Exercise autism therapy provides a wide range of benefits for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. While the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis does not include any criteria pertaining to motor function, a large percentage of individuals on the spectrum struggle with gross and fine motor functioning deficiencies. Exercise autism therapy can directly improve their motor functioning over time. Autism is a spectrum disorder, so individuals can present with a wide range of abilities. Some people may have limited or no issues pertaining to motor functioning, while others may have severe deficiencies. For those individuals whose motor functioning is impacted, the deficiencies usually present themselves early on in their development. Without intervention these challenges will persist and impact these individuals in different areas of their lives. Human beings are active creatures, we use gross and fine motor movements in our learning, vocation, social situations, and in our play. So a person who struggles with their movement, is at risk of falling behind their peers developmentally. Exercise is indended to improve specific skills, strength or movements. For this reason personal trainers who work with individuals on the autism spectrum are providing a form of autism therapy. Because the intervention of exercise will improve strength, independence and/or motor functioning. These improvements can help people with autism in a number of settings and with a variety of skills.
Proficient movers are the most equipped to be able to do a variety of vocational skills. It is not often that people think of exercise as a means to prepare themselves for the workforce. By participating in regular exercise, individuals become stronger, more efficient movers. These skills can help people in jobs that involve manual labor and other types of work. Individuals with autism who have more severe needs stand to be the ones who may benefit the most from exercise autism therapy. These individuals often receive a number of supports to prepare them for work, including vocational job training and job coaches. An exercise program that focuses on functional movement training, indirectly helps with many of the same skills. Functional movements are involved in many vocational tasks. Often times individuals who require significant supports are seeking low wage positions or entry level positions. Jobs in food preparation, dishwashing, landscaping, janitorial work, and other types of manual labor may be accessible for these individuals. With exercise autism therapy, this population of people may be able to obtain these types of jobs or may become more proficient in their work. Exercise has also been shown to improve fine motor skills. These skills may be able to help individuals with autism who do not need significant supports in their vocational work.
People with autism, may also benefit in school from participating in an exercise program. Students are asked to type, write, carry book bags, walk to classes, participate in gym class, and play at recess. All these activities have one thing in common, they require movement. Sure many of these things sound simple enough, but for some people with autism these tasks may not come as easily. Exercise autism therapy can help better prepare these individuals to be able to manage these tasks. We are all required to go through physical education in school, but gym class is not enough for many children and teens with autism to improve their gross motor functioning or to even reach the recommended levels of physical activity each day. Regular participation in an exercise program can help further improve gross motor functioning, improve self-confidence, and even helps in the development of social skills. It may also provide them with skills to participate in sports, social outings and active play. All of which can offer children more time with their peers, to continue the development of their social skills.
ADLs or activities of daily living are tasks that people perform in their everyday lives. Things like brushing your teeth, taking a shower, carrying out the trash, putting on your shoes, etc. It is easy to take the ability to perform these seemingly simple tasks for granted. Individuals who fall on the more severe end of the spectrum often need intense adapted instructions to be able to learn these tasks. Many Applied Behavior Analysis programs focus on teaching these types of skills in the school and in-home settings. Exercise can help in the development of these ADL skills. Adaptive Exercise focuses on functional movement training, many of activities of daily living require functional movements. The five areas of functional movements are bend and lifts, rotational, pushing, pulling and single leg movements. Putting on your shoes requires single leg movements and bending. Putting on and carrying a backpack requires pulling. Opening doors requires pushing or pulling. These movements are not isolated skills, and exercise can help improve these skills to make accomplishing activities of daily living easier. House hold chores, hygiene routines, leisure skills all require some level of movement, so by exercising we are better prepared for this movement.
While not all individuals with autism have impaired fine and/or gross motor movements, a high percentage of the population does. Individuals across the spectrum can benefit from engaging regularly in an exercise program. This may be most beneficial for those with the more significant impairments. However, this does not mean higher functioning individuals will not benefit as well. Exercise is beneficial for nearly everyone, but there are additional advantages for people with autism. Exercise has been shown to improve self-confidence, social skills, time on task, cognitive functioning and fine/gross motor functioning. Exercise is far more than just a means to lose weight or to get buff. It helps prepare individuals for everyday tasks. It allows us to move throughout our lives easier and to use our bodies efficiently. Human beings are not sedentary creatures, we are active. As a personal trainer, I work to help prepare and equipped individuals with the strength, and skills to be as independent in their physically active lives as possible. As an adaptive personal trainer for individuals with autism, it is my responsibility to find effective ways to benefit the autism population in the same way.