OFFICIAL PROGRAM PROVIDERS

​Official Program Providers of the Ernie Els #GameON Autism™ Golf programEls for Autism is proud to have Official Program Providers running the Ernie Els #GameON Autism™ Golf program around the world. Each program provider has completed hands-on instructional training specific to the curriculum and has access to remote support from the team at Els for Autism.
View the locations below to find an official program provider near you.

United States
United Kingdom
Canada
South Africa
Vietnam

Ernie Els #GameON AutismTM Golf
Official Program Provider Responsibilties
Els for Autism FoundationTM organization is proud to announce the official roll out of the Ernie Els #GameON Autism Golf program. We appreciate all you have done in providing us with a successful pilot of the program and would like for you to continue your partnership with us as an Official Program Provider of the Ernie Els #GameON Autism Golf program. Here are some responsibilities about becoming an Official Program Provider:

 
What the Official Program Provider is responsible for:
✓ Scheduling and marketing the 6-week program.
✓ Finding and setting up contact and maintaining a schedule with an organization that serves people with autism to access participants.

• ✓  Setting an affordable price to charge the participants for the classes. (€25 per 45-minute class)
• ✓  Training any new instructors and or volunteers on the curriculum.
• ✓  All costs associated with running the program is the responsibility of the Official Program Providers.

What Els for Autism TM staff is responsible for:
✓ Provide you with permission to designate your organization as an Official Program Provider of the Ernie Els #GameON Autism Golf program.
✓ Provide remote support and free access to on site seminars related to sports and fitness at The Els Center of Excellence TM campus.
✓ Provide marketing materials and logos for your organization to advertise the program at your location.
✓ Provide you with the most recent curriculum materials in digital format.

Els for Autism Foundation l 18370 Limestone Creek Road, Jupiter FL, 33458 l http://www.elsforautism.org


Volunteer Tips
What to expect when working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
All individuals with autism spectrum disorder are unique. They present varying degrees of challenges as well as a variety of strengths. The important thing is to be patient, understanding, and positive in your interactions. The ultimate goal is for the individual to have FUN!
Challenges you might see:

• Need for consistency and routine, structure, and clear expectations
• Difficulty with transitions (moving from one activity to another, arrival/departure to golf clinic)
• Communication challenges, both expressive and receptive, difficulty understanding idioms,
  sarcasm, jokes. Challenge understanding nonverbal communication (body language, facial
  expressions)
• Sensory needs: hypo or hyper sensitive to: sounds (planes flying above, loud clapping/cheering),
  temperature (may easily over heat), touch (may be tactile defensive), auditory processing speed
• Easily distracted: short attention span, hyperactivity, poor concentration due to visual and
  auditory distractions, or internal thoughts/self-talk.
• Self- stimulatory behaviors; repetitive body movements (hand flapping, rocking, etc.), repetitive
  vocalizations (repeating the same things over and over, babbling type repetitive sounds),
• Social challenges: inconsistent eye contact, non-responsive to name, unaware of personal
  space, difficulty with perspective taking and understanding emotions.
• Motivation: may need extrinsic motivators to participate and follow directions (could involve
  just praise, high five, etc.)
• Difficulty problem solving, planning ahead, understanding others’ actions, and impulse control.
• Lack of awareness for danger (may swing the golf club around) and may wander off (many love
  water and may be driven to run off. Special abilities you may see:

• May have hidden potential with activities involving pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and irregularities in data
• Ability to retain concrete concepts, rules, sequences, and patterns
• Strong visual skills
• Computer and technology skills
• Intense concentration or focus, especially on a preferred activity or area of interest
• Vast knowledge of specific areas of interests (e g. sports cars, planes, solar system, etc.)
• Provide a fresh & useful way of seeing the world

 
Tips for Working with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Support areas of weakness and maximize areas of strength

• Model: people with ASD are usually visual learners therefore SHOW instead of TELL. Use “my turn”....”your turn”.
• Grab their attention before giving an instruction. Get down at their eye level, show them the golf club, ball, etc. at eye level, then give the instruction coupled with gestures to increase understanding.
• Motivate by using special interests in your instruction. For example, if they child is fixated on Spiderman, use Spiderman as part of your instruction or game.
• Motivate by using high levels of praise. Celebrate even the smallest accomplishments.
• Provide time structure: organize your time together so the child knows the sequence of
  activities/stations over the course of the session
• If needed, use exaggerated facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice to support
  receptive understanding of your message/instruction
• Avoid asking questions to minimize the amount of verbal demands on the child.
• Allow for processing time by slowing down and waiting for a response. Remember, the child has
  to process what you said, organize their thoughts, think of the best response, and then execute
  the motor response. Be patient and use wait time.
• Remember that these individuals thrive on routines and repetitive behaviors because the
  expectations are clear and therefore, the fear of the unknown is eliminated.
• Allow for a short break, and then return to play/instruction.
• Give a “warning” before transitioning to another activity. For example : One more ball toss into
  the target and then we will move to the putting station.
• Use clear, concise instructions. Make sure to grab the individual’s attention before giving the
  direction.
• Redirect self-stimulatory behavior by engaging them in another activity. For example: You are at
  the putting station and the child begins flapping their arms. Ask them to hold the extra golf balls while you show them how to grip the golf club.
  Things to Avoid
• perfume
• velcro if person is sensitive to the sound or feel
• cellphones ringing (turn off or on vibrate)
• peanuts
• pictures or video to maintain confidentiality