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autism and exercise

Guest Post: Autism and Exercise

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Autism is a developmental disorder of the mind, but it has a profound impact on the body as well. Children with autism can have trouble with motor function, poor coordination, myoclonal jerks, abnormal gait and posture, and sometimes difficulty sitting, lying, crawling, or walking.

Autism is incredibly complex and still largely mysterious, and treatments can require a multitude of medical and behavioral interventions, from medications and educational therapies to behavioral therapies and communication therapies. But there’s another piece of the puzzle, one that can help not only with some of the physical symptoms but with behavioral problems and quality of life in general: exercise.

Why Exercise Matters in Autism

Physical activity is important for all children, regardless of their health, but it’s especially important for autistic kids. They have higher rates of obesity than other children, for one thing, and that puts them at risk for other health conditions, from diabetes to depression. And those illnesses will only further aggravate the underlying symptoms of the autism.

Physical fitness improves general motor functioning. Studies have shown that regular exercise can lead to improvements in balance, strength, agility, speed, endurance and flexibility. It also has been shown to significantly reduce negative, repetitive behaviors such as body rocking, head nodding, object tapping, and spinning. And exercise may have an effect in reducing self-injurious or aggressive behavior.

Finally, regular exercise gives autistic children some of the positive social interaction they find difficult to maintain in their daily lives. This is particularly true of children who are able to participate in team sports, but it’s also true of children who require solitude, as there still may be interaction with coaches or therapists. Above all, autistic children who exercise are able to build self esteem and self confidence that may help them manage their symptoms and communicate more easily.

Finding the Right Approach

So what’s the right exercise regimen for your autistic child? Well, that depends. It depends on your child; their symptoms and behaviors as well as strengths and deficits. Most of all, it depends on what your child enjoys!

Whether it’s team sports or one-on-one yoga, don’t rule anything out right away. Some sports, like hockey, may seem too dangerous or too involved or too social, but that doesn’t mean they are. There are hockey teams in the United States made up entirely of developmentally disabled children.

Combine Exercise, Academics and Social Skills

Whatever type of athletics you choose, do what you can to integrate it into your child’s academic and social skills studies. Follow your child’s exercise regimen or team sport with a study period, and follow that by a social skills period. Make sure the various teachers and therapists are in contact with each other. Integrating social, academic and physical activities will help minimize your child’s cognitive and sensory symptoms.

If your child is up for a team sport, either find one that has other developmentally disabled players or place him or her on a team with players a couple of years younger. A “shadow” can help bring your child onto the team socially and athletically.

Even if your child isn’t ready for a team sport, he or she can still learn some of the basics – making a goal, catching a ball, throwing into hoop. That way, if the time comes, he or she can join in a game after school or sign up for a team.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

resolutions or reboot

Resolutions or Reboot?

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When my son is in his room either playing, building or watching role playing games on his laptop, I will sometimes hear frustrated screams and banging against the keyboard from behind his door. Fearing the thought of having to purchase another laptop (yes – it’s happened!) coupled with not wanting my child to dwell in stressful emotions I will usually run in and see what is causing the outbursts. It’s always the same issue: the computer is lagging!

What is the first thing I ask him when this happens? “Did you reboot?”

99% of the time a simple reboot fixes the issue he’s experiencing.

That got me thinking… in what way is my life “lagging” right now? (oh let me count the ways!)

Do I really want another list of resolutions to meet? Truth be told, all my resolutions have been on a list throughout all of 2012; some even longer! Guess what? Many weren’t accomplished. Do I honestly think that the changing of a calendar is going to make these resolutions and goals magically manifest? Really?

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein

I don’t need “resolutions”. I know what I want to achieve. I know how I want to best support my son and daughter on their journeys. But we are all lagging right now. I propose a reboot.

How do you reboot yourself?

Here’s a funny one – The Universe already gave me a head start. I have this giant running “To Do” list that I carry around with me. Which is hilarious because I always think I can accomplish sever or eight days’ worth of tasks in four hours :) Anyway, aside from the usual day-to-day minutiae I had been taking the same several “big” items and transferring them from list to list for over a year. You know, those things that really need to happen but have no due date? The items that make me feel like I’ve been punched in the gut every time I see them still on my list? Those.

Well, my list is gone. I went to do my usual “transfer” and I can’t find this sacred list anywhere. Message received.

Here are some other things you can do to facilitate a reboot:

Change your routine. Is there a new food or eating style you can incorporate into your diet? What about one vegan meal a week? Eliminating dairy? Adding an exotic fruit or vegetable that you’ve never tried before? How about a new exercise? Try some yoga, take a walk, go to the park. You can listen to a new band on CD, try meditation, or even sit on the other side of the room! Any little change to shake up the hamster wheel feeling. I know how important routines and schedules are to children on the Spectrum,  but you can make a game out of it and let them help choose your new adventure.

Take a break from electronics and social media. It’s so important for us to unplug sometimes. We don’t realize it until we actually step away. How about getting out in nature, visiting a museum, or playing some old-school games? Jacks, hopscotch, I-Spy… I’ll bet you forgot how fun they can be.

Sleep it off. Rebooting can sometimes mean we need to oversleep. My Malamutes don’t let me sleep in, but there are occasional days (once every few months) where I just collapse into bed before my children. We are torn in so many different directions these days that sometimes we need to shut down and let our bodies and brains restore balance naturally.

Go for a full system upgrade. Why not? Maybe it’s time for a new career. Maybe you want to start your own business. Or get that new car you’ve had your eye on. What about a big move? Is there a new part of town you’ve thought about moving to? A new city? State? Even country? Nothing says reboot like moving and starting over. Just make sure you’re not moving to run away from your problems – they’ll follow you!

What about you? How can you reboot, leave the lagging behind, and get a fresh perspective on your life? I’d love to hear what’s going on with you – share by commenting below or posting to the SOA Facebook page!

You Hate My Autism!

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Some of you may have seen my recent “controversial” question I posted about a startling conversation I had with my son. I asked anyone who felt comfortable to share with me your thoughts and experiences surrounding the topic and I received an overwhelming response! Thank you to every single person who chose to chime in via Twitter, Facebook, or email. I am grateful for your unique perspectives and I’d like to share some of them here.

Here’s the original short post again:

I recently had an extensive evaluation done for my son with a cutting edge, holistic achievement center. The program offered is intense and lengthy but convinced me that my son would be able to reverse most of his balance/coordination/motor skills issues, digestive issues, academic imbalances and sensory challenges.

I asked my son later if this program sounded fun and exciting to him, and if he would like to start. He immediately blurted out, “You hate my Autism. You want my Autism to go away.”

Wow. Not what I expected from my 10 year-old. But I hear him loud and clear.

I am not trying to change who he is at all. I want only the best for him, and felt it my parental duty to merely CONSIDER whether or not a program that can help him open up to his abilities without much of the struggle would be in his best interest. If it worked, of course.

What do you think? I’m not looking for anyone to tell me what I should do, what I want to hear from you is how you feel about your OWN situation.

Would relieving some of the struggles = changing who your child is or who you are in your opinion? Does it mean you don’t accept them, or are you empowering them with new tools?

Is trying to help your Autistic child DENYING who he/she is?

With all of your permission, I’ve chosen some of the key points of some of your responses that I wanted to share.

Robert said:

“I think it’s a tough balance. When people ask me if I want to be ‘cured,’ I have to admit I have a hard time not taking offense. To me, it’s like asking me if I want to be cured of my skin color, Autism being so definitive a part of my identity as a whole person.

Still, are there things with which I know I need help? Of course, but I don’t want that help to come at a cost of who I am. I also don’t want those interventions to define so much of the time in my life that I feel I’m not allowed to be myself.”

You can find more about Robert at simplyrobert.wordpress.com where he occasionally blogs about Autism, but more often about his Autistic interests. (I think it’s a great resource! Love the post on productivity!)

Another Autistic adult reminded me that an important aspect to consider is where the Autistic person might be coming from.  My eyes were opened to some really great points that I absolutely had to share with you:

“We live in a world that is not only ‘not made for people like us,’ but openly hostile to our differences. We are told, ‘Stop rocking!  Stop flapping!  Stop talking to yourself!’ without any consideration of what purpose these activities serve.

When we are bullied or mistreated, WE are the ones sent to ‘social skills training’ so we can ‘learn how to fit in’, as if it’s our fault for being so different. But I want to illustrate the general environment we face, and my point is that it can cause us to see ANY attempt to help as yet another way of squelching the person inside.

There are also people who feel that their Autistic traits are very much part of who they are, and taking them away would also be taking away a piece of themselves, even if that ‘piece’ causes a lot of apparent heartache.”

This reader does various therapies for her children but is careful not to frame them as “helping with Autism,” rather something they do to help them succeed in life (much like going to school or learning their ABCs).

Brilliantly put.

One of my favorite social media friends and fellow bloggers shared:

“Where does my Autism end and where do I begin? This nasty little quandary works just as well when reversed as well. I say your son is brilliant because he’s too young to be so self-aware. I’m both impressed and saddened that he’s already dealing with this one.  He needs more time to mature before tackling such heady stuff.

I confess. I’ve struggled with this one myself. If offered a cure for my own issues, I don’t think I’d take it. I’m not sure how much of me would go with the ‘bad stuff’.  I like some of the stuff that I KNOW a cure would take away.

He has to come to terms with the fact that Autism doesn’t define him.”

That is a fine line that I think must be explored at a pace that is comfortable for each individual.

My close friend in the Fire Rescue Reserve that assists me when I teach my Autism CERT module sent me a heartfelt testimonial after seeing my post:

“For me, through my early teen years after I was diagnosed, I constantly tried to dismiss the fact I had Autism, I felt ashamed, scared, and angry with the fact. At that time in the world little was known to the general public and many doctors about Autism. This in turn made it harder for me to accept. My parents tried many things and none really worked in the end. I had been diagnosed so many times and been to so many doctors I was starting to shut the world out and just didn’t want to accept the fact that I had Autism.

Later on in my late teens and early twenties I found that support group that I had been missing. This group consisted of both friends my age and their families near me. Through the experiences we shared I grew little by little and eventually learned how to deal with my Autism in my own way. These experiences have molded me into who I am today. Today I am finishing my criminal Justice degree. I also am a volunteer with a large metro area fire department which has provided a further opportunity to expand my support group. Through volunteering here I now assist with teaching of the community emergency response team class. This in turn has helped me practice being around people and learning social cues and understanding my Autism. In a big way volunteering has helped reduce the pangs that come with having Autism.”

I always hear great gems of wisdom when I invite his perspective into my teachings.

A wonderful parent told me:

“When my son was diagnosed with PDD, initially, as his Mom and as a clinical social worker, I wanted to get him all the help and services I possibly could! I had heard how early intervention was SO important and he was only diagnosed at age 6. So, I made sure we got an IEP, got him into a friendship group at school and a social skills group privately. I also got him OT to help with the sensory integration issues. I have to admit, although this was helpful in the beginning, this packed our schedule and we all felt extremely overbooked and stressed!

…my perspective began to change. I started placing him in supportive activities that he enjoys and feels help him. We continued the social skills group, but let the OT go (after a year of treatment), and instead, he joined a non-competitive swim team. The swim team allows my son to feel included in a sport, he may never win a race, but that doesn’t matter, to me what matters is that he feels like one of the other boys, included! I have since looked for other ways he can “fit in” with other kids, instead of looking for services specific to his diagnosis.

…we have accepted that our son will be different, it’s who he is and I really don’t want to change that, but, like you I want the best for him and don’t want to see him struggle too much. The older he gets, he’ll be nine this summer, the more I have been letting go and allowing him to learn more for himself about what is helpful to him. I have begun trusting in his ability to know what is best for him, as I don’t have the same issues he has.”

What a great reminder. At 10, I forget that he is aware of what serves him. Not to mention that the children coming forth today really are so much more connected to their inner “GPS” of what they want and need than we ever were!

Another social media friend I admire wrote:

“Tough question. Complex answer. I understand your desire to ‘normalize’ your son as much as is possible. There are things you describe that have real effect on us and our ability to live happy and fulfilling lives. This much cannot be denied.

On the other hand, we are what we are. While my Autism has handed me some wonderful abilities, it has also granted me vast lacuna in other abilities.

Still. . . Autism is not something added to a normal person. Autism is not something removed from a normal person. Autism is a large set of differences between one group of persons and everyone else.

Autism is identity which runs deeper than a name. Autism is what I am, it is the base upon which I build me.

…here is the key: the real indicator here, the only valid indicator, is your son’s voicing of his opinion.

Thank you for that reinforced point. He would not have expressed an opinion if he didn’t feel it strongly!

Another mom shared:

“A parent’s job is to help our children flourish, to become the best that they can be! I totally get that. I too try my best to help my son in anyway I can, without extremes…

As far as helping him with his balance/coordination/motor skills, in the long run, that is definitely going to benefit him. He will be able to take part in more ways when it comes to playing, maybe get picked to play with other kids, so I can see where that would help him.

If it were my son, I would let him have a say in the decision. Ask him why he does or doesn’t want to participate, get his point of view, and take it into consideration. Since it is about him, and it is his Autism.”

WOW! What amazing responses!

All this being said, we chose not to participate in that program. I also chose to check my perspective and make sure that I am in complete acceptance and appreciation for who both my children are when I engage with them. At all times. It has made a difference.

Am I giving up on finding additional tools and resources for him? No. After all I am always looking for tools, supports and resources for my daughter AND myself! It’s a journey. As Abraham-Hicks says, “You never get there. You’re never done.” What I DID give up was the urgency that something must be done to “help.” The inner panic that somehow I am not doing all I can for him.

As soon as I made this shift, this wonderful organization showed up in my inbox. That’s a pretty big wink from The Universe, eh?

Regression or Progression?

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I recently did my mid-integration checklist and interview for Justin’s Listening Training. As he is getting ready for his next intensive, I wanted to share some amazing gains I observed – new behaviors that I attribute to his first round of EnListen® and additional supports from home, including:

  • Introduction of Chewelry to redirect chewing (I’ll be dedicating an entire blog post to this great product shortly!!)
  • Addition of digestive enzymes, probiotics, and Omega Fatty Acid oil to his diet
  • Increased yoga and fitness routines after school

Understand that every child is different and may or may not show the same gains or at the same rate, especially after only the first intensive. These are things that improved in my child:

  • He now understands and carries out multi-step instructions (e.g., “Put on your socks, brush your teeth, and meet me in the kitchen.”)
  • Bathroom experience: his body now signals that he has to go – no more accidents (thank you!); it is an easier experience – 15 minutes in the bathroom instead of 45!
  • He is aware of possible consequences before proprioceptive crashing – Justin will now run up to things and stop and think first about whether or not it might be a good idea. He redirects himself for the first time.
  • Empathy, remorse – he consciously apologizes after accidentally hurting someone and doesn’t repeat action!
  • Fine motor improvement – he is better able to dress himself; he even wore jeans for the first time and buttoned them with no assistance!
  • Initiating bedtime on his own – he’s getting tired earlier in the evenings, and bedtime is no longer a long and drawn out process (except when he’s being a typical kid!)
  • Aware of why he has certain behaviors – when asked why he is displaying a certain behavior he is able to provide a logical answer rather than tuning out or shrugging it off
  • Report card improvement
  • Little to no spinning – much less stimming (excluding the return of recent verbal outbursts)
  • Realizing where he is in space – there is much less holding the walls when walking and chair tipping when sitting
  • Coordination, balance improvement – squatting, skipping, hurdles and obstacle courses, jumping improvement
  • Tactile gains – introduction of new clothing materials that previously were not tolerated
  • Initiating affection – this is a biggie! He is equating more with people and less with things.
  • Showing more independent thought and less echolalia (and much less regurgitated TV speak!) when asked questions or engaged in a conversation

Less than desirable changes noticed:

  • Expressing more frustration – this is due to experiencing certain feelings for the first time. Listening Training has begun the process of allowing him to be receptive to and in touch with his emotions. Justin will need to now learn how process those appropriately.
  • More meltdowns
  • The return of noises, verbal outbursts and personal space issues
  • Less motivation to complete schoolwork

Although this may appear to be a regression in behavior, I realize that Justin is experiencing a reorganization of how he sees the world and processes information. It’s going to take time for these changes to be integrated into daily practice. I have to dig a little deeper. Some of these behaviors are not necessarily a regression, rather familiar ways of coping with new feelings and experiences.

He is also reflecting his new feelings of frustration through verbal stimming and needs to learn new and appropriate ways of expressing them.

The next intensive will continue to address sound sensitivity as well as introduce organizational skills and theory of mind.

It is easy to focus on the behaviors we don’t want from our child when we see them, and immediately assume things are headed south once again. I don’t know about you, but raising a child with Autism is a roller coaster ride full of gains and regressions. It’s part of the process and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Looking at this progress now on paper, he truly has made some incredible gains. It is imperative that the school and I continue to support him with reward systems, redirection, and behavior alternatives as he learns to integrate information in a new way.

Our Listening Training Experience So Far

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Listening Training? Huh? Is that some new form of obedience school for children?

No, silly! It’s an awesome auditory processing tool that I decided I wanted my son to experience.

From EnListen®:

Listening is the primary foundation for competency in speaking, reading, writing and social interaction. There is a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is the passive reception of sound, while listening is the active acknowledgment and organization of sound. Listening is the interpretation of sounds in the brain. Individuals with autism and other learning disabilities can have significant listening disabilities.

The process began with an extensive questionnaire and interview to assess Justin’s history, strengths and deficits, sensory issues, diet, behaviors, and more. From that and the desired skill set indicator (specific, measurable goals), a listening program was custom-engineered and shipped to us for his first intensive.

This intensive, two-hour sessions per day for fifteen days, consisted of low-frequency music files and narrated stories. He listened in special bone and air conduction headphones to sounds with different filtering, gating and delays sent separately to the right and left ear to wake up the brain and stimulate his vagus nerve.

Low frequency training addresses issues with basic body functions, including fine motor skills, toileting, balance, appetite, sleep, spinning, and the need to crash into things (sensory-seeking proprioceptive behavior). The vagus nerve connects the brain to the body’s major organs, delivering vital messages via the parasympathetic nervous system.

Our Experience with Listening Time

I thought it would take an Act of Congress to get my child to sit still and listen to ANYTHING for two hours. Knowing that he could engage in conversation, do homework, draw, or sleep during Listening Time helped my willingness to try it :)

He LOVED this time. Every day there was a new experience that he looked forward to; each session alternated between music and narrated stories. But this isn’t just “music therapy”, the files are engineered to delay and repeat in specific ways that wake up the brain and “rewire” neural pathways! By day two, he actually fell asleep during Listening Time. YES! (it works whether the child is awake or asleep)

It was made very clear to me that this is a long-term process, not a magic bullet or overnight solution to anything. Each intensive consists of roughly two weeks of Listening Time and a four-to-six week “integration” period before the next one.

The Noticeable Changes

Each child is different, and I was also prepared to see no real gains within the first intensive, which was to be expected. In fact, there was a strong possibility of seeing some regression, or behaviors getting worse before they got better. We had a mixed bag of experiences, all positive in regard to the big picture.

I first noticed Justin expressing frustration at small things quite a bit. He had a few more tantrums and meltdowns than I was prepared for. However, I was able to take a step back and realize that he was feeling things for the first time and had to learn how to react and respond to these new feelings. This was good!

He started falling asleep to Listening Time, and was relaxed and in bed by 9:30 several nights in a row! You don’t understand, this is a child that even with a Melatonin pill in his system would be-bop around like a whirling dervish until at least midnight. This was HUGE. It also meant we started consecutively making it to school on time for a change!

Other amazing observations include Justin being able to do his homework in his own handwriting and having an easier time in the bathroom; his typical 45-minute potty experience began taking 15 minutes or less. Wow.

It’s been a few weeks since his first intensive and he continues to show new behaviors that astound me. He recently looked at a bad grade in school and showed remorse that he did not complete the assignment. Given another chance, he was able to draw the conclusion that he could change his grade by completing it then and promptly did so. He apologizes when he unintentionally hurts me and is much less hyper. He is starting to think through responses rather than mimic phrases.

I know these things will continue to improve as I support him fully with other modalities and tools we already use, as well as clean up his diet (progress, not perfection!). I love being able to ease some of his struggles without attempting to change who he is.

The next intensive will address planning and organization, language, multi-step instructions, magnitude, expression, and more, so we’re VERY EXCITED about that!

I will be releasing a video and free report that goes into more detail about EnListen®… stay tuned as I share with you our journey with Listening Training!

And uh…thanks for listening.

Sorry… I had to :)

How Does Fitness Help My Child With Autism?

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I don’t know about you, but for the past four years I’ve been trying to get my child involved in an extra-curricular activity, achieving less than stellar results. At age four, even before an Autism diagnosis, I knew he had an extraordinary amount of energy to burn and his sister was in Karate. It made sense to me to get him started in the youngest group. I thought it would teach him focus and give him an outlet for some of that energy. HA! Nice try, Mom. He was kicked out in the first two minutes of his first class, and asked never to return even as a spectator for his older sis. OY!

Since then, we’ve tried some easy sports, Cub Scouts, even a cooking class (an energetic child on the Autism spectrum with sharp objects… what was I thinking?!?!). It all boils down to the same issues: lack of coordination, lack of focus, too much energy, inability to be patient and wait his turn, unable to understand what is expected of him, sensory overload, gross motor deficits, and just plain behavior issues sometimes.

I’ve always made allowances (and excuses) for why we can’t participate in the same things as some of his neurotypical friends do. But now he’s 8 and he still can’t ride a bike. We will be trying piano lessons (a natural gift for him), but that still doesn’t solve any of the above named issues.

You ask, “Don’t they get fitness in gym class?” Not really. In fact, many schools have even CUT physical education from their curriculum due to budget cuts and increased focus on test scores! And sports (as I’ve experienced) are really hard to participate in when you can’t master basic, foundational moves or stay on task long enough to understand what to do.

Using my background of Autism Research and Fitness along with the mentorship of Eric Chessen (Autism Fitness), I adapted and developed a fun and effective way to help my child’s long-term skills in fitness and movement. The right fitness movements have an amazing ripple effect on the whole family. Here are some things that have improved in my child already, and will continue to do so as I work with him further:

Self-esteem and confidence. He sees himself being successful at the movements and courses we set up and it makes him want to try new things. He knows it’s a safe place to not quite get it right.

Coordination. His balance and posture have improved greatly since we started. He used to actually lean to one side and not be able to even stand on one foot! Now look at him go!

Sensory issues. His favorite fitness moves offer a wonderful sensory break from an overload or meltdown. The best part? Most of them can be done in a small space using just his body weight!

Attending. He can now stay focused longer when asked to do something, including waiting his turn! He’s far from perfect, but my motto is progress not perfection.

Goal setting. He finally understands the process of being unable to complete something and how practice leads to the mastering of a skill. This is huge!

Independence. He now takes pride in setting up his own mini obstacle course for us to do together. He can even create one for his peers to try!

Overall health and fitness level. Face it, getting up and moving is good for the whole family, even if you can just do a little bit! Turn off the TV, hide the DSi, take the batteries out of the Wii remote, and go outside and PLAY :)

Contact me to find out how I can also help your child succeed using Fitness 4 Autism! It’s really fun for the entire family!