Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch
Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch provides programs for people with cognitive and physical disabilities, and for military families. It is an inclusive and accessible camp and retreat/ conference center located on 120 acres, 15 miles southwest of Rochester. Many of its facilities are accessible, including activities such as zip line, horseback riding, and mini-golf. We serve over 15,000 people annually.
We provide a comprehensive range of transformational experiences for families who have a loved one living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through our Breaking Barriers Programs. Our autism programs offer a fun, family-focused environment with services designed around each child’s (and adult’s) unique needs. We provide ranch experiences (camps, day programs, and retreats) that expose them to new life skills by tapping into their favorite activities and interests to make experiences more fun, approachable, and accessible. One of the well-known traits of autism is that those who live with autism struggle with social interactions. By taking part in inclusive, hands-on, life experiences with their family at the ranch can help improve their communication, collaboration and teamwork skills. Inclusion is about offering the same activities to everyone, while providing support and services to accommodate people’s differences. Our goal is to be an organization that actively reaches out to families living with autism that provides a loving community where they can understand and appreciate their differences, while fostering a sense of belonging. We saw this as a great need in the community, and refocused much of program goals to reaching and supporting this population. Events and retreats are designed to connect families with one another and provide an accessible way for families to enjoy Ironwood. Parents need support from an understanding community who are facing the same challenges. Siblings need time with peers who are going through a shared experience. Children with autism need understanding and a safe environment to experience the freedom to be themselves. Each retreat emphasizes experiential learning, providing the space to work on social development and interaction, motor function and sensory integration. We also work with various advocates of the autism world and have them come and be a keynote speaker at many of our events. Such as Kate Swenson, a local Minnesotan, who has recently wrote a book called “Forever Boy” which has caught national attention due to its powerful message, which would be an incredible resource for others. A program we are looking to launch is Autism Sensitivity Training to local businesses and organizations, so as to provide support to companies hiring those living with autism.