The Effects of Exercise on Autistic Children
WHAT IS AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurobehavioral disability. It typically shows during childhood which ultimately causes impairments in social interaction, developmental language, and communication skills. Combined with these impairments, we see rigid, repetitive behavior. These children also have difficulties with learning which makes it difficult to engage in a classroom setting.
WHY IMPORTANT?
Since there is no exact known cause for ASD, there are no cures/ treatments. Educational and behavioral interventions have been designed to substantially improve these symptoms as well as their overall functional capacity. According to an article from Autism Speaks , as of 2018, approximately 1 in 59 is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The prevalence of ASD is currently rising, therefore, it is extremely important to look further into interventions that are ultimately effective. Children with ASD need interventions and accommodations to reach their full potential.
3 BEST EXERCISES FOR CHILDREN
There is no exercise program out there that of course will be successful if your child doesn’t like it. That’s why looking into activities that your child will enjoy and want to continue is very important. There are many forms of exercises out there, but which are the most beneficial?
JOGGING
Jogging has shown extremely beneficial results in improving academic engagement in children with ASD. Starting with a quick warm up of stretching and walking to get the blood pumping is an insightful idea. After this, get children to be involved in at least 10 minutes of jogging. Now I am not talking about running around a track for a solid 10 minutes. You want to make the jogging enjoyable to these children in order to keep them interested show success. Try setting cones up where children have to weave in and out or jump over them. Make it fun so that they will want to participate everyday!
JUMPING ON A TRAMPOLINE
Jogging has shown extremely beneficial results in improving academic engagement in children with ASD. Starting with a quick warm up of stretching and walking to get the blood pumping is an insightful idea. After this, get children to be involved in at least 10 minutes of jogging. Now I am not talking about running around a track for a solid 10 minutes. You want to make the jogging enjoyable to these children in order to keep them interested show success. Try setting cones up where children have to weave in and out or jump over them. Make it fun so that they will want to participate everyday!
Children with ASD typically are drawn to water in a way that is very appealing to them. This is why swimming is one of the most beneficial interventions. Swimming keeps them interested and makes it seem like it is “fun” rather than “exercising”. Start with a warm up of stretching while in the water. Then have them try to swim from one side of the pool to the next, making sure it is the width not the length. At the end make sure to give children with ASD some free time to explore the water, always while supervising. Swimming ultimately provides a unique form of therapy for children with ASD. It also provides a social outlet. It also helps speech improvements, coordination, self esteem, social skills, and cognitive processing.
JUMPING ON A TRAMPOLINE
Jumping on a trampoline is a way for children to effectively handle their stress and anxiety. The repetitive motion of jumping up and down is fun and interesting for children with ASD making them more motivated to participate. The continuous motion also helps relieve the build up of stress. In a study done by Neely, Rispoli, Gerow, and Nincitwo children that showed significant improvements in academic engagement when jumping on a trampoline for 10 minutes 2-3 days a week for 12 weeks.
Studies have shown that aside from just improving motor skills, physical movement interventions have improved social communication, attention, behavioral issues and performance on academic tasks. Exercises that incorporate the whole body like the ones stated above are the more successful when looking at the results of different studies. We also notice that these benefits lasted for many hours following physical movement. Exercise overall improves the quality of lives in children with ASD.
Studies have shown that aside from just improving motor skills, physical movement interventions have improved social communication, attention, behavioral issues and performance on academic tasks. Exercises that incorporate the whole body like the ones stated above are the more successful when looking at the results of different studies. We also notice that these benefits lasted for many hours following physical movement. Exercise overall improves the quality of lives in children with ASD.
USEFUL RESOURCES
CITATIONS
Neely, L., Rispoli, M., Gerow, S., Ninci, J. (2014) Effects of Antecedent Exercise on Academic Engagement and Stereotypy During Instruction. Behavior Modification. 39(1), 98-116
Kara Fluet
Westfield State University, Movement Science Major
Neely, L., Rispoli, M., Gerow, S., Ninci, J. (2014) Effects of Antecedent Exercise on Academic Engagement and Stereotypy During Instruction. Behavior Modification. 39(1), 98-116
Oriel, K., George, C., Peckus, R., Semon, A. (2011) The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Academic Engagement in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pediatric Physical Therapy,23(2), 187-193.
Kara Fluet
Westfield State University, Movement Science Major
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