Lake Norman YMCA joins Siskey YMCA as 2nd site

The Autism Foundation of the Carolinas, in collaboration with the Autism Society of North Carolina and the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, is expanding the region’s only inclusion-based after school program for children with autism.

Currently, 1 in 73 children in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School (CMS) system are diagnosed with autism. The after school program is critical to meeting the needs of families such as these who are affected by autism.

The 2008/2009 pilot program was located at the Siskey YMCA in Charlotte. The 2009/2010 program is expanding to the Lake Norman YMCA in Cornelius, serving families in North Mecklenburg County.

The mission of the after school program is to provide a safe, nurturing and enriching environment. The program is offered to students in kindergarten through 5th grade who are diagnosed as mild to moderate on the autism spectrum.

It operates Mondays to Thursdays, 2-6 p.m., during the school year. Children may participate 2, 3, or 4 days a week.

For more information, please contact program director Sarah Nolin, 704-776-1232 or email afterschool@autismcarolinas.org