Beyond Boundaries: Physical Fitness And The Autism Population

Beyond Boundaries Physical Fitness and the Autism Population

What is Fitness? Fitness

is the ability to successfully engage in a variety of activities and challenges in daily life and athletic pursuits. Through fitness we can develop a joy of movement and a greater awareness of our own bodies Physical activity aids in the prevention of numerous diseases and imbalances

Movement Deficits and Autism - Provost (2007), McDuffie (2007), Milne (2006), Rinehart (2006), and VernazzaMartin (2005) all reported gross motor deficits in children with autism when compared with neurotypical peers - Gross motor deficits become muscular imbalances, inhibiting and distorting posture, gait, and the ability to engage in dynamic activities - - Just because a child CAN perform a movement does not mean they are performing it CORRECTLY

Common deficits in ASD Odd/imbalanced Low

gait

tone Weak/inhibited posterior chain Trunk stability Hip flexibility Poor tolerance of extended periods of activity

The Benefits of (good) Fitness Programs Development

of movement patterns and kinesthetic awareness Can (over time) aid in the correction of muscular imbalances and weaknesses Instills a lifestyle conducive to optimal performance in a variety of situations Self-efficacy, Self-determination,

Able and Engaged!

The Special Needs Athlete Focus

on “BIG” gross motor movements 5 basic categories of movement: Pushing Pulling Rotation Level change Locomotion

Designing a program Select

exercises that fulfill all 5 movements Begin with the simplest exercises and progress in complexity as they are mastered Be creative and fun. There is not just one exercise for each movement goal; there are many, many options

Pulling in one of its many variations

Motivation and Reinforcement Pairing

exercise with known reinforcers is the KEY to a successful and long-term program Behavior-specific praise results in mastery occurring sooner Exercise programs should be introduced gradually at the physical and cognitive pace of the athlete A balance should exist between mastered targets that are used in the program and current teaching targets

Teaching new movements Physical

prompts are often necessary, but should be faded as quickly as possible to facilitate independent mastery Verbal cues/prompts should be minimal, ideally the Sd, for example, “Do a jumping jack” should be the only verbal exchange (apart from verbal praise)  Imitation/mirroring is the ultimate prompt. Imitation requires visual focus, concept formation, and

The Essentials  Fitness

is not about being good at a sport, it benefits all aspects of life from general health to cognitive functioning to social reciprocity  General movements must ALWAYS be developed before focusing on sport-specific skills  Fitness programs should focus on 5 basic movement patterns and address individual deficits and skills  Fitness programs should be developed with specific goals in mind  Exercise programs should incorporate principles of positive reinforcement and behavior-specific praise  It is not about AN exercise, it is about eliciting the movement pattern  If you are teaching exercise, you should be doing some yourself as well.

The Beginning “Fitness builds futures”