 Poster: A snowHead
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Interesting to look back on this.
We left my little boy with grand parents last year, and will do so again this year. His behavior can be bad enough that unless they were trained for special needs it would be unfair and potentially dangerous to leave him in a ski school.
...we also feel we need a break without an autistic child and stroppy 16 year old teenage girl!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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We are just back from a week with Anna & Peter @ skiing4all in January - Normal high standards as always 3rd time we have been and are already looking to book again. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We've just got back from a second week with skiing4all in Austria with our 10yo autistic son.
Last year he only skiied 1 hour a day (a deliberate move to introduce him to it gently), he loved it. So much so that we got him monthly lessons at Hemel with Richard from Snowbility. The result this year was that he was off the nursey slope and up the mountain on the blue runs. He skiied with Peter for 2 hours a day, and spent the remainder of the day doing other activities with Anna and Crystal.
I've just realised that he was skiing the same runs we were doing after our first week of (all day) lessons last year - that's quite an achievement for a child that is frightened to walk down unfamiliar staircases. We couldn't be happier!
We're very pleased with both Snowbility (we'll be booking more lessons with Richard) and Skiing4all (looking forward to next year already). We can heartily recommend both organisations.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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My lad has progressed massively this season, and as before he was in ESF classes, with the instructor alerted to his autism. ESF suits him as they just ignore him and he follows along happily. He even managed to pass his gold star level this time and he was, as he said himself "quite impressed".
One thing I did notice this time around is that his verbal stimming as he skis is much louder and more pronounced than previously - which led to several hairy moments where people thought he was calling for help!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Pending, wow - flocon to gold star in a couple of years! ⭐️
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@miranda, I know! Thanks for the reminder - I had actually forgotten how recent that was. Wow!
And it's all down to the amazing trainers at Snoworks in Tignes. A couple of junior courses with them (so I could do the grown up courses) and he went from being stuck in a snowplough to racing around gates on his edges, happy as a clam! The Snoworks kids are a super group too, they have been really accepting of him, and while he might never be a racer, he's certainly learnt to ski amazingly well and he loves it!
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Just bumping this thread, as there’s more and more of us with kids on the spectrum.
I’m looking at organising a (cheap) trip next New Years week for families with kids on the spectrum. It’s a trip I’ve organised in the past for single parent families, but now looking to focus on those of us affected by ASD.
I’m not looking to make any money out of it btw, just new friends!
Details to follow, but expressions of interest would be great 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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In case it’s of interest to anyone, I came across www.totalskidskolan.se the only adaptive ski school in Åre. I was in the gondola chatting to the instructor and a couple of new trainee instructors, practicing for blind skiers on that day, swapping taped up goggles. Very friendly people, who invited me to drop by their centre at Rödkullen at any time with the kids as they have some cool stuff to see.
Looks like their website isn’t in English, so you’ll need to use the chrome browser and right click to translate.
They also run a ski camp and freeride camp at certain times of the year!
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There was an piece about snowboarding with autism on Ski Sunday last weekend. Just watched it on iPlayer, very inspirational.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@SaraJ,@SaraJ, @SaraJ, @SaraJ, hi
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| skimottaret wrote: |
| a plug for our good friends at http://snowbility.co.uk who are based at Hemel snow dome check them out... |
+1
My son Matthew has been skiing with them periodically for the last 4 years, and last February we made the jump to the mountains. All the instructors are great and each has their own way of dealing with the ASD, which I like as it keeps things fresh with him (big shout to Richard and Al)
In Leysin, I got some lessons for M with LeysinSki, and both Neil and Sophie were great with him - hence why we are going back here this year. Yes, he had a few tumbles (OK, a massive one in the snow park! [url=]http://youtube.com/v/g1O_Sxb0vGo&list=PLLPPTz_cPbdzF8XEneA58pa_Wt4y1pv-q&index=6[/url]  ) but his appreciation of the the mountains, personal responsibility and control all grew massively as a result of a week on skis.
I think its fabulous that so many parents with kids with ASD, are prepared to give things a go and adapt to suit the needs, rather than just saying 'probably can't do it'.
G
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I've teached a few kids with Autism in the past few years, and unfortunately, the parents didn't tell me beforehand. Seems like people here have figured that one out, but I just wanted to stress how important that is, to give the instructor the possibility to tend to your child as well as possible and give your kids the best experience possible.
About 2 years ago I got 2 boys for private lessons, 13 and 15 years old. About an hour in, I ask them what class in school they are in, and they tell me they go to a special needs school because they are on the Autism spectrum and also have a motoric learning disability (dad hadn't mentioned anything). These guys were on skis first, but they actually really wanted to learn how to snowboard, and their dad was a snowboarder too, so on the second day we decide that they were going to snowboard with me.
Here it comes: the fact that they learned differently from everybody else was so incredibly important for these guys, because immediately it was clear that they could only copy but not respond to/implement instructions whatsoever. This made that the younger brother was actually a really fast learner: he could copy everything i did IMMEDIATELY (like, he could immediately do turns with either leg in front, etc), even though he was the one with the motor disability. The older one was struggling a lot and he did have a clear leg preference (left), so I just decided they were both going to be left in front as it didn't matter for the younger brother anyway.
The morale of this story: after 4 hours of snowboarding instruction, these guys were able to link turns on a blue slope, which is actually quite fast, and I was so incredibly proud of them. Had I not known they learned differently, we would have all gotten frustrated (and I very desperate probably), the oldest one would have been scared and not have had a pleasant experience at all, and the snowboarding probably wouldn't have clicked. So tell your instructors, see if they can handle it, and allow your kids to have the learning experience they deserve!
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You know it makes sense.
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@ET, gosh. I wouldn’t dream of booking Keira in now without discussion over her ASD / Dyspraxia first! She is also in mainstream school and high functioning! It just makes a massive difference to how the relationship starts and hence how she and the instructor / teacher react to each other.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Hi All - Some very relatable, encouraging and heartwarming stories in this thread. We’re thinking of taking our 9yr old skiing for the first time in the 21/22 season. Anyone have recommendations for suitable ski schools in Schladming or point us to some resources that could help? Thanks in advance!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| SaraJ wrote: |
| https://www.freizeit-pso.at/en/ are based in Rohrmoos - Schladming. |
Thanks for the prompt response Saraj . Out of interest based on your experience (which I think you have a lot of) how would you recommend we structure the day? I was thinking 2 hours of tuition in the morning and practise for a couple of hours in the afternoon with us. Would that be sufficient or usually would we need a session in the afternoon for him to make progress also?
Appreciate it depends on the child a bit but just wondering if there is a standard template to work from.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Redial, It totally depends on the child (Is he sporty and active? Does he mind being with strangers? How long can he concentrate for?) and also what your ski abilities are.
I prefer 3hrs a day (2 x 1.5hrs, with a lunch break in between) or 4 hrs (2 x 2 hrs) if the child is happy to do that. You know your child, so I guess you've got a good idea whether he would enjoy skiing for 3-4hrs a day.
I mention your abilities because it might be frustrating all round if you're not confident and your son wants to do more than you want or are able.
One boy I taught could ski far better than the rest of his family but due to his autism he couldn't ski alone. He was bored skiing with his family so he would just ski away from them, which of course caused a panic because his parents couldn't keep up.
I hope that helps!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Again - thank you. I really appreciate your responses based on your experience and this helps.
His gross/ core motor skills are decent but struggles sometimes to absorb the patterns required to do certain “sporty” movements. Could literally need hands on or guided instruction here possibly. Once he gets it though he’s good to go (he takes swimming lessons for example and is making progress. He absolutely loves the pool). He doesn’t have a problem with strangers at all and can concentrate really well when engaged correctly. His biggest challenge could be around expressive language and he can take simple verbal instruction.
I’m at an ok level personally to keep up for now (60-70 days) but you make a great (serious) safety point for the future - be careful what you wish for indeed.
It seems like a morning/ afternoon split might be good. I’ll reach out to the group above to see what they have to say but I appreciate the pointers and help.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Redial wrote: |
| (he takes swimming lessons for example and is making progress. He absolutely loves the pool). |
The main pool in Schladming is attached to SportHotel Royer, which is where I stay in Schladming when I take the family. My son has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and would do 2 hours of sit-skiing in the morning with Freizeit then go to the pool in the afternoon. The pool is free for guests of SportHotel Royer, but you can also pay to use it.
If you aren't going to be skiing all day I'd recommend staying in Schladming and getting a taxi to and from Rohrmoos. There are ski buses which go up there, but I found they didn't line up very well with lesson start/finish times. There is far more to see and do down in Schladming, which really is a great town.
Assuming it is still Sabine that organises things at Freizeit, her English is very good and she is very helpful. They do get booked up quite far in advance, so if you want the best choice of sessions then it best to get in touch early. Otherwise you could find that you will have to work around the times that they have available.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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That’s very useful Lager. Didn’t know there was a swimming pool which helps for something else to do in order to mix it up or if we need something to fall back on. We will definitely use this. Also hadn’t noticed that freizeit is based up the road. We’re going with friends and our smallest was going to go to go to skischool possibly in Schladmingnwith the others. had hoped that the lessons were close to each other so me or the wife could get some ski time or downtime while the other covered but such is life. Will reach out to freizeit to see what our options are. Thanks again
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Hi All - A quick update on our experience seeing as many of you were so helpful with advice early last years as we contemplated our first trip as a family.
We visited Schladming in the first week of 2022. Our son (9) has ASD and some challenges with communication in particular and was skiing for the first time. While there was an adaptive ski school (Freizeit) in Roohrmus, we contacted Britt in the Tritscher ski school who set us up with an instructor with adaptive qualifications (Oliver) in Planai. In fairness to Britt, she pointed us to Freizeit first but we wanted to be close to the rest of the group so decided to stay close to the Planai. As an FYI, Freizeit agreed to do lessons on the Planai but would take travel time out of our lessons.
Some things we learned:
- Ski School - We kept up regular contact with Britt and the ski school before arriving so they knew who we were and had us top of mind when assignment of instructors happened. Can’t speak highly enough of Britt and the team who answered the most mundane questions promptly over the past few months
- Sessions - Based on some discussion here and taking some input from @SaraJ (Thank you!), we went for 2hrs in the morning and 1 hr in the afternoon. In hindsight, Sara’s suggestion of 1.5 and 1.5 might have been a better option as the morning sessions were probably a fraction too long as the week went on. Next time we will also consider a free day or half day mid week to break things up. We couldn’t access the pool as suggested by @lager due to COVID so that might be a good break next time
- Boots - Get the ski shop to measure like you would at home and don’t rely on shoe size. I tried to book everything online in advance to speed things up but to be safe ended up doing the measuring thing any way. The buckles in Kids boots have more give than adults and were surprisingly snug which was a relief
- Timing of sessions - We started and finished before regular ski school. This allowed us to upload and download at quieter times and helped get settled for lunch more easily
- Ski Poles - Didn’t need them and ended up lugging them around for the first 2 days unnecessarily
- Mitts Vs Gloves - Mitts (Always!). Ended up buying them in resort after a couple of cold days and faffing with fingers.
- Treats - It helped to have some on the pockets to keep things moving along in the morning in particular
- Variety - The area by Hopsiland in Planai is great for progression and has various carpets, slides, bells and whistles and a blue slope next to it also. It helped to mix things up and kept the learning experience moving along all week. It’s a small trek to get to initially but worth it
Overall, the week was a tremendous success. We are planning another trip already! Thanks for your help Snowheads!
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@wsirhc,
Snowbility.co.uk at The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just read your report back, @Redial - so glad that all your preparation paid off. Good to hear how things went.
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Hello, looking to take my ASD son skiing next winter - any recommendations for excellent and inclusive ski schools? He has been skiing twice before in Austria. Looking anywhere really although ideally Austria or Italy and happy to take private lessons. I am wary of ESF after my childhood lessons but would consider... He has language difficulties as well, need someone fun too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Very interesting thread ... our now 15Y old who has been skiing since he was 4 was diagnosed with ASD / Asperger's / ADHD 3 years ago. All the symptoms were markedly exacerbated during the 1st lockdown but the diagnosis obviously "crystallised" our concerns and observations over a 2-3 year period. He is doing very well academically, loves tech and gaming and has a small social circle (he struggles with social and communication skills) BUT doesn't enjoy any team sports. He does absolutely love boxing, MTBing, skiing and wakeboarding though - all high-energy, adrenaline-fuelled sports. And he's very good at all of them (skiing, in particular).
We did go through the Esprit, New Generation, ESF cycle - this wasn't a particularly great experience as getting him out of our accommodation was a stressful experience, he didn't enjoy being part of a group of kids that he didn't know and was anxious about toilet breaks if he needed them (where, when, how etc).
Anyway, we somehow managed to navigate all of this stuff ... he has now developed into an excellent technical skier who loves on and off piste in equal measure. He even went to Jasper with school at Easter and had a very positive experience (I think he enjoyed being one of the best skiers in the whole travelling party which did wonders for his confidence).
And the confidence point is paramount in all of this and that's why he finds comfort in doing all the crazy stuff he does ... demonstrating an acquired skill and confidence to others (to show that he can really achieve stuff), breathing fresh air whilst the heart is pumping, sense of achievement etc.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi all, I've started a separate thread on autism training for ski instructors, and I'd be grateful if those of you with relevant experience would contribute please?
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| 2009kat wrote: |
| Hello, looking to take my ASD son skiing next winter - any recommendations for excellent and inclusive ski schools? He has been skiing twice before in Austria. Looking anywhere really although ideally Austria or Italy and happy to take private lessons. I am wary of ESF after my childhood lessons but would consider... He has language difficulties as well, need someone fun too. |
Hi I am on the spectrum myself and recommend any of the resorts in the country Andorra for Autistic skiers I especially recommend Arinsal as they have a English speaking ski school, adaptive instructors can be booked and the resort is generally not to busy and it is far cheaper than Austria or Italy which also don't normally speak English in my experience, hope this helps!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Crashtestdummy wrote: |
| 2009kat wrote: |
| Hello, looking to take my ASD son skiing next winter - any recommendations for excellent and inclusive ski schools? He has been skiing twice before in Austria. Looking anywhere really although ideally Austria or Italy and happy to take private lessons. I am wary of ESF after my childhood lessons but would consider... He has language difficulties as well, need someone fun too. |
Hi I am on the spectrum myself and recommend any of the resorts in the country Andorra for Autistic skiers I especially recommend Arinsal as they have a English speaking ski school, adaptive instructors can be booked and the resort is generally not to busy and it is far cheaper than Austria or Italy which also don't normally speak English in my experience, hope this helps! |
Every instructor in our Austrian ski school speaks English.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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The resort I went to in Austria had no English speaking instructors, I can't speak for other Austrian resorts, this is only my experience!
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FAQ
