The Quick Check Pocket Guide: Managing Behavior for Success on the Slopes is a new resource for parents and instructors of children with cognitive disabilities who are learning to 
ski or snowboard. The guide was written and published by the Adaptive Sports Foundation and is now available at the Adaptive Sports Center or you can find an order form here.
The Quick Check Pocket Guide was written with one important and encouraging trend in mind. More and more parents are realizing that physical activity is essential to their child’s good health and development. Skiing and snowboarding are two sports that an entire family can do together and parents are enrolling their children with developmental delays in adaptive programs or in mainstream snowsports schools in record numbers. At the time of enrollment, parents are faced with the very personal question of how much information on their child’s disability to disclose. Likewise, managers of mainstream schools have frequently asked the ASF for help in training their instructors and staff how to teach these very special children.
Managing Behavior for Success on the Slopes takes a look at the process of learning to ski or snowboard, from getting ready for the trip, to navigating the sometimes bewildering arrival and lesson process, and ultimately to the lesson time. This guide is replete with suggestions for parents and instructors to pave the way for a successful experience for the child with special needs. There is valuable information in all sections for both instructors and parents; parents should know about the particular challenges of the instructor and instructors will be better able to help future students with understanding of the particular challenges of the parents.
The ASF has been teaching children with all types of cognitive issues for 27 years. Through our experiences, we understand that a child with special needs may react to the challenges of the mountain and lesson environment in strange and baffling ways. While we have no magic answer for dealing with inappropriate behavior, we offer tips for identifying potential stumbling blocks and suggest possible strategies for success; from preparing the child prior to the trip, to the arrival at the resort, and on through to the end of the lesson. This resource will be especially valuable to parents who do not ski or snowboard and who are not familiar with navigating the resort environment. Fortunately, parents and/or instructors armed with a little knowledge, a lot of creativity, and the ability to solve problems can overcome many of the challenges that arise for a child as a result of frustration, inability to communicate, or sensory overload created by this new activity.
Our goal is for this pocket guide to help parents and instructors feel empowered to be active participants in the student’s learning experience. By approaching the child’s lesson together and in a positive way, parents and instructors will all be helping a young person become more physically fit, self-assured, confident, and independent.
The Quick Check Pocket Guide: Managing Behavior for Success on the Slopes is available to snowsports schools across the country. If you know a family considering a snowsports lesson for their child with special needs, suggest the Quick Check Pocket Guide as a valuable resource for their successful preparation. Pick up your own copy of the Quick Check Pocket Guide at the ASF for just $5 or click here to download an order form.