If you are one of the thousands of autism parents looking for the most effective and beneficial services for your child, I am guessing that exercise doesn’t immediately come to mind. A quick Google search of autism services will bring up a myriad of Applied Behavior Analysis programs. There are also specialized therapeutic fields such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. All of which are amazing in their own ways and can help individuals with special needs become more independent and successful. But, exercise is rarely considered and it offers many of the same benefits that other therapies do. Over the past two decades there have been a number of studies conducted showing benefits ranging from reduced stereotypic and maladaptive behaviors, to improved social skills and over motor functioning. Exercise also provides physical health benefits that other therapies do not. But, for some reason this intervention is not supported by insurance companies, so it does not receive the same attention and credibility that these other therapies get. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended guidelines stating the MINIUM amount of physical activity for both adults and children. If children with special needs are not meeting these guideline in physical education at school, parents are left with the role of educating their children on exercise and the importance of physical activity. There are special education teachers, to support children with special needs learn, therapist to help improve communication, behavior therapist to help with maladaptive behaviors, but physical education is neglected. Adaptive Exercise offers specialized autism services to Worcester county. Our autism services in Worcester county include in-home personal training, group exercise classes, virtual training, and adaptive exercise videos.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention only 23.2% of adults meet the recommended guidelines for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening (1). These numbers are inflated within the autism population. There is a large void of qualified fitness professionals skilled in supporting people with special needs. Thankfully, more therapist, personal trainers, parents and paraprofessionals are turning towards learning how to teach exercise effectively. Adaptive Exercise was started in 2017 and when we began offering our Autism Services in Worcester County there were no other exercise services specialized for people with special needs in the area. Or if there were they certainly were not easy to find. In fact when beginning research, all we were able to find online were articles stating how beneficial exercise was for people with autism. So parents who were researching this niche, would see how beneficial it could be for their child, but had no access to fitness professionals skilled in working with people with special needs. Adaptive Exercise was formed to offer the autism families of Worcester County an appropriate personal trainer.
Our personal training looks a little different from a traditional personal training session you might see in a big box fitness center or at your local gym. Our approach to personal training is individualized for each and every client we serve, and backed by data to ensure success. Our personal trainers are certified, and skilled in working with people with special needs. Our autism services in Worcester county are offered in-home typically, although sessions are available at local fitness facilities as well. We offer sessions in-home, because many of the people we serve do not have a lengthy history of being physically active or participating in a structured exercise program. By offering services in-home, individuals can learn how to exercise in a familiar, safe and comfortable space. All exercise equipment is provided by Adaptive Exercise, and the equipment is probably not what you think of when you think exercise. We use equipment that is safe, functional and appropriate. Equipment like sand bells, sand bags, and resistance bands. Our trainers can teach a wide range of exercises using these tools, and ensure that both they and the client are in a safe environment.
What we focus on at Adaptive Exercise in our autism services to Worcester County is functional movement training. Movements that will not only benefit your child’s physical fitness, but help them in their activities of daily living. Movements such as bending and lifting, pushing, pulling, single-leg and rotational movements. Simply put, we train for how we move in life. This type of training promotes independence and improved gross motor functioning. How we teach our clients these functional movements is what makes our program Adaptive Exercise. This is done through our four levels of supports, visual, kinesthetic, physical and verbal. There are many different ways we can make adaptations to a client’s programing though each of these levels of supports. Visual supports could be the personal trainer modeling an exercise, a video of the exercise being performed, a picture schedule, a mirror, hand, foot or arrow markers, etc. Adding a visual support can make understanding how to perform an exercise more manageable. Kinesthetic supports provide the client with a concrete point to move to or along. For example, instructing a client to push their hands forward to a wall, or to lower themselves till their bottom touches a chair. These types of supports allow the trainer to set a concrete expectation and avoid going hands on. Physical supports are one of the most intrusive supports our trainers provide, but it may be necessary in order to ensure safe exercise form and teach the client how to perform a movement. Physical supports on when the trainer takes a hands on approach to guide, NOT FORCE a client to perform an exercise with proper form. These types of prompts can be done hierarchical so that they can be faded over time. Verbal supports are provided through what we call modified exercise instruction. This means less lengthy language, consisting of short utterances with only the most essential words. These short verbal mands when paired with our other supports can provide the clearest messaging to our clients. All of these supports may not be necessary for each client. Adaptive Exercise offers the most appropriate exercise autism services in Worcester County.