After school & extracurriculars

How to ask any program about accommodations

Most of what your kid might love isn’t labeled “adaptive.” The regular soccer league, the church art class, the karate dojo down the road — a lot of them can work, and some of them are wonderful. You just have to make one phone call first, and the call has a script.

1. Call, don’t email

   You are not gathering information — you’re gathering tone. An email gives them time to compose a polished answer. A phone call tells you what they actually think.

2. Describe your child factually, not apologetically

   “My son is 9 and autistic. He communicates with a device, he needs movement breaks about every 20 minutes, and loud whistles are really hard for him. He loves being around other kids.” No apology, no sales pitch, no diagnosis debate — just the operating manual.

3. Ask the one question

   “What would inclusion look like here?” Then stop talking. Let the silence do its job.

4. Listen to the reaction — it is the answer

   A good program gets curious: “Tell me more about the movement breaks. Would it help if he had the same coach each week?” A bad fit gets defensive, goes vague (“we treat everyone the same!”), or immediately talks about liability. Neither is a fight you have to win — it’s just information, delivered fast and free.

5. Ask two follow-ups before you sign up

   “Can we come watch a session first?” and “Can I stay nearby the first few times?” Programs that say yes to both are usually the ones that work out.

Music

• In Harmony Music Therapy of Middle Tennessee (opens in a new tab) — board-certified music therapy for ages birth–21, plus adults and seniors. Nashville (West End). 615-390-3207.

Sports

• Advantage Sports & Special Olympics (opens in a new tab) (City of Murfreesboro Parks & Rec) — basketball, soccer, flag football, swimming, track and field, and adaptive fitness, for youth and adults. 615-907-2251.
• Miracle League of Murfreesboro (opens in a new tab) — adaptive baseball on a rubberized field with a volunteer buddy for every player, ages 4–53. Fall 2026 dates were listed as coming soon at last check.
• Kings Hammer Murfreesboro TOPSoccer (opens in a new tab) — free adaptive soccer with 12 certified coaches. Ages aren’t published; email bsmith@kingshammer.com to confirm the current age range and season.
• Nashville Dolphins (opens in a new tab) — free adaptive swim from Little Phins (ages 0–3) up to a competitive Special Olympics team for ages 8+. 615-866-9971.
• Beyond Aquatics (opens in a new tab) (Murfreesboro) — one-on-one swim instruction in a warm therapy pool, ages 3 months through adults. (615) 962-9500.

Dance

• MOVE Inclusive Dance (opens in a new tab) (Franklin) — small adaptive classes averaging about five students, with dance buddies alongside, including a class specifically for wheelchair users. Call (615) 582-4993 to confirm ages and openings.

Gymnastics

• Flip for Function (opens in a new tab) (Brentwood) — occupational-therapy-integrated adaptive and inclusive gymnastics from infancy through age 18. Published rates: one-on-one $240–375/month, groups $150/month. (615) 490-4110.
• KIDtastic at Harpeth Gymnastics (opens in a new tab) (Franklin) — OT-led adaptive classes. Published rates: $50/year registration, $32 per child for groups, $70–135 for privates. (615) 708-9584.

Art, theater & social

• Little Blue Theatre (opens in a new tab) (Nashville, serving Middle Tennessee) — inclusive theatre ensembles by age band: 0–6, 8–12, and 13–18. Every performance is sensory-friendly. 615-601-1871.
• All At The Table (opens in a new tab) (Murfreesboro) — therapeutic tabletop role-playing for ages 12–17, run by two licensed therapists. Nine-week closed groups, Tuesdays 5:30–7 PM during the school year. (615) 205-6506.
• We Rock the Spectrum (opens in a new tab) — sensory gym open play daily, built for all abilities, and a longtime host of village events. The cheapest “activity” on this page and often the easiest first yes.
• AbleVoices (opens in a new tab) (Brentwood; in-school, community & virtual) — a nonprofit that teaches photography to teens and adults with disabilities as self-expression and advocacy: sessions, a year-round photography club, public gallery exhibits of participants’ work, and prints sold through their online store. One of the few creative programs here that keeps going past 18. (615) 208-7013.

Camps & school breaks

• Camp Discovery (opens in a new tab) (Gainesboro, run by the TN Jaycee Foundation) — residential camp with age brackets from 4 to 64 and roughly one counselor per three campers. Six sessions ran June 7–July 24 in 2026; watch for next year’s dates. 615-504-1727.
• Camp Ability (opens in a new tab) (Special Kids, Murfreesboro, hosted at North Boulevard Church of Christ) — Christian day camp for ages 6–25, running June through July. The one that doesn’t require a drive. (615) 809-2632.
• Easterseals Tennessee (opens in a new tab) — day camp and resident camp for school-age campers (call for this year’s exact age bands), plus an Adult Recreational Camp for ages 17 and up. 615-292-6640.

Registration for the good camps opens earlier than feels reasonable — often in winter for summer. Put a reminder in your phone now;

After-school care

• YMCA Full Circle (opens in a new tab) — the YMCA’s special-needs and diverse-abilities programming, including after-school options and, for older kids, High School Hangout (ages 16–21) and an Adult Day Program (22+). Availability differs by branch — call to confirm what runs near Murfreesboro.
• We Rock the Spectrum (opens in a new tab) — call to confirm current after-school care and class offerings, which change by season.