MILE is a weekend residential program that opened its doors last year, 2008, to four students with developmental disabilities, ages 17+, in a pilot project that was very successful. The plan is to make the program available to as many young adults with developmental disabilities as we can support. This is not a vacation for the children or a respite weekend for parents. This requires serious work and a serious commitment on the part of both children and parents. However, the payoff is immeasurable. The follow up at home is key to the success of this program.

For more information please contact us at 310-297-9333 or email us at info@mychals.org.

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The bowling program is very popular with the children because they are all able to participate independently, however, there are even some that still require minor assistance. We use bumpers on a few of the lanes and for the children who require it we use a ball ramp, this ensures that all the children will succeed. Some of the children will be able, with continued practice, to bowl without the use of bumpers. However, for those who do not require bumpers, those lanes are readily available for them. Bowling is also an activity that the children are able to participate in with their local Special Olympics organization. Some of the children love bowling so much that they have their own bowling balls, bags and shoes allowing them to bring a whole new element to the program that makes it an even more special experience for them.

Some of the benefits to bowling are:

We offer a variety of sports programs like basketball, bowling, and karate. All of these programs provide unlimited benefits to the participants.

Every alternating Thursday, the children participate in a personal fitness program led by our physical trainer CJ Walsh. During this program, the children engage in an hour workout in which they run, stretch, and much more. Throughout the course of this program, CJ directs workouts to the needs of the children and provides them with activities that are challenging yet rewarding mentally and physically. To learn more about managing personal fitness with CJ Walsh visit his website Team CJ Fitness

Our program also participates in the Special Olympics under the sports of Basketball and Bowling. We take pride in the Special Olympic Athletic oath: "Let me win, but if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt." Those who participate in the teams enjoy the time with their friends and the competitive play that they engage in for both sports.

The independent living skills program will give the children the skills needed to achieve more independence. We have a variety of programs which we work on with the children on a monthly basis, which include:

When we first introduced the karate program one of our main goals was to give the children tools to use which would allow them to protect themselves. It has turned into much more and continues to grow. All the children enjoy the Karate program and there are many benefits:

The music and dance and movement programs are two of the favorite programs for children and staff. The Music and Dance and Movement programs work on developing a child’s self-awareness, confidence and social behavior. They observe a child’s behavior and interactions and assess communication, cognitive/academic, motor social/emotional as well as musical and dance skills.
Music and Dance and Movement provides opportunities to explore personal feelings and therapeutic issues such as:

 Gardening

The children enjoy the gardening program, though it is a small garden and planters, the children get dirty while beautifying our site. We also get to give back to St. Joseph's, who are such gracious hosts.