AJ Baggett, 8, center, watches his father, Joe, with helper Karyn Sullivan, strike a yoga pose during a special-needs yoga class for children at the Yoga Pod in Boulder. (David R.Jennings, Broomfield Enterprise)
BOULDER Debbie Stone wanted to do everything she possibly could to help her son after he was diagnosed with autism, but the idea of shuffling him from one treatment to the next only some of which were covered by insurance was a nightmare.
If only one place offered all his treatments in one location, and if only the programs were low-cost or free, she thought.
In 2012, she decided to do something about it. Stone created the New York-based nonprofit Pop.Earth, which offers low-cost holistic services for children with autism and other developmental disorders.
The autism spectrum spans neurological disorders, from difficulty with social interactions to language delays to repetitive behaviors.
Cooper Baggett, 3, also pictured below, is helped by his mother, Amy, while following yoga instructor Chris Capitelli, who leads the Pop.Earth special-needs yoga class for children. (Photos by David R. Jennings, Broomfield Enterprise)
Pop.Earth recently opened its first of many planned branches across the nation. It now offers low-cost to free yoga classes at the Yoga Pod in Boulder.
The classes run on Saturdays and are open to kids with any disability or special need.
About 40 percent of children with autism or other developmental disorders receive alternative treatments, according to a study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not approved any medications to specifically treat autism.