Cascade Family Skating Rink
Community partner and host site, providing an accessible and welcoming environment for programming.
Our mission
Movement builds connection
Autism Skates Atlanta advances educational equity, physical wellness, and social inclusion by using roller skating as an innovative platform for STEAM learning and whole-person development among autistic and neurodivergent youth.
2021Established August 3
2023Launched February 28 at Cascade
Established on August 3, 2021, and launched at Cascade Family Skating Rink on February 28, 2023, Autism Skates Atlanta transforms the skating rink into an engaging learning environment. Participants strengthen foundational skills in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics while developing confidence, self-esteem, teamwork, patience, goal-setting, communication, and personal responsibility.
A partnership in motion
The program works because trusted community partners bring the place, people, and leadership together.
Cascade Dream Team
Trained volunteers and experienced roller skaters who demonstrate skills, support instruction, and encourage participant engagement.
Eric Alston
Founder and lead trainer, directing the vision, curriculum, instruction, partnership development, and commitment to participant success.
Through public, corporate, philanthropic, and community investment, Autism Skates Atlanta seeks to expand access to inclusive recreation and high-quality enrichment, particularly for families and communities that have historically faced barriers to specialized programming.
Why this work matters now
In the CDC's 2022 sample across 16 ADDM Network communities, about 1 in 31 eight-year-old children was identified with autism. The finding reinforces the need for accessible, community-based programs that complement traditional education and support services.
Read the CDC autism prevalence reportAbout 1 in 31eight-year-old children in the CDC sample
Our vision
A model communities can carry forward
Our vision is to establish Autism Skates Atlanta as a nationally recognized model for inclusive, community-based learning, demonstrating how recreation, education, and trusted partnerships can work together to improve outcomes for autistic and neurodivergent youth.
We envision communities where every participant can access
- Physical fitness and healthy movement
- STEAM engagement and educational development
- Confidence, independence, and leadership
- Meaningful social interaction and teamwork
- Family and community connection
- Acceptance, belonging, and equitable participation
By building a measurable, replicable, and financially sustainable program, Autism Skates Atlanta will equip young people with skills that extend beyond the skating rink while helping schools, families, businesses, and community organizations create a more inclusive future.