By PAMELA A. GIBBS
Special to The Post-Star

Updated: Monday, June 29, 2009 9:41 AM EDT

GLENS FALLS -- To the casual observer, the children playing in Crandall Park Sunday were typical youngsters on an outing with their parents.

A barbecue grill sent the smell of summer around the area as kids in baseball caps found trees to climb and hot dogs to eat. Parents poured soft drinks, handed out napkins and kept a sharp eye on the adventurous ones who wandered a bit too far afield.

Only the red-and-white signs announcing Upstate NY Autism Awareness’ baseball league gave any indication that an extra-special event was taking place.

Sunday was trophy and award day for 23 local children, ages 5 to 14, who participated in the first baseball league season offered by the nonprofit organization.

"This was a rewarding program for our son, Alex, and his brother, Patrick," said Joann Daniels of Stillwater. "The boys got to learn the principles of baseball in a setting without pressure. They wouldn’t have had this experience otherwise."

Nearly 150 local families are members of Upstate NY Autism Awareness, an organization started in February 2008 with the simple premise that parents and children struggling with autism spectrum disorder would benefit from the chance to play and learn together.

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized as a neurological condition that affects speech and motor skill in a wide range of degrees, from very mild to severe. National statistics indicate that one out of 150 children has the condition to some degree, with boys being four times more susceptible than girls.

Kristin Howarth of Queensbury, one of the co-founders of the group, has twin 5-year-old boys who are both speech-delayed.

"Even before kids are born, parents dream of watching them play organized sports or having fun at summer camp," said Howarth, as she observed the picnic underway. "The fundamentals they learned from our baseball league may make it possible for some of the kids to play in regular town leagues."

Heather Walters of Queensbury, also a co-founder of the organization, added that making things possible for kids with autism was the group’s mission.

"So many windows start closing as you realize your child is affected," said Walters, whose 7-year-old daughter Hannah can’t speak. "What we want is to start opening those widows back up."

Walters said the growth of the organization in just 18 months has been remarkable. There are now monthly "fun" events for the kids along with meetings for parents to discuss issues they face, such as guardianship.

"We took the kids to Dunham’s Bay for swimming and Willard Mountain for tubing in the winter," Walters said. "It’s been amazing. We were just moms when we started this, and in May, we had our Walk to Make a Difference, which raised over $19,000."

The group’s efforts on the local level combined Sunday with those of legislators, as Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, and a representative from the office of Assemblyman Tony Jordan, R-Jackson, attended the picnic and discussed their support for legislation (S2366A/A6001) that would require private insurance companies to offer coverage for applied behavior analysis for children with autism under the age of 21.

Bill Richmond of Kingsbury said some changes in insurance would be welcome as he and wife Tracy raise their two sons, both of whom have the disorder.

"One thing that isn’t covered is horseback riding therapy," said Richmond. "Kids with autism often have low tone muscle strength. When you ride a horse, your upper body is straight, and your legs really have to grip. Riding a horse also draws the kids out verbally, to tell the horse what to do."

He added that having his sons Noah 6, and Billy, 8, participate in the baseball program, which has been beneficial for the whole family.

"It’s an environment where every kid is encouraged, no matter what," Richmond said. "If your child has a meltdown, no one looks at you like, ‘What’s the matter with your kid?’ And every kid loves to have the memory of being on a team."