A healthy lifestyle is a challenging pursuit for everyone. Increasingly, our society is becoming more sedentary, with obesity rates climbing higher than ever before, for both children and adults.1-2 According to the CDC, children on the autism spectrum face even higher rates of obesity, but with a different set of obstacles.3 Generally, obstacles like work, school, social life, the difficulty of maintaining a healthy diet, or simply not being able to find the time to exercise inhibit our ability to engage in physical fitness. However, autism presents its own set of challenges with regards to physical fitness. Unfortunately, parents and providers often focus mainly on the amelioration of the child’s symptoms, causing physical fitness to take a backseat to what are perceived as more immediate needs. Similar to other autism treatments, exercise can be conducted under the guise of playing, with children becoming naturally more physically fit as they engage in their favorite physical activities. This article will discuss the research that points to the benefits of exercise for children on the spectrum, ways to implement an exercise program with exercises designed for children with ASD in mind, and how to get your child more physically active now before it is too late to escape the clutches of a sedentary lifestyle.
The Importance of Exercise
Exercise benefits both the body and the mind, which may help explain why it has been utilized to help individuals on the spectrum. In their latest report, the National Professional Development Center qualified “exercise” as an evidence-based practice for treating autism spectrum disorders.4 Evidence-based practices are considered the “gold standard” of treatments because they are backed by rigorous, well-conducted research. They define exercise as a treatment “that involves an increase in physical exertion as a means of reducing problem behaviors or increasing inappropriate behavior while increasing physical fitness and motor skills.”5 Furthermore, the treatment is effective for children preschool- to middle school-age (3-14 years) and effectively addresses behavior, school-readiness, academic, and motor skills.5 Exercise is important because not only does the absence of it lead to weight gain, which can cause an entirely separate set of physical and social health problems, but it is also known to be a great treatment for depression and can improve sleep.6 This is especially important for individuals with autism who have an increased likelihood for both sleep difficulties and depression. 7-8 Research has shown that exercise has the potential to benefit your child in many ways, and it is relatively inexpensive when compared to other autism treatments.
Like many autism treatments, parent participation is encouraged, and, in this case, parents can reap the benefits of treatments as well. Children on the autism may face unique physical challenges that may cause traditional exercise to be out of the question. Obstacles like motor skill deficits/poor muscle tone, poor nutrition/GI issues, sleep problems, and the adverse effects of medication have led to higher obesity rates on average for adolescents with autism compared to all adolescents with developmental disabilities.3,9-10 Furthermore, social deficits may make it difficult for children to engage in traditional physical activities and, although it is becoming more common, children on the spectrum rarely participate in school-related sports activities.10 Fortunately, according to Eric Chessen, founder of Autism Fitness, it is through exercise that children on the spectrum can achieve the developmental objectives that are the overarching goals of many autism treatments, including:
Self-Esteem
Self-Efficacy
Independence
Socialization
Oftentimes, children on the spectrum who discover their passion come out of their shell and are more cognizant of the world around them. Countless articles in our Human Interest News section detail the transformation parents witness in the above areas after their child is accepted on to the football team or excels in another arena of sport. When you think about it, the above benefits extend to everybody who practices physical fitness.
Implementation of Exercise
Now that we have determined exercise as an important component of a treatment plan for individuals on the spectrum, it is time to explore how to implement an effective exercise routine for individuals on the spectrum. You may consider an at-home routine or a specialized recreation or exercise program with professionals. Before beginning an exercise program it is important to consider what you want to get out of it and what activities the participants enjoy.11 If your child has an interest in a specific sport or activity, then try to incorporate it into your initial workouts for motivation and for fun. For those seeking outside help, it can be beneficial to follow this checklist that helps you to evaluate the staff, the instruction, and exercise strategies. Individuals who wish to implement a parent-led (at least initially) exercise program may want to brush up on some of the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. Introducing new activities and instilling motivation can be challenging for those working with individuals with autism. Eric Chessen recommends the strategy of pairing exercise with known reinforcing activities.12 For example, a child who participates in a 30-minute exercise session can be rewarded with 30 minutes of video game time. Ideally, over time, you will substitute another exercise as the reinforcer. For example, a child who has a proclivity for bouncing the big stability ball will be rewarded with the opportunity to do so after they engage in hurdles (a non-preferred activity).12 It is also important to communicate using “behavior-specific verbal praise,” which would detail the specific action you wish to praise, as oppose to simply stating “Good job!” For example, express your excitement with detailed statements like “Way to keep your feet up high to jump over that hurdle!” 12 Complications resulting from physical or cognitive deficits may require you to guide your child through the exercise to help them to familiarize with it. The goal for every exercise program is for the child to have the ability and the motivation to engage in exercise program independently. Readers of this exercise program summary will be introduced to 8 simple autism-related exercises that require little in the way of equipment.
Final Pieces of Advice
In an article titled “3 Tools for Training the Autistic Client (That can be Used With Any Client),” Eric Chessen has three pieces of advice that every parent should take into account while implementing their exercise program:14
Can’t vs. Won’t: Clearly, if your child can’t physically do something then there is no point in forcing the issue. It can benefit a child who won’t perform a task if they see it demonstrated by you. Also, be sure that you modify all your exercises to your child’s ability and skill level. It does no good for your child to initially attempt to jump over a hurdle that he could more easily limbo under.
Don’t Force Them: Your child isn’t going to willingly participate in an activity they see as a chore. Try and make the exercise fun by providing a reinforcer.
Start Slow and Build: In addition to making an activity enjoyable, you must make it suitable for the child participating. Understand your child’s abilities, create a reasonable foundation or baseline for their abilities, and set meaningful and attainable goals with achievement rewards.
Conclusion
While we all know that everybody on the autism spectrum is a unique individual, they can all benefit from an increase in physical activity. Generally, treatments don’t fit a one-size fit all approach, and exercise programs will clearly vary by strength and ability, but the positive effects resulting from these activities are universal. Keep in mind that exercise is only to be used as supplemental treatment along with your child’s typical treatment schedule. For children on the spectrum, exercise can mean so much more than just being healthy. It can open doors to social experiences that were thought to be locked forever. Although not discussed in detail above, exercising is also a great way to bond with your child, while achieving fitness goals of your own. Not only will you benefit from the experience physically, you create a stronger emotional bond with your child and serve as a good role model. Interested parties should complete this one-question Interactive Autism Network Community Exercise Poll to help researchers better understand the disorder. Below are a number of other exercise and autism-related resources:
Resources:
Autism Fitness: Eric Chessen’s website is dedicated to helping individuals on the autism spectrum explore physical fitness. Users can sign up for consulting, find seminars, learn about the importance of exercise, and find links to different sports equipment.
Exercise Connection: This organization teaches the importance of exercise with tools ranging from at-home DVDs to in-person seminars explaining how special education teachers, therapists, and paraprofessionals can incorporate physical fitness into their treatment programs.
Breaking Muscle: This article, written by guest author Eric Chessen, details three tools for training individuals on the spectrum that any person can utilize.
Top 8 Exercises for Autism Fitness: This breakdown of proven exercises designed specifically for increasing the fitness level for individuals on the spectrum is a great resource for parents looking to initiate an exercise routine.
AutismBeacon.com: In this interview with BCBAs Linda Meyer and Jess Jacobs, readers will learn the basics regarding implementing an exercise program for adults on the spectrum.
References:
1. “Adult Obesity Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). September 9, 2014. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/o...data/adult.html.
2. “Childhood Obesity Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). December 11, 2014. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/h...esity/facts.htm.
3. Phillips KL, Schieve LA, Visser S, Boulet S, Sharma AJ, Kogan M, Boyle CA, Yeargin-Allsopp M. Prevalence and impact of unhealthy weight in a national sample of US adolescents with autism and other learning and behavioral disabilities. Maternal and Child Health Journal. February 2014. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/n...thy-weight.html.
4. Wong, C., Odom, S. L., Hume, K., Cox, A. W., Brock, M. E., Plavnick, J. B., Schultz, T. R., Fettig, A., & Kucharczyk, S. (2012). Evidence-based practices update: Reviewer training. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Autism Evidence-Based Practice Review Group.doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2351-z. Accessed February 12, 2015.
5. Cox, A. W. (2013). Exercise (ECE) fact sheet. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders. http://autismpdc.fpg...e_factsheet.pdf. Accessed February 12, 2015.
6. Edelson, Stephen M. “Physical Exercise and Autism.” Autism Research Institute. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://www.autism.co...eating_exercise.
7. Ghaziuddin, Mohammad, Neera Ghaziuddin, and John Greden. “Depression in Persons with Autism: Implications for Research and Clinical Care.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 32, no. 4 (August 2002): 299-306. http://deepblue.lib....icle_374852.pdf.
8. Rudacille, Deborah. “The Big Sleep.” Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). September 2, 2011. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://sfari.org/new...1/the-big-sleep.
9. “CDC Study Find High Rate of Obesity among Teens with Autism.” Autism Speaks, Inc. March 10, 2014. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://www.autismspe...ng-teens-autism.
10. Rudy, Lisa Jo. “A Winning Match: Fitness and Autism.” Autism After 16. December 9, 2011. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://www.autismaft...ess-and-autism/.
11. Celiberti, David. “Everything You Wanted to Know about Fitness Training for Adults with Autism.” AutismBeacon.com. June 12, 2013. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://autismbeacon....sm#.VN0USPnF-QN.
12. Chessen, Eric. “Top 8 Exercise for Autism Fitness.” Autism Fitness. 2009. Accessed February 12, 2015. https://autisticson....ism-fitness.pdf.
13. “What is ABA Therapy?” Applied Behavioral Strategies. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://www.appliedbe...ics-of-aba.html.
14. Chessen, Eric. “3 Tools for Training the Autistic Client (That can be Used with Any Client).” Breaking Muscle. 2014. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://breakingmuscl...with-any-client.