Adaptive exercise is Massachusetts first in-home personal training company for people with autism. The cornerstone tool used in our autism therapy exercise training is the personalized exercise plan. A personalized exercise plan is it collection of goals developed by our trainers and families, to offer an individualized exercise experience for each child. This plan is unique down to the exercises selected, the equipment used, the level of intensity in the target goals for each client. This tool is used throughout the training process by our personal trainers to ensure your child’s success.
Our personal trainers write each goal every personalized exercise plan using specific language. By using specific language we can clearly display what the expectation, criteria and ultimate goal is in each objective. Without specific language collecting meaningful data can be a great challenge. Because we know exactly what we’re looking for when writing each objective collecting data that is meaningful throughout the exercise process it Is easier in our personal training sessions. An example of one of our goals written using specific language is “Brian will complete one set of 10 overhead press, displaying proper form, with no added resistance, by the next plan review on (date).” This goal clearly displays what exercise the client will be mastering, the amount of reps, the number of sets, the criteria and when it should be achieved by. Now when the personal trainer reviews the data on the date of the next plan review he can clearly see if the client has met or not met this objective. The trainer can also quickly look at data after each session to see if the client is moving closer or not making progress towards this goal.
Each goal in the personalized exercise plan is not only written using specific language, but is also time bound. A goal that is written to be time bound has many benefits. One, that families are on same page as the personal trainer and know what and when their child is working towards. Another benefit is that our personal trainers can definitively determine client has reached or not reach their goal. The trainer can also see if they’re progressing towards achieving this goal or if they need to adapt programming so the child can better reach a goal. Each child progresses at their own unique pace, our goal in autism therapy, as professionals it Is to be able to prove they are progressing and benefiting. Without proof we are just making subjective claims of our benefit.
Creating realistic objectives for each client Is important if you want them to reach their goals. Creating realistic goals or objectives begins with the assessment. The initial series of informal and formal assessments determine your child’s current levels the fitness performance. Information stating what exercises your child can currently perform with proper form. Information that states what exercises your child can’t currently perform, as well as other measures of fitness, such as, balance and endurance. Autism therapy exercise training involves using this information gathered through the assessment period to create goals that challenge the client, benefit the client and are achievable by a specific date. An example of an unachievable, unrealistic goal would be, a child who has not shown the capability of performing a squat with proper form, having the goal be to complete 10 squats with the proper form by the next two month evaluation. This goal maybe achievable in the grand scheme of their training, but due to the timebound nature of our goals this would be unrealistic. Example of a realistic goal would be, a client who can perform a chest press, with the proper form, to be able to complete a set of 10 chest press with the proper form by the next two month evaluation. This goal is realistic because the child has already shown the capacity to perform the exercise with proper form, so is it within reason to think with training and practice they could complete the set of 10 by the next two month evaluation.
Creating goals that you specific language, are time bound, and realistic are great, but it is important that they also be relevant for that client. In order for our exercise training to be considered autism therapy, the training must be beneficial to any of the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. That means that the goals must be beneficial to that specific client. For child with low muscle tone, a relevant goal area might be to increase their muscle tone through resistance training. For a child who is overweight, a relevant goal area would be to learn a routine that could contribute to weight loss. It really comes down to the needs of the individual and how the personal trainer can realistically help them achieve these goals. There’re many factors to consider when creating goals that are relevant for the individual. Things like current fitness level, level of independence, age, and gender. The exercise goals an 11-year-old boy who is overweight, may look significantly different from the goals for a 20-year-old girl with low muscle tone.
Our approach to writing goals means nothing, if the goals for measurable. Autism therapy such as speech therapy, and applied behavior analysis are so effective because they’re backed by data. A goal that is not measurable is impossible to tell if a child is progressing towards achieving that goal or regressing. Our personalized exercise plans consist of carefully selected exercises that our personal trainers can easily track meaningful data on. This keeps our trainers objectively in the know of your child’s performance.
Exercise training for people in the spectrum, is a unique branch of autism therapy, that can benefit your child’s physical and mental health. Through our use of the personalized exercise plan, we aim to offer the highest standard of adapted personal training for people with autism. The PEP process is similar to the IEP process, that has been successfully executed by schools for many years. It is important to remember that this is a team process, and that the input received by parents as well as other practitioners, can help make the most beneficial PEP for your child.