Eric Chessen

I have the opportunity to work with both individuals and groups of children and teenagers on the autism spectrum. The 1-to-1 sessions are quite interesting, but working with groups is a situation both fascinating and challenging.

While working with individuals provides the opportunity for developing and implementing highly specific programs, PE class encompasses a key aspect of deficit in the autism population; socialization. The most general and recognizable trait of individuals on the spectrum is their difficulty in communicating with others. Some individuals with autism engage in maladaptive behaviors including aggression towards others and self-injury. In my experience, every instance of aggressive or self-injurious behavior occurred because the child was not able to communicate their needs appropriately. What does this have to do with fitness or IYCA trainers? Everything.

The IYCA teaches exercise and movement from a holistic perspective. Not the unicorn and pewter figure holistic, but as the foundation for self-esteem, self-efficacy, and success in life. These are not blanket statements, nor are they hype. Enabling a child to succeed at movement provides a gateway to opportunity in life. Social skills were once developed on the playground. Since the playground has been replaced with the Playstation, social skills such as teamwork and collaborative problem solving may be delayed. Of course with developmentally disabled individuals, the skills are already challenged. This is precisely why physical education is crucial for each child on the autism spectrum. Introducing exercise to this population, particularly in a group setting requires careful consideration of both the individuals and the class as a whole.

A video of my 6th period gym class should be a prerequisite for any fitness professional working with groups of children with autism. Among the small group of 8 to 10 year-old students, I have Teddy who is high functioning, eager to participate, and attempts to perform every activity with enough speed to mask his lack of control during certain movements. I have Donald, who has echolalia (repeats things that are said to him), has difficulty tolerating standing in one spot, and tends to break into a run three steps after beginning "monster" walks, hopping, or skipping. I have Erin, who, in addition to having an autism diagnosis also has Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), and refused to do a bear walk because she was "…not a bear, I'm a girl!" Similar protest occurred during both crab walks and rabbit hops. Finally there is Iris, who is selectively non-verbal and required orthopedic footwear to correct a structural deficit. Our gym class is awesome. I write that with no irony, no sense of sarcasm. They are each getting something very special and very crucial out of that gym session.

My class is learning how to move, they are learning how to interact, how to encourage each other. They are developing their posterior chains, they are gaining flow and muscle memory and, of absolute course, they are having fun. They look forward to gym class because it provides an outlet, an opportunity to move and succeed, in addition to the foundation for discovering abilities. 6th period gym class, on paper, looks like a gym coach's nightmare. But I'm not writing this for the old generation of sports-only PE instructors. This is to inform the IYCA's best, the most dedicated fitness professionals, that there is a generation of children on the autism spectrum who can thrive given the opportunity. Time spent moving provides that foundation.

Eric Chessen, M.S., IYCA Level I, is the Founder of Beyond Boundaries: Fitness for the Autism Population. In addition to working with young individuals on the autism spectrum, he offers consulting services, workshops, and seminars nationwide. He can be reached through his website, www.autismfitness.com or directly via email at eric@autismfitness.com.