Becoming a parent is extremely rewarding, yet it adds a certain unknown for new parents. Thankfully, new parents of normal, healthy children have a plethora of resources and support to navigate life with a child as they figure things out as a family. Having a child with special needs adds a complexity that most parents do not understand. Worldwide, there is approximately one percent of the population that is on the autism spectrum and the support system for those parents, while available, is not as nearly as prevalent. That is where the Hastings family decided to make a difference.
Jeremy and Ashley Carl of Hastings had twin boys, Brayden and Brooks, in 2015. At 18 months old, Brayden was diagnosed with Autism and recently, Brooks with ADHD. Ashley recently visited the Hastings Area Rotary Club to talk about her boys and what her and her husband Jeremy went through regarding local resources for their family.
“I won't go long with the details about the struggles we've faced over the years, we'll be here until lunch,” Carl laughed. “However, I will briefly touch on why I founded ‘Ability 2 Believe’ (A2B). Brayden is mostly non-speaking with an array of sensory issues. I realized early on that it wasn't very easy to get servicing and programming for him in a timely manner. The services we did find for him required us to drive two round trips a day to Eden Prairie or Richfield for almost two years straight until we were finally up on a waiting list and were moved to a Woodbury location. So, then we only drove there once a week, but we were there five days a week for another two years. I also found there was a lack of programming offering one on one care. With Brayden being on the more severe side of the spectrum, I could never find any activity-based programs to take him to where he would be offered the type of care that was needed for him. The programs that were available had a long waiting list. Beyond that waiting list, a lot of these types of programs require the individual to follow along in a group, independently be able to communicate, express basic needs and they must be able to use the restroom on their own, all these things my son is not able to do. The lack of finding programs that met our needs drove me to want to help bridge that gap, and thus ‘Ability 2 Believe: the Brayden and Brooks Foundation’ was formed.”
The mission of A2B is to “Create a variety of fun and therapeutic experiences to encourage individuals with special needs to explore their community alongside their peers.”
The numbers support the need, explained Carl. “The number of students ages three to 21 served under IDEA in the United States increased from 6.4 million in 2012 to 7.5 million in 2023. This equates to an increase from 13 to 15 percent of all public-school students in the US having special needs or disability, with Minnesota being in the top third of the states in the US with a 17% or higher enrollment rate of students with a disability of special needs. These staggering numbers are what drive us to create programs as fast as possible.”
AB2 was founded in 2023 and within five months of their beginning, they had created an adaptive skill sports camp that brought elementary age children with special needs together. This helped those kids feel more confident and competent in their athletic and teamwork skills. They have also put together two scholarships, one for a senior with a documented disability and one with career aspirations in the education field. Those scholarships are expected to continue each school year.
They are also starting their first ever adaptive summer activity camp. This camp is intended to give caregivers the break they need, allowing them to a few hours each day where their child is in a safe, engaging camp filled with sensory activities, adaptive sports and social skills. The camp is held in partnership with Hastings Community Education who helps provide the space needed for the camps. The issue at hand is many of the spaces used for this kind of activity are in high demand for other activities as well.
“The space is really limited; they are smaller rooms, and we are constantly battling time and rental space of the gym spaces with the other community programs and sports that are going on. This causes us not always to have the ideal times or days that work for our families to attend our programs. With that said to expand our program to expand our programs in the way needed, our goal is, in the next two to three years, to have our own facility, allowing us to have more room and staff to provide these one-on-one programs and camps for all ages. Within our facility, we plan to have state of the art sport courts to use for adaptive sports programs first, then remaining times not booked will be rented out to the community and other clubs sports to help provide additional income to our facility. Providing employment to the special needs community is also a top priority at our facility. We want to offer jobs within the sports program, custodial work, and concession stands. We also plan to include a commercial kitchen where we can employ adults with special needs and many ways through food production, packaging and marketing. Beyond our program facility, we inspired to one day open a residential living facility that will be superior to any other currently offered,” added Carl.
To reach those goals, A2B has been fundraising through events such as a wine and beer tasting event held in February, a golf tournament held in June called Birdies for Abilities, and a Rally for Autism held in September at Dugarels. This year, the Rally for Autism will be on September 29 during the Vikings versus Packers game.
There is a plan in the works to also launch a capital campaign as well as applying for state and federal grants to help get the facility off the ground. Ideally, they hope to stay in Hastings because they know the need in the region is high for the services they plan to offer. The challenge is finding the right fit with enough space to build not only the activities and support facility, but to also build a housing facility on site at a later date.
The group has worked with the Vikings and Gophers to host a sports camp at US Bank stadium in partnership with Hope Fieldhouse in Rosemount. The event was well attended and well received.
The organization is looking to expand their executive committee to help the foundation grow. To learn more, visit www.ability2believe.org.