It can be exhausting, emotionally draining and brutal. But that’s why Advocates for Special Needs Kids (ASK) exists in Jasper.

The support group consists of mostly parents or caregivers that meet every week at Community Outreach Services to network with each other about caring for children with special needs and planning workshops, camps and services for kids and families in Jasper – but, the small group feels they can help even more families in town.

“There are a lot of parents that don’t have the assistance, and to do this on your own is brutal – to find out the course that you have to plot, to the steps that you have to go through, to get your child the assistance he or she may need, it’s exhausting. But when you’re associated with the group, everyone shares their experiences and we can network a ton,” says Candice Davis, one of the ASK members.

The group does everything from co-ordinating respite care to giving parents a break to buying laptops or equipment for students in school to running dance camps, swimming programs and even therapeutic horse back riding.

Therapeutic horse back riding runs twice a year in the spring and summer. The spring session is always done with the help of The Range and Parks Canada horses, while the summer session is run by various local riding stables with gentle horses.

Horseback riding is a great way for the children to exercise, Davis explains, because the children learn co-ordination and balance as well as communication, as sometimes the children don’t speak at all.

“If you ever get the chance to look at it, to watch the kids, it’s remarkable. You take the children, little tiny children sometimes, and the horse knows... the horses are kind of amazing, because they move different for the different children. They just know to move differently for the different needs of the kids,” she says.

Connie Teisenhaussen, another member, says, many times, children aren’t diagnosed until they are older, and if parents see their children acting a little different, the group is a good place to start.

“A lot of people... realize that there are some issues with their children but are not really clear and they are not really sure of the avenues and the professionals or the resources that are available out there to help them get what they need,” Teisenhaussen says.

The group has a lot of programs set up, including parenting strategies and informative sessions. Some are very causal and some not, but the group, which has 15 active members, thinks there are more people in Jasper that would benefit from attending.

Because so many services are held in Edmonton, the more children in one age group in Jasper that have special needs, the easier it is to get those services in town, rather than drive to Edmonton. ASK members believe there are more people in town that don’t know the group is there for them.

The group also welcomes anyone who is interested or has experience working with children with special needs.

“There are quite possibly people that live in the community that come from other places that either have education with children with special needs, or have an interest or have had experience with children with special needs, and for certain, they always lend a certain amount of credibility and information assistance,” Teisenhaussen says.

The group meets every Monday at 9:00 a.m. at the Community Outreach Services building, and joining the group is free. For get more information about Advocates for Special Needs Kids, call 780-852-1123.