Children’s Autism in Edmonton helps autistic kids to ‘hit the ice’

Coming off an exciting Oilers playoff run, the Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton is hosting a unique summer camp.

The stepping stone to hockey gives kids a chance to hit the ice and learn to skate, in a sensory-friendly environment.

Learning to skate on synthetic ice Wednesday was Sam Taekama.

“On fake ice, I do like falling down. On real ice, I don’t like to fall down,” said Taekama.

Taekama has been wit the program that gives autistic children a controlled environment to try hockey since the beginning.

His dad has noticed a developmental change in his son, watching him learn to skate.

“He’d learned them before some skills but he just got distracted so he hadn’t stuck in his brain and now they’re just coming … like even this camp for this week, all of sudden he’s like remembering all these skills. That’s what he does, it takes him a little while to get the skills and to think about it, and once he’s thought about it, all of a sudden it’s just like clicks and he’s able to do it a lot more,” said Michael Taekama, Sam’s dad.

The Oiler Community Foundation funded the program to provide staff and equipment for the kids. 

“The kids love it. You can see the joy on their face, you can see how much they love being included in something so fundamentally Canadian,” said Terri Duncan, the Executive Director of Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton.

Shawna Vogel with the Oilers Community Foundation says it is their first time partnering with the organization as the program fits well with their Every Kid Can Play program. 

“Well they’ve got the program in place now and so certainly it’s the program we’re supporting and interested in and so impressed with and as I said it’s right within what we’re trying to do with Every Kid Deserve a Shot, really thrilled with this partnership,” said Vogel.

Kids like Sam will be able to hit the ice rink at Bill Hunter Arena on Friday.