Parents strive to find the best services for their children. Autism parents are no different, they are always on the hunt for the newest, most effective and most beneficial services. In the past this meant speech therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis, occupational therapy and physical therapy. But nowadays there are even more options available. Autism exercise therapy is one of the newest forms of intervention and it offers many of the same benefits as more traditional therapeutic options and many that other therapies don’t. Gross and fine motor deficiencies are common symptomology for people with autism. Physical and occupational therapy are great, but not all individuals with autism receive these services. And for the individuals who do qualify for these types of services, they may not be enough. The rates of autism have been on the rise so we need as many types of intervention as possible to help this growing population.
There are many misconceptions revolving around exercise and fitness. These misconceptions are one of the reasons why more people don’t put an emphasis on physical fitness. It can be seen as a vein approach to looking thin or muscular. But in reality, exercise is something that everyone should be partaking in. So much so that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has minimum exercise recommendations for both children and adults. Human beings are not meant to be sedentary beings, we need to move to stay healthy. So why would individuals with autism not need to exercise? The answer is that they do need to exercise too. Unfortunately, unlike the rest of the neuro-typical population there are not as many options available that are appropriate for supporting them.
Adaptive Exercise offers the highest standards of autism exercise therapy. Our company was formed to offer an appropriate outlet for autism families to find personal trainers skilled in working with people with special needs. Traditional personal trainers may not be prepared to approach their training in a different manner. Our autism exercise training utilizes a number of Applied Behavior Analysis teaching strategies, along with modified language, visual supports, and kinesthetic cues to support our athletes through their fitness programs. We understand that everyone with autism in their own individual with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. All of our programming is individualized to accommodate for this. No matter the individual’s ability level, we work with them to be successful in their program. This success may look very different from one client to another, but through data collection and analysis we can prove it.
Gross and fine motor deficiencies are very common amongst people with autism, but this isn’t the only reason why autism exercise therapy is a need. Exercise has been linked to decreases in maladaptive behavior, decreases in aggressive behavior, self-injurious, and repetitive self-stimulatory behavior, as well as increased time on task. Autism exercise therapy has also been shown to boost self-confidence and this isn’t even including the number of physical benefits associated with exercising. This information means that autism exercise therapy is actually resulting in many of the same benefits that more traditional, common interventions are working towards.
Exercise is a great intervention to improve overall independence. Chores, hygiene skills, and activities of daily living require movement. By participating in exercise these individuals can build strength and coordination to be able to complete these tasks independently. Try putting yourself in the shoes of someone with special needs who struggles with gross and fine motor movements. The simplest of tasks could be very challenging, so by building up strength through exercise these tasks might just be a little more manageable. An individual’s level of independence often depends on their ability to be able to work. By building up strength and movement skills through exercise, people with special needs are expanding the types of jobs available to them. Many entry level, low wage jobs require physical labor or at least proficient movers. These jobs may be more accessible to people with special needs through the intervention of regular exercise.
Still not convinced that exercise is needed for the autism population? Social skills are one of the biggest areas of need for people with autism. This has lead to the rise of social skills groups as a popular form of intervention. Exercise has actually been shown to improve social skills of individuals with autism. Not group exercise, just regular participation in an exercise program. However Adaptive Exercise not only offers 1 to 1 personal training, but group exercise classes as well. Our group exercise classes use the same supports to get all participants involved and actively participating in our exercise routines. This is a great environment for peers to interact, learn and have fun together.
While physical and mental health benefits are extremely important, having fun is important too. Today children, teens and adults are spending more time on screens than ever before. This is resulting in people being more sedentary. Unfortunately, this phenomenon has been magnified within the autism population. It is far too easy to use iPads, TVs and video games as leisure activities. Especially for people with more severe special needs. Rather than finding productive or active leisure activities they are spending most of their time sedentary on screens. This only further puts them behind their neurotypical peers in terms of social and motor development. Fortunately, exercise can be used to replace some of these more sedentary forms of leisure. It certainly is not an easy transition, but exercise can be made fun. Rather than play the blame game, and blame parents or teachers we can put our efforts toward finding a solution. Exercise is beneficial for everyone, but now we know that it can be even more beneficial for people with autism. Whatever your reason for wanting your child with special needs to exercise, Adaptive Exercise is here to offer our help. Through our virtual training, exercise videos, 1 on 1 and group training we want to get people with autism moving and exercising not only appropriately, but effectively as well.