How do we work to provide the best and most appropriate adaptive personal training for people with autism? There are number of different factors that go into our personal training. It starts with our focus, we are focused on providing a specialized service specifically for people with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. The strategies we use, such as ABA teaching strategies, and other added support’s help our clients learn and master exercises. We provide individualized programming for all of our clients, because each athlete presents their own strengths and challenges. We work to a establish a strong sense rapport with each and every client. While we aim progress each athlete through their fitness programs, we do this in a safe manner. Data tracking and video analysis provide us insight into each client’s performance, so that the appropriate adaptations can be made. All of these factors together make our adaptive personal training the appropriate and effective for people with autism.
Because we are focused on providing the highest standard of specialized personal training for people with autism, we have developed a standard practice for personal trainers to follow. This process takes into account other areas of autism therapy that have been proven to be effective in teaching people with autism. We are constantly looking at the most cutting edge research regarding the benefits, strategies, and need for exercise within the autism population. Review and analysis of our training is regular practice, to ensure that our methods are effective.
Applied behavioral analysis for ABA is one of the largest therapeutic fields for people with autism. We use many ABA teaching strategies throughout our training. The strategies are not only used to teach new exercises, but as an extension of other autism therapies. Because we understand that each individual presents their own challenges and strengths, we first look to obtain as much information as possible through the intake review process. During this process we learn what other types of supports each individual is receiving. Many of our clients received speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy or ABA therapy. By learning what these other professionals are working to address, we can collaboratively instill these goals within our personal training. Some children or adults present with maladaptive behavioral challenges, in such cases we can use ABA strategies to deal with these behaviors in the context of a personal training session. In other cases we may solely use ABA strategies to teach new skills.
Other added support’s, such as visual supports, kinesthetic cues, and modified language can help support athletes learn and master new skills to progress through their fitness programs. Through the intake interview process and assessment period we learn what strategies may be the most effective and appropriate for each individual. Not every individual needs all of these added supports. Our programming is completely individualized, but our trainers must be prepared to Provide the appropriate level of support for every athlete.
In the field of special education children and teens receive individualized education plans, so that they can receive the most appropriate level of education. At Adaptive Exercise we followed the same methodology, and develop a Personalized Exercise Plan for every client. The Personalized Exercise Plan is the cornerstone of our programming at Adaptive Exercise. It Is based off information obtained throughout the intake interview process, information collected by the personal trainer through the assessment period and through video analysis of the sessions. It consists of goals, that are specific and measurable, exercises, and other relevant information so I personal trainers can measure each individual’s performance over the course of their personal training. We strive to progress each athlete through their personal training program. This progression is not always linear, in some cases athletes will regress before they progress, but through video analysis, data collection, analysis and the use of our Personalized Exercise Plans we can adapt the programming to provide appropriate supports.
Rapport is an important factor in all personal training, but for a population that does not typically have a lengthy experience engaging in exercise it is critical. Early on in the training process our personal trainers provide an emphasis on establishing rapport with their clients. If we expect our clients to be motivated and perform at their highest level each personal training session, they must be motivated by the trainers. Once this level of rapport has been established, the personal trainers must work to uphold this strong level of rapport over the course of their personal training.
Exercise presents a number of risk, but by not engaging exercise they are a number of risk that come with a sedentary lifestyle. In order to mitigate the risk of exercise, we put an emphasis on safety. Everything from the exercise selection, rates of progression, equipment and setting are carefully selected with safety in mind. We choose exercises that are functional and the only benefit clients in the realm of fitness, but in their everyday lives. Our trainers provide appropriate levels of support to make sure the exercises are being performed good form integrity. The equipment selected is mostly sand based, to mitigate the risk of injury through improper use. The settings are cleared so that they are safe for exercise.
Data tracking in view analysis allow our trainers to monitor review each individual’s performance in their personal training. This continuous monitoring allows us to provide the most appropriate level of support for each athlete. It allows us to see cases of progression as well as regression. We can learn unsafe tendencies, and challenges that arise within sessions. All this information it Is critical for our personal trainers to be able to provide the highest standard of adaptive personal training.
All of these strategies together make Adaptive Exercise personal training appropriate for individuals across the autism spectrum. Our personal trainers are highly skilled and trained to work with people with autism. We understand how our athletes learn, how to best support them and that engaging in regular exercise will benefit them in other areas of their lives.