Page 59 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2024

MISSISSIPPI AQUARIUM
The Mississippi Aquarium (MSAQ) proudly offered its first Sensory Day
at MSAQ in March and hopes that it will be one of many activities hosted
for children that are differently abled. The Sensory Day began with early admission for guests with sensory requirements and offered exclusive meet and greets, educational activities keeping sensory requirements in mind, as well as offering designated quiet spaces when guests needed a little break from all the fun. The goal was to ensure that all children were able to enjoy the aquatic wonders of the Mississippi Aquarium. Be on the lookout for more sensory- friendly events soon!
LYNN MEADOWS DISCOVERY CENTER
On the second Sunday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon, children on the autism spectrum or related sensory concerns are invited to Sensory Sundays at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center (LMDC). Admission is free and guests are invited to partake in all the fun offered at LMDC while in a less crowded environment. Sensory bags are available to use at no cost while at LMDC and are just one additional tool of support aimed at making children feel more comfortable so they can have more fun.
THE INSTITUTE FOR DISABILITY STUDIES,
USM GULF PARK CAMPUS
The Institute for Disability Studies at USM Gulf Park Campus (IDS) offers a myriad of ways for children with special needs to enjoy everything the Coast has to offer. The Technology Learning Center provides a number of tools, items, and toys for children that can be checked out at no cost for up to 90 days. Beach accessible wheelchairs, imagination playgrounds, and musical instruments, just to name a few, are all available for use at any time.
Additionally, thanks to the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation’s Transition of Teens to Adult Life Program (ToTAL), IDS is able to offer the best summer camp of all summer camps! The Summer Enrichment Program is available to participants aged 14 to 21 and aims at helping adolescents and young adults with special needs train and navigate the workforce while having fun and building bonds with their peers. This summer’s theme is Star Wars and the force is definitely going to be with this amazing group of people.
While these are just a few of the fun ways our friends with special health needs can enjoy their summer break, there is always room for more. Maureen Neumann is a coastal advocate for children born with Down syndrome. She is grateful for the opportunities available to her son Jacob and his friends.
Neumann emphasizes that children with special needs want to have fun and play just like anyone else, deserving the chance to do so in a joyful manner. She appreciates these special programs offered along the Coast not only for the opportunities that they offer to Jacob and his peers, but because they highlight and bring awareness to children with special needs and the mechanisms necessary to best serve them. Opportunities such as these are vital to awareness, but moreover they are vital to acceptance and acceptance is something each child deserves.
Mississippi Aquarium
2100 East Beach Blvd., Gulfport | 228.241.1300 www.msaquarium.org/events/2024/sensory-day-at-msaq
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
246 Dolan Avenue, Gulfport | 228.897.6039 www.lmdc.org/sensory-sundays
Institute for Disability Studies,
USM Gulf Park Campus
730 East Beach Blvd, Long Beach | 228.214.5405 www.usm.edu/ids
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
April 2024 | 59