HUDSON SQUARE — The Children's Museum of the Arts is offering free classes on weekends this fall for youngsters with autism and physical disabilities, the museum recently announced.
CMA's Stripes workshops happen on Saturdays and are geared at kids on the autism spectrum, with one class for kids up to age 7 and another for ages 8 and up.
Each class is 75 minutes long and aims to nurture manual dexterity, social skills, communication and self-expression, as well as foster family relationships and create a community of families with similar experiences.
Classes involve art-making, as well as music, movement and yoga. There are two classes in October, one in November, two in December and one in January, all held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. More information is available online.
The museum's "Inclusive Sundays" classes are for children with physical disabilities and also come in two separate classes geared at the same age groups. Siblings and friends are welcome to join in.
There will be four classes for kids with physical disabilities, once a month from October through January, each taking place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. More information is available online.
Interested families can register for either course by emailing the class coordinator, Michelle Lopez.
The classes are led by trained teaching artists and occupational therapists and are meant to help children become more independent, learn communication skills and foster peer relationships.
Access to the museum is also free at all times to children with disabilities and their caregivers, thanks to CMA's Art for All initiative, launched in July 2015 with a two-year Museums of America grant awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Families who wish to take advantage of the program must register in advance online. When they arrive at the museum, they will receive a "welcome kit" at the front desk geared at helping their child enjoy the museum.
Children's Museum of Art, 103 Charlton St., 212-274-0986. Hours: Monday, noon to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, closed except for drop-in art classes for children ages five and under; Thursday and Friday, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
