Suraj’s Chess for Kids with Special Needs

Local teen Suraj will teach chess to your special needs child! Why chess for your kid?

Teaching chess to students has very little to do with the rules of the game. It is much more about their development. The key to teaching chess to someone with Autism is communication, creating a world so small that it becomes purely about the 64 squares in front of them. Clear rules and structure provide safety when they attempt this new game. They discover it is safe to talk about their plan of attack, how they will defend their king, and what they will be doing next with the person they are playing with.

Each session will build off of knowledge from the previous session. By signing your child up, you are committing to attending all sessions in March.

For ages 7-12. Register Here. A Zoom link will be sent out the morning of the program.

A Bit About Suraj: 

I am a junior at West Windsor Plainsboro High School South and an ardent chess lover. I have been playing chess since I was 10 years old. I have competed in several tournaments at both state and varsity levels organized by the US Chess Federation and have played with players with varied skills, ages, and abilities, including children, autistic kids, and adults. These tournaments helped me understand chess is a game with no age, ability, and deficiency boundaries. Chess is often called a mental gym that improves concentration, calms your mind, and improves critical thinking.

I am also involved in various voluntary and extracurricular activities, including ScioVirtual (a Science Olympiad tutoring program), peer tutoring, and currently publishing a podcast series about growth hormones. In my spare time, I love watching basketball, studying chemistry, and exercising!