As autism awareness has grown in this country and around the world. With this heightened awareness there are more therapeutic services available. Applied Behavior Analysis, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathology are just a few of the most popular forms of intervention. But, research suggests that exercise therapy can offer many of the same benefits these more traditional fields strive to achieve. Adaptive Exercise offers exercise autism therapy to the autism families of Worcester County in Massachusetts. At Adaptive Exercise, certified personal trainers specializing in working with individuals with special needs, deliver safe, fun and appropriate exercise sessions. These personal trainers are skilled in not only exercise instruction, but in how to support individuals with special needs.
What sets Adaptive Exercise apart from other exercise services available for people with autism and other special needs is our multi-level support system and training in Applied Behavior Analysis. Because adaptive physical education for this population is such a new field, we first looked to more established therapeutic fields of study. Founder, David Crowley came from a background in Speech Language Pathology so he knew that communication would serve an important role in the exercise training. This led to our first level of support, modified language. Our trainers used modified language, using shorter utterances with less language to simply and effectively deliver instructions. Some individuals may struggle with receptive language, or have auditory processing disorders. This can make complex verbal instructions difficult to follow, increasing the risk of injury. Our trainers use this modified language approach, paired with physical modeling of each exercise to provide the most clear instruction. This small, but meaningful adaptation to instruction helps us provide a more appropriate exercise autism therapy to the families we serve in Worcester County.
Speech Language Pathology had much to offer in our exercise autism therapy, but this was only one of the fields we borrowed from in the development of our training. Applied Behavior Analysis is perhaps the most popular form of therapy for people with autism, with the clinical research to support its effectiveness. David had a long history of working in ABA programs and used many of these teaching strategies to support his athletes. These strategies were particularly effective in terms of managing clients with maladaptive behavioral concerns. A typical personal trainer would be unlikely to work with a client who may have aggressive outburst towards them or someone who engages in self injurious behavior. However, coming from ABA programs, David knew what questions to ask through the interview process and which professionals to work with when taking on such clients. Collecting important documents like Individualized Education Plans and Behavior Support Plans, helped better prepare David and he was able to plan responses to these situations. This is another aspect that sets our exercise autism therapy apart from other personal trainers in Worcester County.
Applied Behavior Analysis teaching strategies, modified language and behavior management are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Adaptive Exercise autism therapy in Worcester County. We utilize a number of supports in our training as well. There are three different ways we can support our athletes, and every individual requires unique levels and types of supports. The first level of support is visual. Visual supports can be schedules, mirrors, video, hand, foot, spot, or arrow markers, or the trainer modeling an exercise. Because there are so many different types of visual supports, there is a lot of flexibility in terms of their use. Spot, arrow, hand and foot markers are great for providing athletes with real time feedback and instruction when performing an exercise. Mirrors can provide a similar real time feedback. Schedules are a great tool to help keep clients on task and learn routines. Physical modeling of exercises can be performed simultaneously, before or after a client engages in an exercise to provide a clear example. Physical supports are the second supportive strategy we implement in our exercise autism therapy in Worcester County. The trainer can provide clients with varying levels of physical prompting to correct form or teach new exercises. These prompts can be more or less intrusive over time for clients progressing or regressing. Equipment can also be used to provide physical support. A client who struggles to perform a squat may hold onto a chair or band to support their upper body through the movement. TRX bands may be used to help support the body through movements. Kinesthetic supports are the third level of support. This is done through the use of kinesthetic cues. These cues provide clients with tactile feedback to help them understand they are performing movements correctly. These cues can be delivered using objects, equipment or often the trainer themselves. An example would be a trainer holding their hands at the point they want the client to move their hands to. The trainer could then say “push to hands”. The clients then knows exactly where they should be moving to. An example of an object being used as a kinesthetic cue would be “bend knees, touch floor”. The client understands that they must bend and lower till their hands reach the floor.
Exercise is one of the most beneficial and life changing skill sets an individual can learn. It can increase independence, improve physical and mental health. Adaptive Exercise offers an appropriate exercise autism therapy solution to families in Worcester County. Through our specialized instruction and multileveled support system, our trainers can provide the highest level of personal training. There are specialists in many fields. They have doctors who specialize, teachers, and lawyers. Children with disabilities often receive Special Education to ensure they receive an appropriate education. Shouldn’t this population have access to appropriate means of fitness. Many big box gyms, health clubs and personal trainers are not suitable for all people with special needs. This needs to change and Adaptive Exercise is the solution. We hope to raise awareness of the need for exercise and to help everyone move better.