Do you notice that many individuals with autism and related neurodivergencies have difficulty with certain movement patterns and exercises?
They may look blocky, clunky, or inhibited.
In Autism Fitness programming, we use the most effective exercises to develop strength, stability, and motor planning, BUT…
Exercise performance matters just as much as the exercise selection.
Read that again.🙄
It’s not just filling in a session with “great exercises,” but understanding that first; not all exercises are equivalent and, second, the performance of the exercise will dictate how effective it is. By “effective,” we’re referring to its end result enhancing a skill, namely strength, stability, motor planning, power, speed, or endurance.
Given that motor control deficits are common challenges for the autism population, when running fitness or adapted physical education programs we’re likely to identify points at which movement patterns break down and/or compensatory movement occurs. While these independent instances are unlikely to result in acute injury, it does set a continuous pattern. Over time, this may lead to movement dysfunction and inhibition. While these are technical terms, they have real implications.
Over time and into adult years, patterns of movement dysfunction and motor control (often lack of strength) can affect individuals with ASD. They may avoid physical activity and tasks of daily living. We often see this pattern occur in inactive geriatric populations; movement is difficult and uncomfortable, so the individual begins to move less.
In the therapeutic world of autism, we often encounter the terms “low tone” or “poor trunk/core stability.” While there are certainly ways to observe and diagnose these issues, the question of how to strengthen, stabilize, and increase motor functioning, particularly for teens and adults with autism, is vastly unexplored territory, at least from a standardized research perspective.
Adaptive/motivational/behavioral and cognitive capabilities withstanding, we can introduce programming for the autism life skill athlete (those not focused on a specific sport) much the same as general population; by introducing strength training in the general movement patterns; squatting, pushing, pulling, hinging, carrying, and locomotion.
Often we must simplify or ‘modify’ an exercise to accommodate the athlete’s current physical ability. If we observe a breakdown in performance of the movement, we need to do SOMETHING about it. That something is a modification; a simplified version of the exercise that still maintains the purpose and integrity of the movement. For example; squatting to a box instead of having the athlete do a full bodyweight squat when compensatory movement is observed.
Lack of technical ability with the movement is not the only time we need to modify an exercise, however. Below are three keys to modifying exercises for the autism and neurodivergent population. As mentioned earlier, these do not much deviate from changes we might make when coaching a neurotypical individual. They are, situationally, necessary practices when working with the ASD/ND population.
1) Watch for movement breakdown. We want close-to-if-not-the-best current ability when performing each exercise. If you notice technical breakdown of the movement, it’s time to modify.
2) Set expectations even when modifying. Lowering the demand from 10 reps to 7? While it is certainly necessary at times, let the athlete know how many reps they have total (and, during the set, how many they have LEFT).
3) Use the appropriate prompt/cue. We often need to step in with a mirror prompt, and every so often, a physically guided assistance. You get a roadmap to these strategies in the Autism Fitness Certification.Â