The rates of autism spectrum disorder have been on the rise since the 1980s. As a result of this there has been an increased effort in therapeutic feels targeted towards individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Some of the most common forms of autism therapy are applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy, speech language pathology and physical therapy. Personal training is usually left out as a form of autism therapy. However, exercise can have a wide range of benefits for people and it has been shown to have some benefits that are unique to individuals with autism. Adaptive Exercise was formed to provide an appropriate level of support for individuals with autism and other special needs. So that these individuals have access to these benefits.
Exercising regularly can improve strength and stamina. Strength and stamina are needed to complete many daily tasks. Getting out of bed in the morning, getting dressed, and going about your day all require a certain level of strength and stamina. While these tasks don’t require a tremendous amount of physical fitness, for some people with special needs these tasks aren’t so simple. By exercising regularly these individuals would be more prepared to independently, or maybe more independently complete these tasks. It is easy to take for granted the ability to perform these activities with little thought or effort, but we must be willing to step in someone else’s shoes. Impairments in gross motor function is among the most common deficits for people on the spectrum. These deficits can affect someone’s ability to go through their daily task of living. They may also limit their vocational and social progress as well. Many low or entry level positions require physical labor work. Exercise may better prepare these individuals to excel in jobs that require physical labor. Improving strength and stamina will also benefit children with special needs socially. They are more likely to be able to participate in sports programs, outdoor play and other recreational activities. Exercise should clearly be considered a form autism therapy for those who have significant impairments in strength and movement. But, what about individuals who are considered to be higher functioning and do not present these strength and movement difficulties?
Regular participation in exercise has been shown to have many benefits unique to people with autism. It has been shown to improve social skills, time on task, lower stereotypic repetitive behaviors, lower aggressive and self-injurious behaviors. This one mode of intervention has been shown to offer many of the same benefits that speech, physical, occupational and ABA therapy all address. This is another reason why exercise should be considered a form of autism therapy. Based on these benefits it seems that exercise can improve far more than just physical health and fitness, however exercise does improve these areas as well. Exercising could improve performance in school and impact their overall level of independence. Unfortunately because there are so few personal training services specializing in adaptive instruction for people with special needs, many people with special needs are sedentary. Being sedentary only further attributes to these impairments and effects individual in many areas of their lives.
Exercise has received a lot of attention recently for its mental health benefits. Exercise can improve self-esteem, confidence and overall happiness. Human beings have not evolved to be sedentary beings. In today’s world it can be very easy to fall into sedentary habits. Especially for many individuals with special needs. This may contribute to the high rates of depression and anxiety for many people with autism spectrum disorder. While it is easy for many parents to turn to medications to deal with this, exercise may be able to lessen these mental health troubles naturally. Regular exercise 2-3 days per week has been shown to be as effective for treating depression as anti-depressants. It has also been shown to reduce anxiety. Adderall and other stimulants are commonly prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorder who struggle with attention. Exercise has been shown to improve time on task. While exercise is not a replacement for any of these medications. Parents should consider it before jumping to conclusions and turning to prescription medications. Many of which have negative side effects.
Adaptive Exercise was form in 2017, to provide an appropriate means for autism families and families of individuals with special needs to access the benefits of exercise. David, the founder of Adaptive Exercise worked in special education sector for more than a decade. In this time he worked with individuals who required many different supports. Supports and specialized instructions to learn hygiene skills, independent living skills, social skills and academics. While he and many other specialists worked with students to improve these skills, many of these students were spending much of their leisure time and home time being sedentary. This clearly had a negative impact, but there were very few services that existed that were promoting physical activity. Adaptive Exercise was intended to not only teach exercises to people with special needs, but to promote a healthy active lifestyle. So that this long underserved population could be healthier, happier and more independent. Our exercise autism therapy, teaches individuals to exercise appropriately, safely and we do our best to make exercise fun. We believe that exercise should never be aversive, if we can create positive relationships with exercise, our client’s will be more likely to engage in it.
There are many reasons why individuals with autism spectrum disorder and individuals with other special needs should exercise. The wide range of benefits shows that exercise should be considered as a main stream form of autism therapy. This is much easier said than done. Even as more research is published documenting how beneficial it is for this population to exercise, and as more families realize the importance of exercise, there are very few personal trainers skilled in how to provide the appropriate level of support for these athletes. In the three years Adaptive Exercise has been in operation, many other similar companies have been formed. This shows that we are at the cusp of exercise being considered as a main mode of intervention.