Autism therapy is defined as any treatment intended to relieve or heal symptoms of the autism spectrum disorder. Exercise training is autism therapy because engaging in regular exercise has been proven to improve motor movements, coordination, and may relieve maladaptive behaviors some individuals with autism spectrum disorder. These are issues that affect a large number of people with the autism spectrum disorder. This form of autism therapy is not widely available and does not have as much research behind it at some of the traditional autism therapy. However, in recent years a number of studies have been published documenting the wide range of benefits for people with autism who exercise regularly. There’ve also been a number of personal trainers we have begun to specialize in working with people with autism. Adaptive Exercise is Worcester County’s first in-home personal training company targeted towards people with autism.
Many people with autism struggle with motor planning. There’re many factors for this, one being low muscle tone. Children with low muscle tone should engage in regular exercise to help increase their musculature. This can be done through resistance training. Resistance training is one of the focuses of Adaptive Exercise personal training. The focus of our resistance training is on functional movement training. This means we’re teaching movements that will not only benefit your child’s level of fitness, but will impact them in their activities of daily living. Movements such as pushing, pulling, single leg movements, rotational movements, as well as bending and lifting. Addressing each of these movements can increase muscle tone as well as correct motor planning. One of the biggest factors in children with autism having low muscle tone, is that these children do not get as much physical activity as their peers. This is a vicious cycle that children are not engaging as much activity because of ailments like must low muscle tone. But, by not engaging in as much physical activity they are further contributing to the problem. Our in-home personal training teaches children how to perform these exercise movements that they can carry into their play, and in their activities of daily living.
Poor motor planning is another symptom commonly associated with many people on the autism spectrum. Because our focus is on functional movement training, we are teaching children how to perform the movements they’re using in their everyday lives correctly and safely. This is done through repetition of motor movements. Our trainers used physical prompting, kinesthetic cueing, along with other supports so that your child can perform these movements accurately. The strategies implemented throughout the course of the child’s personal training program, can lead to better movement patterns. Movement patterns that are not only safe, but reduce the amount of bad stress being placed upon the body. A child who displays poor motor movements, maybe causing bad stress upon the body, specifically joints, muscles and ligaments. Overtime these bad movements performed repeatedly become the norm and affect the child negatively. This same phenomenon apply to good movements can help alleviate this bad stress.
A child who struggles with poor motor planning, low muscle tone or coordination may struggle to learn new physical skills. Physical skills then maybe taught in physical education or gym class, or in vocational training. Poor motor planning may also cause children to avoid activities that they struggle in. This can be especially harmful when this activity is physically active play. Many children form friendships improve their social skills naturally on the playground and at recess. So a child who is avoiding this setting maybe missing opportunities to learn these types of social skills and build these types of friendships. This is another reason why hour adaptive personal training can be viewed as autism therapy. A child who learns to correct these motor planning issues is better prepared and may be more self-confident to engage in activities on the playground, in gym class, or in sports. This in turn can provide them with more opportunities to improve their social skills and form friendships more naturally. It can also help better prepare these students so that they do not fall behind their peers.
Low muscle tone can affect many children with autism in the same way. A child who has low muscle tone may avoid engaging in sports or playing on the playground. By preparing these children physically early in their development, they’re more suited to engage in these type activities later in life. This is not even taking into account the many health benefits, both mental and physical, that come along with regular exercise. Helping children who struggle with low muscle tone can also improve their self-confidence. Confidence that can carry over into their educational and personal development as well.
Having low muscle tone is a double edge sword, because usually we tend to avoid things that we struggle with, and this avoidance further exacerbates the problem. In the case of physical activity this can lead to a number of health ailments. Ailments such as becoming overweight, obese, or developing other disorders such as type II diabetes. This may be one reason why children with autism have higher rates of being overweight, developing type II diabetes, and becoming obese. Children who are effected by these health conditions are more likely to have these conditions later in life. All of these conditions can be directly reduced through regular exercise and physical activity. Because of the prevalence of these type of conditions associated with people with autism, exercise personal training should be and mainstream autism therapy available.
For many autism families finding the most beneficial therapeutic options to support their children is a priority. But, this unfortunately does not typically mean exercise personal training. I believe the main reason for this, is that most families are not aware of this type of therapy, or may not have access to it all. Adaptive Exercise hopes to change this for the autism families in Worcester County, Massachusetts. Our hope is to educate, build awareness, if Offer the highest standard of specialized personal training for people with autism.