Beginning and sticking to an exercise program is very difficult for a lot people. It is even more difficult for people who do not have a lengthy history with exercise. This unfortunately Is the case for large portion of the autism population. Adaptive Exercise offers exercise autism therapy to teach people with autism and other developmental disabilities, how to safely yet effectively learn and master exercises. Prior experiences engaging in exercise are very important, but our programing is designed using added supports, to teach skills in different ways. Not everyone learns the same way, so our trainers need to be prepared to adapt to the needs of each client. Many clients may seem unmotivated to participate in an exercise program. Often it is their parents who choose to seek out a personal trainer. This means it is the personal trainer’s job to establish rapport and to motivate their clients to exercise. Building a positive relationship with exercise will help them adhere to the program and keep them engaged. Lack of motivation is just one of the challenges that can arise in exercise autism therapy. Other challenges such as difficulty transitioning, maladaptive behaviors, difficulty staying on task and low muscle tone are just a few obstacles that can make starting an exercise program difficult. Preparing for many of these challenges is what makes our training adaptive. It is our job to create an environment where these clients are most likely to be successful and progress through their fitness program. While these challenges may become apparent early in the personal training process, they should remain in the forefront of trainers minds throughout working with a client. Exercise autism therapy is not a linear process, clients with commonly progress and regress over the course of an exercise program. Trainers must be adaptable and willing to adjust the programming to provide the most appropriate instruction.
A few other challenges that can make beginning an exercise program more difficult for people with autism are sensory issues and gross motor deficiencies. Sensory difficulties can present themselves drastically differently from one client to another. For some this will not be of any concern, while others may require accommodations and changes to the environment. For many individuals with autism a traditional box gym may not be appropriate. This setting may be too crowded or loud. Traditional fitness centers are also filled with mirrors and bright florescent lights, which can be distracting. This is one of the reasons why we offer an in-home exercise service. It allows clients to learn how to exercise in a safe, familiar place.
Gross motor deficiencies are quite prevalent for a large percentage of individuals with autism. There are a number of reasons why these deficiencies are so prevalent. One of them being low muscle tone. For these individuals they may struggle to perform movements, because of a lack of strength. Regular participation in a resistance training program can improve strength, stability and muscle tone. This is why exercise can be considered a form of autism therapy.
The number one predictor of adherence to an exercise program is a prior history of engaging in an exercise program. While some of our clients may have experience with exercise, many people with autism, especially those who require significant supports, lack this lengthy history of exercise. While this presents another level of challenge for trainers. It means building positive relationships with exercise extremely important.
Beginning an exercise program for younger children with special needs is often a much different than it is for older individuals. However, by beginning an exercise program earlier in life, these children are more likely to develop healthy habits and are far more likely to participate in exercise later in life. There have been more structured fitness programs for youth created in recent years, however these may not be appropriate for all children with special needs. Some of these children need additional support to learn physical skills that make them proficient in their active play. If we as adaptive personal trainers intervene to teach these skills early, these children can improve their motor skills so that they can play with their neuro typical peers. Exercise autism therapy, can be thought of similarly to other therapies in this facet. Children who receive services earlier in their development may be more likely to keep up with their peers in terms of strength, stability and gross motor movement. Interestingly enough participating in exercise programs has been shown to increase the social skills of children with autism. While most parents are aware of other autism therapy options for improving social skills, such as social groups, speech therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis. Exercise is not often thought of as a means to improve social skills.
Adolescents and adults with autism may follow a more traditional exercise program. These programs should target multi joint, functional movements that can improve strength, coordination and gross motor function. Beginning a program like this may take time, and personal trainers can offer breaks, support and additional instruction to make their clients feel as comfortable as possible. Personal trainers should also be aware of the fact that overwhelming a client early in the training process may make exercise aversive. This is why personal trainers should make rapport the focus early in the training process and intermittently administer assessments or introduce new exercises. This can also be a great time to figure out what exercises or pieces of equipment your client gravitates towards.
Progression through a fitness program is not always a linear process, many clients will progress then regress, but we must work with them to try and make these progressions more frequent. Every time we support an athlete through an exercise session, it is a victory in itself. These small victories over the course of months and years translates clients who may have been sedentary to more active individuals. The gains in self-confidence, gross motor function, strength, stability, coordination, socialization, and overall independence make it all more beneficial.