife, is also a special education teacher for the Montville School District. She said her interest was raised when PAL Director Tony Bonavitacola mentioned to her his longtime wish to establish a program for special-needs students, a time when they could get together, learn about sports and other fun activities, and hang out with other kids.

"Tony told me there aren't many programs like this out there, and he's really passionate about helping kids," she said, "When he became director about a year ago, he contacted me knowing that I'm a special-education teacher and asked me to help him start a program, and I said yes."

Barberio, who spent six years teaching in the Parsippany district, contacted her former colleague, PTHSD physical therapist Barbara Miller, to see if she would be interested in helping, and she leaped at the chance.

"I've tried to do something like this during school hours, during recess, but wanted to do something outside of school to give kids more opportunities," Miller said. 

The idea behind Games With Friends is to integrate physical activity with socialization. Each week of the six-week program allows the students involved to play a different kind of athletic game along with peer mentors, general-education kids who come along to play with them.

"The [special-needs] kids get to meet other children in the community and learn to play with them," Miller explained. "That helps them be able to go to the park and see kids they know, which is a good thing."

Barberio and Miller worked together on a volunteer basis along with Michelle Domini, another physical therapist who works in Parsippany schools, to develop the program. They contacted parents of special-needs students and invited them to take part in the initial sessions of Games With Friends. They also recruited general-ed students to pair with special-ed kids. 

"Integrating them with peer mentors helps with socialization," she said. "We're starting tonight with 26 kids, and we got a lot of mentors to sign up and volunteer to help, so kudos to them. I hope it builds and builds and builds."

A Games With Friends night includes two six-week sessions to be held on Wednesdays, one from 6-6:45 p.m. for students from kindergarten through grade 2 and another from 7-7:45 p.m. for kids in grades 3 through 5.

Participants receive a special Games With Friends T-shirt at the program's start, and at the end of the six weeks, each child will receive a memento to recognize his or her efforts.

Organizers say they hope to have sessions for middle school students in the future.

"This is a great thing that will be good for all the kids," Barberio said. "It'll help them physically and socially. One week we'll have wiffle ball, then kick ball... Eventually, we would like to incorporate life skills too, like cooking or arts and crafts.

Registration is closed for this Games With Friends session, but organizers said they plan to hold another session in the fall. The PAL Center will have information when dates and details are finalized.