Silvia Haas is in Nebraska this week with a group of local kids who are participating in the Special Olympics USA National Games.

When she returns to town, the Waterford Lakes resident will get right back to making life a little bit better for the children and families of the special needs community.

After years of hosting the summer Shriver Camp locally through Special Olympics, Haas realized there was a greater need for the autism community, among them her 15-year old son, Matthew.

A grand vision has since materialized in her mind. Now if only the entire scene could unfold as planned. She has high hopes that one day her nonprofit organization, Orange County Athletics, will be fully operational to the point where it can better serve children with autism and other related disabilities.

What started out as servicing 19 families in March 2009 has since prospered into 65 families taking part in the organization’s summer camps, weekend events and Special Olympics training.

Yet there is still so much that can be offered.

“It is our goal to build a facility like the YMCA, but for the special needs community and their families,” said Haas.

Beyond that, she would like to see a residential facility come to life where people persevering through their disabilities can live, work and play in some capacity or another.

In the immediate future though, the goal is to find a temporary facility, within the next year or so, in order to operate before the bigger picture can better come into focus.

“I think about the families I work with and wonder ‘this can be their college’,“ she said of finding a permanent home.

But the reality is that locking down investors in this current economy, and finding ways to offset the startup cost, will hold up any big plans at this point.

“It takes a lot of money, a lot of manpower to make this work,” said Haas. “Right now the focus is on the three things we can offer the community.”

That means providing each kid “the opportunity to improve on the quality of life though a multi-disciplinary approach.”

– Summer Camps (through Aug. 13) – Orange County Athletics currently hosts its summer camps at YMCA-Eastbrooke in Winter Park. Children with autism and other related disabilities are paired with volunteer “counselors in training,” otherwise known as typical peers, as they participate in activities ranging from team sports, recreational games, swimming, music, dance, and arts and crafts.

– Saturday Events – Also referred to as C.L.I.M.B. (Community Leaders Initiating Meaningful Bonds), the program allows the counselors in training the opportunity to facilitate age-appropriate activities in a structured setting with school-aged children affected with disibilities. This program is offered once a month.

– Special Olympics Training – This registered training program is in place with Special Olympics Orange County, which prepared more than 60 athletes this year for the summer season. Orange County Athletics participates in year-round Special Olympics activities with sessions available throughout fall, winter and summer.

Jacob Johnston (left) and Colin Grossman enjoy a game of flag football.

Whether it’s seeing the improvements take place in her own son, or hearing the touching stories from the families that have benefited in some form or another, it’s clear that over time these activities have made an all-around impact.

“The parents get so excited when they see what we’re doing,” she said. “You see it in the looks on their faces when they pick their kids up. It’s a sense of security for them.”

Haas says that when in play, these children are given the chance to build the social skills they severely lack.

“We have seen a tremendous growth in social skills, communication, gross motor improvement and a sense of belonging in the community,” she said.

And evidently the kids are not the only ones benefiting.

“The volunteers learn respect, compassion and a sense of giving back to their community at a very young age.”

Haas can’t say enough about the group of people surrounding her efforts. From the adults on staff to those typical peers who act as counselors in training, she says they’ve proven to be “compassionate individuals” who put in long hours over the summer to help impact the lives of those they work with.

“I’ve been real fortunate to work with such a great set of colleagues,” said Haas. “They just love what we’re doing.”

Should their efforts eventually expand in the long run, there will be plenty of love to go around.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –