Beyond Boundaries

Physical Fitness and the Autism Population

What is Fitness?
Fitness is the ability to
successfully engage in a variety
of activities and challenges in
daily life and athletic pursuits.
Through fitness we can develop a
joy of movement and a greater
awareness of our own bodies
Physical activity aids in the
prevention of numerous diseases
and imbalances
Movement Deficits and
Autism
- Provost (2007), McDuffie (2007), Milne
(2006), Rinehart (2006), and Vernazza-
Martin (2005) all reported gross motor
deficits in children with autism when
compared with neurotypical peers
- Gross motor deficits become muscular
imbalances, inhibiting and distorting
posture, gait, and the ability to engage in
dynamic activities
- - Just because a child CAN perform a
movement does not mean they are
performing it CORRECTLY
Common deficits in ASD
Odd/imbalanced gait
Low tone
Weak/inhibited posterior chain
Trunk stability
Hip flexibility
Poor tolerance of extended
periods of activity
The Benefits of (good)
Fitness Programs
Development of movement
patterns and kinesthetic
awareness
Can (over time) aid in the
correction of muscular
imbalances and weaknesses
Instills a lifestyle conducive to
optimal performance in a variety
of situations
Self-efficacy, Self-determination,
Able and Engaged!
The Special Needs Athlete
Focus on “BIG” gross motor
movements
5 basic categories of movement:
Pushing
Pulling
Rotation
Level change
Locomotion
Designing a program
Select exercises that fulfill all 5
movements
Begin with the simplest exercises
and progress in complexity as
they are mastered
Be creative and fun. There is not
just one exercise for each
movement goal; there are many,
many options
Pulling in one of its many
variations
Motivation and
Reinforcement
Pairing exercise with known
reinforcers is the KEY to a
successful and long-term program
Behavior-specific praise results in
mastery occurring sooner
Exercise programs should be
introduced gradually at the physical
and cognitive pace of the athlete
A balance should exist between
mastered targets that are used in
the program and current teaching
targets
Teaching new movements
Physical prompts are often
necessary, but should be faded as
quickly as possible to facilitate
independent mastery
Verbal cues/prompts should be
minimal, ideally the Sd, for
example, “Do a jumping jack”
should be the only verbal exchange
(apart from verbal praise)
 Imitation/mirroring is the ultimate
prompt. Imitation requires visual
focus, concept formation, and
The Essentials
 Fitness is not about being good at a sport, it
benefits all aspects of life from general health to
cognitive functioning to social reciprocity
 General movements must ALWAYS be developed
before focusing on sport-specific skills
 Fitness programs should focus on 5 basic
movement patterns and address individual
deficits and skills
 Fitness programs should be developed with
specific goals in mind
 Exercise programs should incorporate principles
of positive reinforcement and behavior-specific
praise
 It is not about AN exercise, it is about eliciting
the movement pattern
 If you are teaching exercise, you should be doing
some yourself as well.
 The
Beginning
“Fitness builds
futures”