TABLE OF CONTENTS Forward ………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Fitness vs. Sport Activities ……………..……………..…………………………………….. 6 Developing a Fitness Program in the Classroom .……………………..…………………. 7 How to Program in a Classroom or Adaptive PE Setting …………………………..……. 12 Exercise Activities for Your Classroom Fitness Program ………………………………… 14 Movement Menu …………………………………..………………………………………….. 16 How to Program ……………………………………………………………………….….…. 34 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………..... 36 Equipment …………………………………………………………………………………….. 37 About the Author …………………………………………………………………………….. 38
FORWARD Several decades ago I was presented with a student who was described to me as “Autistic with several PDD characteristics”. To be honest, I had very little understanding of exactly how one became diagnosed with autism, what the Autism Spectrum was, and was totally clueless as to what “PDD” even stood for. Boy! Was I in for a ride. And what an incredibly intense and rewarding ride it turned out to be. My young charge, a 13 year old boy who was smack dab in the middle of puberty, was a savant with dates and history but lacked any motivation to get up and move. Though he could pull dates out of a hat and describe precise details of occurrences on that date, (he actually told me the date of my birthday out of the clear blue one day; something that we had never made mention of prior. I’m sure the look on my face was priceless, Ha!), he was extremely averse to any type of physical activity that could potentially cause exertion. His gross motor patterns were atypical. He had an extreme toe-in gate and walked on his toes. Of course with all of my professional training and education I knew exactly what needed to be done. What was lacking was a concrete plan on how to actually do it. So, I began. Marching? Fail. Bunny hops? Fail. Hurdle step-overs? Fail. Activity after activity fell by the wayside as I found myself running on the “Try-Fail-Adjust” wheel like a hapless hamster. Now understand, when I say “fail” what I am really focusing on is the fact that my expectations of the student went far beyond what his capabilities were at that time. He was physically capable of performing each and every task presented, but regimented physical activity of any kind created high levels of anxiety for him. Oh did I fail to mention that he was a pincher and hair puller? And that pinching, biting, hitting, kicking and hair pulling are common releases for anxiety among this population? So, after suffering far too many bruises on my arms, and evading several attempts at having my hair removed from my skull, it dawned on me that I was expecting far too much from this youngster. My grand plan? Lets’ simply go for a walk. Success! As his fitness level increased, so did the time and subsequent distances of the walks. His ability to stabilize his anxiety during exercise also improved. We eventually started adding marches, hurdle steps, and hopping to his walks. Something that we had failed at previously. This process took months. And at times I often wondered why there wasn’t an easily accessible practical guide for figuring out how to program with these amazing kids. Eric has created just that.
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As I read the proof copy that he sent, I found myself nodding repeatedly at how effective the strategies are and how easily they can be applied in both a standard Adaptive PE Program and/or a Classroom Activity Plan. There is absolutely no need to wander blindly with a trial and error approach when it comes to fitness and active play for your students. Eric has made quite sure of that! Tom Hurley, M.Ed.
I've known my good friend Eric Chessen for going on 8 years now. We met through one of his Autism Fitness seminars in Austin, Texas and quickly became fast friends; party because of our love for weightlifting, but also for our passion for verbally breaking down activities and exercises into ways that all could learn from. You see, not all of our clients and athletes are as athletic and/or coordinated as we want them to be, and thus they may not pick up on complex movement patterns, or even simple ones as quickly and effortlessly as we'd like them to. That's where Eric steps in with this e-book. His ability to take a client through patterns of movements step by step has proven to me that he is the best in the business at breaking things down, both physically and cognitively. For the past 4 years, I've created, instructed, and managed the most successful Home School P.E. program in the Hampton Roads area, and a major part of that process has been the ability to introduce children to a type of exercise program that is fun, creative, easily scalable, and keeps the kids interested in moving in all types of ways! It's Eric's influence long ago to look at things in a more sensible, simple view that has helped in my development as a coach and programmer. As coaches, sometimes we need to get out of our own way; thinking that our one way of teaching is the only way that's necessary for our clients. I challenge you to take a closer look at Eric's programming and exactly how he puts children into a position of having success with their tasks. No matter what your age group or ability, I guarantee that you will gain a wealth of knowledge by learning from Eric Chessen. Bill Meyer, Meyer Fitness
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INTRODUCTION Over the past decade I’ve noticed a trend in many of the autism and special needs school I visit. Special education classroom teachers would love for their students to be more physically active, with access to great fitness programs that can accommodate each student. While some schools provide adaptive physical education with a PE teacher, others rely on the classroom teacher to come up with a curriculum. What makes adaptive physical education…adaptive? The truth is that all Physical Education should be adaptive. Take any group of students and they will have different physical, adaptive, and cognitive skills, especially when it relates to physical activities. Some students will move better than others, some will be highly motivated while others find new activities particularly aversive, some will be able to follow a three step verbal direction while others will need a lot of hands-on physical prompting and repetition to succeed. Physical activity is one of those things that people know is good for children/adolescents/teens and know they should be incorporating but often gets pushed aside for more “academic” pursuits. Piles of valid research and a large amount of anecdotal evidence tells us that regular physical activity enhances cognitive functioning, social interaction, self-esteem, and necessary for optimal development, so why does it always seem to be secondary-or-worse, relegated to once or twice a week or “if we have time for it?” I have a lofty goal; to bring fitness and healthy living to every young person on the autism spectrum. But I need some help. Through Autism Fitness I’ve been able to provide fitness programs for my own athletes. Through consulting, staff development, and seminars, Autism Fitness has reached others on the spectrum by way of their dedicated educators, therapists, APE coaches, and parents. The more physical activity becomes a daily practice for students with ASD and related disorders, the better they will move, interact, and perform in other areas. It takes time, dedication, and an understanding of how to develop an effective fitness program for the classroom and/ or school gym. The activities in this E-book can be used in addition to an existing adaptive PE curriculum, or used to develop and entirely new program.
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Used in conjunction with an existing PE program, the activities provided can help enhance foundational abilities including strength, stability, coordination, reaction, and motor planning. If the current PE/APE program is movement and active-play based, this certainly provides more practice with general activities. For sports-based programs (of which I am not an advocate for reasons explained later), general exercise activities can help develop the foundational skills needed to perform more specific sports-based movements. What do students with autism need for a complete physical fitness program? Because I wanted this E-book to be focused primarily on creating fun, immediately accessible programs, I will not be spending too much space about the theory and science behind Autism Fitness methods. For more in-depth information, you can visit AutismFitness.com, my blog, EricChessen.com, or my YouTube page YouTube.com/TheAutismFitness, Students with autism need the ability to move safely, efficiently, and perform daily life activities and tasks with energy and ease. Beyond those essentials, developing a joy and exploratory attitude towards fitness activities does a lot to ensure that healthy living will be a life skill and not cease when the student leaves the classroom. Optimal human movement relies on prerequisite skills. The fundamental patterns of crawling, bending, squatting, pushing, and pulling are necessary for developing more complex gross and fine motor abilities. These movement patterns can be equated to basic math concepts; addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. Without the fundamentals, it is highly unlikely that a student would be able to perform more complex mathematical calculations. We seem to forget this, however, with relation to physical activity. We presume that students will be able to perform more demanding or sport-specific movements without having the foundational strength, stability, and coordination. A more appropriate model for adaptive PE would approach the curriculum from a movement and play perspective with special consideration for motivation and reinforcement. Including appropriate fitness activities on a daily basis can be tremendously beneficial for students with autism. In addition to physical health, fitness activities can provide a gateway to: • • • • •
Better opportunities for meaningful socialization Improved self-esteem Self-regulation Independence via physical ability Some areas of cognitive functioning
When discussing the enhancement of social skills and cognitive functioning, it is important to remember that appropriate goals must always be set in consideration of the individual student. There are usually multiple factors involved with the enhancement of a general or target skills including all of those listed above. Being able to independently perform six bodyweight squats may not automatically equate to noticeably enhanced academic skills. A hierarchy of goals (most important to least) allows us to decide what skills are most Visit www.AutismFitness.com for consulting and more 4
important with respect to a specific program. In developing and implementing an Adaptive PE/Active Play program the first goal should always be movement-based. Social, educational, and speech/communicative goals can certainly be integrated into a fitness program, however the primary considerations are getting students active and enjoying movement activities. Why? Because we want fitness to be a lifelong pursuit and a life skill When we enjoy performing a particular activity, it is likely that we will do it often. Think about the stuff you enjoy. You likely want to do it more than stuff you dislike doing. Not rocket, but behavioral science. Finding ways to create reinforcing active environments provides a positive experience for students. The primary advantage of movement and active play-based programs over sports-based is the ability to get very creative and develop individualized goals, even in a group/class setting. Eventually, we want students to have a lot of autonomy over their movement activities; this can lead to self-initiated physical activity, also known as “play.” Play was once thought of as something frivolous, to be done when other “more important” tasks (work or education-based) were fulfilled. This compartmentalized approach is, in part, responsible for the dwindling of recess, the de-emphasis on general physical education, and the restricted access to local parks and outdoor areas for play. We note that the autism population often has a deficit in creative play. Restricted or hyper-focused interests and stereotypical movement patterns (flapping ,rocking, wandering in circles) are not robust in the way exploratory movement can be. These deficits, as any other educational concern, can be met with good planning, programming, and goal-setting. Creative play seems like a good thing, but why is it important? Consider abstract thinking, problem solving, motor planning, and short-term memory, all areas in which individuals with ASD often struggle. Developing active play programs that enhance these skills can lead to generalization beyond the PE setting, meaning that the new abilities are not just limited to the classroom or gym. I wrote this E-book for special educators who may or may not have access to a gymnasium or PE facility. I’ve spent a good amount of time working with my athletes on the spectrum in less-than-ideal fitness environments, often with little space and limited equipment. Innovation and planning are always going to overcome other limitations.
Eric Chessen, M.S. Founder, Autism Fitness
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FITNESS VS. SPORTS ACTIVITIES Just about every Adaptive PE program that I’ve worked with has at some point tried to incorporate a sports-based curriculum with little success. There are several problems with this approach for students with autism: •
Sports are highly specialized, specific activities whose movements do not generalize or cross over very much into real world activities
•
Most individuals with autism do not have the foundational strength, stability, flexibility, or coordination to succeed (in skill development or having fun) with sports activities
•
Conceptually, sports have rules and objectives that are tough for individuals with ASD to understand and/or care about. Scoring a “goal” or running to the right bases may not hold much appeal or make too much sense
As a culture, we place way too much emphasis on sports, particularly for young populations. There is enough about this subject to fill an entire book. There are plenty of other physical activities that can be taught and performed without having to use the regular roll-call of baseball, kickball, soccer, etc.
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DEVELOPING A FITNESS PROGRAM IN THE CLASSROOM In the Autism Fitness approach Physical, Adaptive, and Cognitive abilities can be assessed and individual programs developed for each student. This allows the instructor to set goals not only for physical fitness, but the motivation to engage in physical activities and increased ability to follow directions in a fitness/PE setting. Physical functioning refers to specific exercises/movements/activities. From a physical perspective we ask: 1) Is the individual capable of performing this exercise? 2) To what expectation can they perform the exercise? Once these two questions have been answered, we can progress (make the exercise more challenging) or regress (make the exercise simpler and/or provide prompts) When working with groups and classes, individual prompting becomes a lot more challenging, which is why scalable activities are where it’s at. Scalable activities are exercises and movements that can be progressed or regressed quickly. Animal movements (bear and leopard walks, T-Rex stomps) can be performed en masse with each individual performing the exercise, sometimes, to his or her best ability. From day to day we might focus on a student and provide an extra prompt (visual or physical) so they perform the exercise with more efficiency. The chaos inherent to the typical atypical classroom can make this a challenge. Yes it can. Every time. But the occasional helpful visual or physical prompt can bridge the distance between a close approximation and individual mastery of an exercise. In my experience and based on a sizeable pile of research and anecdotal evidence, there is a high rate of gross motor deficits among the autism population. This presents as gait pattern issues (shuffling, toes way in or out, teetering left and right), poor strength and stability (often referred to as having a “weak trunk” or “weak core”), limited range of motion/full extension in the shoulders and hips, and aversion to movement, i.e. they don’t enjoy it. By focusing on and increasing daily physical activity, we can begin turning deficits into healthy abilities and even strengths.
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Adaptive functioning refers to behavioral considerations, in the case of fitness and movement programming we ask: 1) Is the student motivated to perform this activity? 2) What reinforcers are required to increase their motivation to complete the activity? Because fitness activities can be new, challenging, and sometimes overwhelming for students with ASD, it is important to “ratio it out” between instructional activity time and break/reinforcer time. A “thin” schedule of exercise/task time to break/reinforcement time can provide a less anxiety-provoking experience for those who find new endeavors aversive or stressful. One strategy I’ve found success with is intermittent exercise, having short periods of physical activity throughout the school day. In fact, I think this is optimal for the majority of students, both in general and special education environments. We learn better when we’ve had some movement time between lessons. Rather than a single, 45 minute chunk of physical activity (which certainly has benefits and I still recommend), a few minutes of movement breaks throughout the day can increase focus, decrease some problem behaviors. I can assure you that as I write this E-book I am doing kettlebell swings after typing a few paragraphs. It helps immensely. Several colder nations, Finland, for example, as of this writing the global leader in education, have been using a move and play throughout the day approach. It is not physical play instead of academics, rather physical play to enhance academics. Having built-in movement sessions during the day allows for several potential achievements: •
Enough exposure to new movements for familiarity and eventual mastery
•
More opportunities for exercise to be paired with reinforcement
•
Social skill development through interactive exercise (ball throws, tandem rope swings)
•
Increase attending during educational or vocational lessons
•
Where applicable, creative play and autonomy/independence
The goal for adaptive functioning is always to find a way/ways to make exercise as reinforcing as possible, something that the student/s will choose to do provided the opportunity. I’ve been pleasantly surprised when one of my athletes, rather than wandering around during a break, picks up a fitness rope or medicine ball and starts exercising independently. This actually happens. I swear. Some students may need time observing physical activity before they join in. A few days of being on the periphery can give them time to adjust to a new, odd task. In these instances, I Visit www.AutismFitness.com for consulting and more 8
like to take one piece of equipment and place it in the hands, or at least the vicinity of the student. Usually a Sandbell (Hyperwear.com) or Dynamax ball (AutismFitness.com/links) will at least get a curious grab or push. This process is also my “Super Secret Regression” for students who are initially very averse to new activities, particularly those that involve moving. For students who are highly motivated to move, or at least cooperative enough to go along with it, we can provide reinforcement with both behavior-specific praise and by offering activity choices, whether it is the order of activities, which throw to practice (push, overhead, scoop, jumping), or the creation of an entirely new game/activity. Incidentally, behaviorspecific praise, telling the individual exactly what they did well (“Good keeping head up on the squat!”), should always be a part of programming. Cognitive functioning as it relates to fitness activities refers to how an individual learns best. With exercise and movement, there will always be a visual component. Demonstrating the exercise or activity numerous times is important. Many students with ASD will also require some physical prompting (usually hand over hand) to perform an unfamiliar exercise or movement. Some students are highly kinesthetic, and require a significant amount of physical prompting to correctly perform the exercise. This is often the case with bodyweight squats, when a student needs support via holding an instructor’s hands or another stable object. This allows the student to perform a regressed version of the squat safely and effectively. With physical prompts, the goal is always to fade, or gradually remove the prompt as the student independently masters the movement. Some students tend to be prompt-dependent, waiting for their instructor to intervene with the physical cue prior to performing the movement. In this situation it is important that the physical prompt be faded as quickly and efficiently as possible. Physical prompts are initiated in a “most-to-least” progression. An initial prompt to perform a squat might involve holding the student’s hands while he/she lowers their hips towards the ground (I often use a 12” diameter Dynamax ball for comfort and as a very helpful kinesthetic cue). Once the athlete develops greater physical aptitude in squatting to the ball, the instructor might fade the prompt to lightly supporting the shoulders, then a tap to a shoulder, eventually fading the physical prompt completely. In this case, the most-to-least prompting hierarchy looks like this: Holding hands à Lightly supporting shoulders à Tap to shoulders à Physical prompt completely faded
Auditory/Verbal prompting is where I spend the most time teaching how to use the least amount. Hardly anybody, neurotypical or otherwise, is going to perform an activity when being told what to do versus being shown. An exception is made for the visually impaired where kinesthetic cues are likely implemented.
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Verbal cues should provide two things; Label the activity and how the activity will be performed, mostly nouns and verbs with as few extraneous items as possible. We want to let the student know what the activity is and where they’re doing it, how many, or for how long. A few examples: “Squat to ball five times” “Jump to the green cone” “Swing the rope twenty seconds” “First T-rex stomps, then push throws” I try to keep verbal cues at six words or less, ideally at four or five unless we’re instructing a two or three-step chain of exercises (Jumps then Sandbell slams, then bear walks). With multistep or multi-station activities (discussed later), visual aids including pictures, text, or a combo, can be helpful cues for many students. I’ve also had athletes who work well with pictures/video of the exercises on their iPads or tablets for reference right before the activity. Verbal cues should teach the contingency (if/then relationship) between the name of the exercise and the action it represents. Independent mastery should follow the “Five foot rule;” If the instructor asks the student to perform the exercise from at least five feet away and the student can do so, the target skill is mastered. This is, of course, dependent on the student performing the movement with appropriate strength, stability, and coordination. Discrimination training, a valuable life skill, also falls under the cognitive skill umbrella. Being able to quickly and accurately differentiate among push, overhead, and scoop throws, or between a bear or leopard crawl, demonstrates impressive neurological functioning. The medicine ball throws are variations in the same response class; i.e., they are all throws. Having the receptive language skills to process the request “Do a scoop throw,” and then performing the exercise correctly exhibits some nifty motor planning and reactive skill. It’s cool when emerging physical skills are also letting us know that students are paying attention. The sought-after state of “being engaged” is observable during physical activity. Students must be focused on the exercise or activity to navigate it successfully. There’s no such thing as a physical activity that isn’t mind/body, but not all are created equal. Put walking on a treadmill up against swinging a fitness rope. Lots more coordination, variety, and planning (and I will mention that said rope is more effective for developing strength endurance and cardiovascular health, along with being around 50x less expensive).
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Our cognitive goals within fitness programming first cover developing contingencies between the name of the exercise and the exercise itself. Building on this foundation, we can introduce other language or educational targets including: •
Prepositions (in, on, under, over, next to, right, left, etc.)
•
Colors
•
Shapes and Sizes
•
Counting and Sequencing
•
Reciprocal language and Social Reciprocity (“My turn, your turn”)
It may be difficult, particularly within a short period of time (weeks to months) to demonstrate an increase in general or academic performance directly linked to physical activity. The acquisition of new contingencies, receptive language, and faster responding, along with the ability to perform two- and three-step activities where, previously, only a single step was possible, certainly suggests that something *good* is happening. In the beginning, our focus is to create exercise programs that work well for our students. They require activities that are appropriate, paired with other reinforcing stimuli, and taught in a way where skill acquisition and mastery occur. When this process is successful, we can certainly begin adding more advanced socialization and academic targets.
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HOW TO PROGRAM IN A CLASSROOM OR ADAPTIVE PE SETTING In a classroom, it may be challenging to get a group moving, let alone develop individual programs. So how do we start? Where do we start? I hope I’ve covered the many reasons why we start in the previous sections. Implementing group fitness programs for students with ASD is not the easiest of endeavors, but using the right combination of activities, teaching cues, and reinforcement will get you to a good place. Program structure is pretty straightforward. There are two, and only two ways of doing this successfully: 1) Exercise Courses 2) Exercise Stations Exercise courses are great for groups of students who have similar levels of ability. With exercise courses, several movement activities are performed in order. Each student completes all (depending on his/her level of motivation and cooperation) the activities and then comes back to the beginning area. Exercise Stations may have a similar set-up as courses, except 1-2 students perform the activity at each station for a specific amount of time (usually 30 sec-2 minutes). Stations allow each participant more time with the particular exercise activity than courses. The exercise at each station can also be regressed (made simpler) or progressed (made more challenging) based on the needs of the individual student. For example, if Chris can squat with the Sandbell, raise it overhead, and then slam it independently, he can perform that activity (squat, press, slam) at the Sandbell station. If Lisa cannot yet perform the overhead press, she may do the squat with the Sandbell without the press and slam, or have an instructor provide hands-on prompting to help her learn the skill. Courses are great for activities that all students have already mastered, or can perform independently. Because they will be moving fairly quickly through each exercise, it is helpful that they already know how to perform the movement correctly to the best of their ability.
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To sum it all up Use Circuits When: •
There is a wide range of Physical, Adaptive, and Cognitive abilities within the group
•
Introducing new exercise activities
•
Incorporating socialization into the fitness session (2-3 students at each station)
Use Courses When: •
Enough staff is available to be at each station and/or when working with a higher functioning (Adaptive and Cognitive) group
•
The course includes mastered or familiar exercise activities (those the students are already good at and have done before)
•
You have a larger space to use for the program
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EXERCISE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM FITNESS PROGRAM The exercises here can be combined in a vast array of combinations. I usually start my group sessions with Dynamax ball push throws, and as my athletes progress we add overhead and scoop throws. I may also start with some animal-inspired movements including T-Rex stomps, Bear walks, short rabbit hops, and long frog hops. Each session, try to incorporate different ways to push, pull, locomote (getting from one place to another), and bend/squat. In our Autism Fitness group sessions, which typically range from 45-55 minutes, we usually keep within six to eight total exercises or movements and change the order around several times. A TYPICAL DAILY SESSION LOOKS LIKE THIS: Warm Up Dynamax ball push throws among the group for 5-6 minutes, bear walks from one end of the room to the other 3-4 times. Station Set A • Squat to Dynamax ball • Double rope swings • Sandbell two-hand overhead press • Sandbell slam • Spot marker jumps * Performed for 10-15 minutes total with athletes switching stations every 60-90 seconds
Station Set B • Squat to Dynamax ball with arms up or out • Alternating rope swing • Sandbell overhead walk • Dynamax ball frog hops • Low hurdle jumps Notice that the movements in Set B are different variations of those in Set A. We want our students to become proficient and eventually master each exercise. Providing adequate opportunity to perform the movement pattern is essential to individual mastery. Individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities often need more time and practice to acquire physical skills. Variety is important for motivation, however consistency is necessary as well. The term “same but different” applies here. Visit www.AutismFitness.com for consulting and more 14
Below is the Autism Fitness in MY Classroom Movement Menu. Pick a few of the exercises to begin with and observe how each student performs the movement. Do you need to intervene with a regression? Can they perform it with such strength and stability that a progression is in order? A few notes about progressions and regressions Regressing activities requires both a simpler version of the exercise and a prompt (usually physical but may simply be a visual modeling). For squats, I have all of my athletes “sit” to a Dynamax medicine ball. If they tend to pitch forward or their heels elevate off the ground, I may have them take a wider stance and hold on to either my hands or a very securely anchored fitness rope to provide additional stability. Once they develop the strength and stability to perform the squat without the rope, we can fade it out and begin progressing the exercise. Additional regressions and progressions are provided with each activity in the Movement Menu below. There are also suggested regressions and progressions. Some regressions may just require a visual prompt, most often demonstrating the exercise for the student right before or as they perform it. Some students may require physical prompting/guidance to perform the movement pattern correctly.
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MOVEMENT MENU Look, I get it. I always stray over to the exercise pictures first too. PLEASE NOTE that without proper programming, and that includes understanding and properly using the concepts discussed in this E-book, fitness programs for the ASD population just won't work well. I've mentioned that I seldom have the luxury of my athletes immediately embracing and enjoying 45-60 minutes of physical activity and instruction. Yes, all of the exercises below can develop strength, stability, strength endurance, and coordination, but without the Adaptive and Cognitive supports, they cannot be used to full effectiveness. Animal Bodyweight Movements 1. Bear Walk 2. Leopard Crawl 3. T-Rex Stomps 4. Squat to Dynamax Ball 5. Frog Hops 6. Cone and Hurdle Steps 7. Star Jumps Dynamax Ball Throws and Exercises 1. Push Throw 2. Overhead Throw 3. Scoop Throw 4. Dynamax Ball Frog Hop Sandbell/Sandbag Exercises 1. Overhead Press 2. Single Arm Overhead Press 3. Overhead Walk Fitness Rope Swings 1. Double Rope Swings 2. Alternating Rope Swings 3. “Angry Chimp” Rope Swings
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A N I M A L & B O D Y W E I G H T M O V E M E N T BEAR WALK
Knees and hands on floor
Knees up Hand moves forward
Walk alternating hands and feet Continue Walk Complete Walk to End Point
•
Regressions: Staying in quadruped/Knees and hands down position for 5-10 seconds, Simple crawl w/out raising knees up, Bear walk short distance
•
Progressions: Bear walk longer distance, Bear walk at the same speed as a partner, Bear walk followed by frog hop
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LEOPARD CRAWL
Knees and hands on floor
Hand moves forward, hips low to ground
Knees up
Continue walking alternating hands & feet to end point
•
Regressions: Bear walk is pre-requisite
•
Progressions: Leopard crawl followed by Sandbell slams, Leopard crawl backwards, Leopard crawl followed by Sandbell or Dynamax ball overhead walk
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T-‐REX STOMPS
Arms out with knees stepping high
Alternate steps
Continue with high knees and arms out to end point
•
Regressions: Use spot markers or low hurdles to increase hip flexibility
•
Progressions: T-Rex stomps followed by jumps, T-Rex stop followed by rope swings
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SQUAT TO DYNAMAX BALL
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width (use spot markers)
Bend knees and lower bottom to ball
When bottom touches ball return to standing position
Repeat for 5-15 reps Regressions: Holding hands of instructor, Holding on to fixed/stable object or fitness ropes Progression: Squat while holding Sandbell, Squat and push throw, Squat and jump up/forward Visit www.AutismFitness.com for consulting and more 20
FROG HOPS Begin with hands between knees and feet wide
Jump forward
Repeat jumps to end point
Regressions: Short hop with hands on ball and knees bent Progressions: Frog hop followed by push throws, Frog hop followed by Sandbell Presses or slams
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CONE AND HURDLE STEPS
Begin standing in front of cones, 6”, or 12” high hurdles
Step over each with foot tracking over the hurdle
Repeat for 5-10 hurdles
Regressions: Use spot markers or lower objects, Double up hurdles so that student does not track leg around instead of over hurdle Progressions: Dynamax ball push throws/catches between steps, Overhead walk stepping over hurdles, Jumps over hurdles
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STAR JUMPS
Begin with elbows in and knees bent
Jump and extend arms and legs wide and out
Jump back to starting position, Repeat for 5-10 jumps
Regressions: Visual prompt Progressions: None needed
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D Y N A M A X B A L L T H R O W S & E X E R C I S E S PUSH THROWS
Stand with feet apart (can use spot markers)
Hold ball at chest
Push out and release towards partner Regressions: Handing ball to partner, Push throw from short distance Progressions: Push throw from longer distance, Bend knees/stand/ push throw, Walking push throws
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OVERHEAD THROW
Stand with feet apart, Raise ball over and behind head
Push and release ball overhead to partner
Regressions: Physical or visual prompt Progressions: Overhead throw from longer distance, Bend knees/stand/overhead throw
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SCOOP THROW
Stand with feet wide
Bend and pull ball past knees
Pull ball forward and release to partner
Regressions: Physical or visual prompt Progressions: Scoop throw followed by forward jump, Dynamax ball frog hop followed by Scoop throw
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DYNAMAX BALL FROG HOP
Feet wide with hands on ball
Jump over ball with hands on
Place ball forward in front of body, Jump over for 5-10 repetitions
Regressions: Visual prompt, Hands on ball with short steps or hops Progressions: Longer frog hops to various targets on floor (spot markers or cones)
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S A N D B E L L / S A N D B A G E X E R C I S E S OVERHEAD PRESS
Hold Sandbell at chest Press overhead with full arm extension
Return to starting position at chest
Regressions: Visual or physical prompt Progressions: Increase repetitions (up to 12), Add heavier weight, Press followed by slam or overhead walk
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SINGLE ARM OVERHEAD PRESS
Hold Sandbell in one hand at shoulder level
Press overhead with full arm extension
Return to starting position at shoulder
Repeat with other arm
Regressions: Visual or physical prompt Progressions: Increase repetitions (up to 12), Add heavier weight, Follow with single arm overhead walk
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OVERHEAD WALK
Hold Sandbell at chest Press overhead with full arm extension
Walk to set end point with arms extended overhead
Regressions: Visual or physical prompt Progressions: Add different targets or obstacles to walk around
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F I T N E S S R O P E S W I N G S DOUBLE ROPE SWINGS Stand with feet slightly more than shoulder width and holding rope handles
Bend knees and swing ropes up and down vigorously, Repeat for 10-50 swings
Regressions: Visual or physical prompt Progressions: Rope swings for time (15-30 seconds)
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ALTERNATING ROPE SWINGS Stand with feet slightly more than shoulder width and holding rope handles
Bend knees and swing ropes up and down vigorously, Repeat for 10-50 swings
Regressions: Visual or physical prompt Progressions: Rope swings for time (15-30 seconds)
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“ANGRY CHIMP” ROPE SWINGS
Stand with feet slightly more than shoulder width and holding rope handles
Bend knees and jump up while swinging ropes as high as possible Repeat for 6-10 swings
Regressions: Double rope swing is prerequisite Progressions: None needed
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HOW TO PROGRAM We can take several exercises from each category and create a daily program. We can even set and track individual goals among students. Some may have a target goal of standing on a pair of spot markers and attending to directions, while others may be advancing their Dynamax ball frog hop to different cones set up all around. Remember that variety is good, but not at the expense of skill acquisition. Below are some sample Courses and Station set-ups that I use frequently in Autism Fitness programming. Note that each and every exercise here can be progressed or regressed based on the abilities of the student. Rather than having an activity that has to conform to either the highest or lowest skill level, all of these are scalable and enable students to progress individually even in a group/class environment.
Sample Exercise Courses: A) Step over hurdles, Run to Sandbell and do 3 slams, Bear walk to Dynamax ball and do 5 squats, short hops to Sandbell and do 6 presses B) Step over combination of cones and low hurdles, 10 alternating rope swings, 5 Single arm Sandbell presses (each arm), Frog hop to Dynamax ball, 5 Squat and jumps C) Step over hurdles, Bear walk to Dynamax ball, 4 Squats to the ball, Sandbell overhead walk and Scoop throw D) T-Rex walk to cone, Bear walk to next cone, Frog hops to last cone, Overhead walk with Sandbell
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Sample Exercise Stations: *Stations can be set up around the room and a different color cone or other visual stimuli can represent each. Depending on the number of students participating, one or two individuals can be at each station. Have as many stations as appropriate for the class. Switch to the next station every 1-2 minutes. A) Station 1: Hurdle steps Station 2: Double rope swings Station 3: Squat to Dynamax ball Station 4: Sandbell Slam Station 5: Short hops to spot markers B) Station 1: Bear walk followed by jumps to spot markers Station 2: Sandbell overhead press Station 3: Dynamax ball frog hops Station 4: Heavy Sandbell scoop throw Station 5: Star jumps C) Station 1: Squat to Dynamax ball Station 2: Sandbell slam Station 3: T-Rex walks Station 4: Sandbell or Dynamax ball overhead walk Station 5: Alternating rope swings D) Station 1: Squat to Dynamax ball Station 2: Sandbell overhead press Station 3: Sandbell slam Station 4: Double Rope swings Station 5: Frog hops
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CONCLUSION It takes commitment, practice, and certainly some testing to make a fitness or Adaptive PE program successful. Taking the necessary steps to address physical, adaptive, and cognitive abilities will yield faster skill development, lowered anxiety, enable more progression, and allow you to individualize programming further with speech/communication targets, selfdirected activity, and meaningful socialization. As I write this conclusion, recently published research suggests a higher level of inactivity among young people with autism and related disorders. Rather than a continuous reactive slide, we need a proactive approach to health and physical fitness for this population. To wait until an individual has very compromised gross motor skills, cannot perform daily life tasks efficiently, and is heading towards Type II diabetes is unacceptable. The goal of Autism Fitness has always been to bridge the fitness profession with the ASD community. There needs to exist a greater emphasis and accessibility to appropriate and progressive fitness and adaptive PE programs both in the US and around the world. I want this E-book to be informative and usable for you. For the concepts and activities to have any benefit, they have to be implemented. You can begin with a few minutes (or in some cases, seconds) a day. Focus on a few of the exercises in the Movement Menu and proceed as needed. You may find your students progressing quickly, wanting to invent their own animal movements and exercise courses. You may be met with resistance, as some students find any new task, particularly those of a physical nature, rather aversive. Begin where the student is at now and proceed from that point. Seek to pair exercise with known reinforcers and always provide behavior-specific praise. Teach fitness as part of a life skill rather than something only “athletic” kids do. It is time to redefine the term athlete and reinvent, if not the wheel, the application of the medicine ball. -
Eric Chessen, M.S., Founder, Autism Fitness
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EQUIPMENT
You can find the equipment featured here on the Links Page of AutismFitness.com : www.autismfitness.com/autism-fitness-links/
MEDICINE BALLS
SANDBELLS ROPES CONES AND SPOT MARKERS
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AUTISM FITNESS CONSULTING Interested in bringing Autism Fitness programming into your school or facility? Autism Fitness Founder Eric Chessen, M.S., provides a variety of consulting options from distance coaching via Skype to on-site staff development, seminars, and program integration. For more about options and availability, visit autismfitness.com/category/autism-fitness-services/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Eric Chessen, M.S. is the Founder of Autism Fitness. An Exercise Physiologist with an extensive background in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Eric has spent over a decade developing fitness programs for his athletes with ASD and related developmental disabilities. Eric provides seminars and consulting around the US and worldwide. He is a featured columnist for numerous special needs and fitness sites and magazines. Find out more at AutismFitness.com
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