Positive Activities – STRM Support

STRM Charity partnered with INDIROCK to create the Bouldering Club in April 2022.

This club is designed for kids and young people (aged 6-17) with SEND, and we provide weekly induction sessions tailored to their needs. Plus, we offer continued club sessions so they can keep climbing!

Bouldering is a fantastic and social sport that provides many physical and mental health benefits, especially for neurodivergent children and young people.

Neurodivergent children and young people tend to have similar social communication styles. They may find it easier to connect with and make friends with other neurodivergent children.

Providing social opportunities for our registered families relieves the pressure on neurodivergent children to conform to neurotypical behaviour. Often, children may hide their natural behaviour, like stimming, mask their true selves, or struggle with sensory overstimulation. The Bouldering Club offers a safe space for children, young people, and families to be themselves without fear of judgment or discrimination.

Research has shown that pretending to be someone you’re not to fit in can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Therefore, social opportunities play a crucial role in fostering friendships and social relationships for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

When families and communities embrace neurodiversity, it positively impacts neurodivergent children’s mental health, well-being, sense of self, and identity.

This connection benefits the development of their emotional regulation and executive function skills. Some of the ways these skills can present in children are:

• Struggling to control impulses

• Reacting emotionally

• Having difficulty identifying the right course of action and effectively solving problems.

‘Climbing works their muscles, but it also exercises their' Mind

Participating in Bouldering may help to boost your child’s self-esteem, improve social skills and promote physical fitness. It may also help your child improve their decision-making abilities, cognitive function and help them identify their unique strengths.

Because of the barriers faced by our children, both financially and those related to their disability, we want to ensure that our children can access the club regularly. To do this, we fund induction sessions so that our children are afforded additional time and support and that the safety rules are embedded, increasing the likelihood that they will return.