A life goal

Hobbies and community

Art, sports, music, faith, culture, fun. The things your loved one chooses to do because they want to. Hobbies and community are how people become themselves — and the system can fund the support that makes them possible.

Hobbies and community are where personality lives. They are the answer to the question “who is your loved one when they are not being a client of the system?” — and the system, when it is working, is supposed to make space for that answer.

What this can look like

  • A weekly art class at a community center.
  • Special Olympics Southern California practices and competitions.
  • A regular yoga, swimming, or fitness class at the YMCA or a community pool.
  • Volunteering at the San Diego Humane Society, a food bank, a library, a local theater.
  • Faith community participation — services, study groups, choirs, social events.
  • Cultural events at Balboa Park: museums, gardens, the Old Globe, the San Diego Zoo. Many have free or reduced admission days; some are always free for residents.
  • Supported college classes at MiraCosta, San Diego City College, Cuyamaca, or Grossmont.
  • Music — taking lessons, joining a community choir, playing in an inclusive band.

How the funding works

  • Supported Living Services (SLS) can fund a staff member to drive to and stay at an activity. The Individual Program Plan (IPP) needs to name “regular community participation” or specific hobbies as goals.
  • Regional Center direct services (RDI) day programs that emphasize community time can include hobbies as part of the daily schedule.
  • The Self-Determination Program (SDP) is the most flexible — you can budget directly for class fees, equipment, season tickets, and a community connector whose specific job is to help your loved one show up.
  • In some cases, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) hours can be used for the personal-care part of getting ready for an outing, freeing SLS time for the outing itself.

What participation costs

Hobbies cost money — a YMCA membership, art class supplies, a Padres ticket, a pottery wheel. Traditional Regional Center services do not pay for these costs cleanly; the SDP does. If hobbies are a meaningful part of your loved one’s life, ask your service coordinator at the San Diego Regional Center (SDRC) about an SDP orientation.

San Diego-specific opportunities

  • Free Tuesday at Balboa Park museums — most San Diego County residents qualify on rotating Tuesdays.
  • Special Olympics Southern California — San Diego County offers 12+ sports year-round, no fee.
  • Junior League and Best Buddies San Diego run inclusive arts and social programs.
  • The City of San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department runs adaptive sports, dance, and inclusion programs at multiple recreation centers.
  • Public libraries across the county host free book clubs, maker spaces, and tech classes that welcome adults of all abilities.

What to write in the IPP

“Participate in at least two regular community activities of [name]‘s choosing each week, with the support and transportation needed to attend.” A goal that specific can be funded. A vague “increase community participation” cannot.

What funds it

  • Regional Center Direct Services (RDI)

    Traditional Regional Center services — case management, assessments, and access to vendored providers under the Lanterman Act.

  • Self-Determination Program (SDP)

    Lets families control their Regional Center budget directly — choose providers, design services, and have real say in how funds are used.

  • Supported Living Services (SLS)

    Funds in-home support staff, life coaching, and the help needed to live in your own home as an adult with a developmental disability.

Common pitfalls

  • Letting "community" mean only the special-needs version of community. Disability-specific groups can be wonderful, but inclusion in mainstream community life is the bigger goal.
  • Picking hobbies based on what is convenient for the staff schedule rather than what your loved one cares about. The schedule should bend; the interest should not.
  • Forgetting that participation costs money. Class fees, equipment, season tickets — these are budget items, not afterthoughts. The Self-Determination Program (SDP) handles this far better than traditional Regional Center services do.
  • Treating hobbies as a luxury that gets cut first when funding gets tight. Hobbies are usually the thing that holds the rest of the support together.

By age

1821
This is the window to try lots of things. Sample a class, try a sport, go to a faith community, attend a Special Olympics practice. The point is not to pick one — the point is to figure out what your loved one actually likes when given the chance.
2235
Specialize. By this point, your loved one usually knows what they love. Build a weekly schedule that includes at least two community activities they chose. Ask the IPP team to fund the staff time and transportation.
Ages 55+
Familiar hobbies become anchors. Keep what works, add gentle new things, and be honest about what no longer fits. Senior centers, cultural centers, and faith communities in San Diego are usually generous about welcoming long-time attendees.

Ready?

Add this goal to your roadmap. Track it. Bring it to your IPP meeting.