Has anyone found a physical activity that appeals to your ASD child?

[BamaTanya]

I wondered if I should post this on the special needs board, but I thought this one would get more traffic . . .

 

My older ds with Asperger's Syndrome has the low muscle tone and lack of coordination that are common. Now that he's getting older, he's becoming more resistant to physical activity. I understand that it's difficult to attempt things where one feels inadequate, but we've got to find something for him to keep his muscles active. I know it would be beneficial in so many ways. We've discontinued physical therapy since we saw little progress and our deductibles were expensive . . .

 

The other kiddos are likely to be on the swim team this summer, but, even though he likes water, ds doesn't actually swim. He doesn't like water in his face. He doesn't need to be on a team for anything . . .

 

Any ideas for something that would keep him active without making him feel worse about himself? I'm looking at a treadmill or elliptical trainer for our home and thinking that might be something he'd use, too . . .

 

Of course, in our history, most everything I've tried to motivate/involve him has failed.

 

tia

[Angel]

Horseback riding! Depending on the needs of your ds you could go with regular riding or the hippotherapy. (Ok, I think I spelled that wrong:glare:).

 

My dd with Asperger's feels confident on a horse AND it provides her with numerous sensory inputs. She loves it.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Honestly, my ds (not when he was younger, but as a pre-teen/teen) has resisted most exercise. But I REQUIRE it of him DAILY.

 

He has his choice of:

 

30 minutes of Wii Fit (balance games don't count but he can play them after working out)

a certain number of points on the Wii Outdoor Adventure (I think he's up to 4500)

Now he has the Fitness Coach (wii again)

A video (Jillian's 30 day shred, Power 90, Richard Simmons, whatever).

 

Even though he's beaten the game, he almost always does the Outdoor Adventure. I'm hoping he'll like the Fitness Coach though as it'll have more toning and such also.

 

I really think the GAMES part helps it not be SO bad for him.

 

Daily walks have always been good for us when I've been well enough to do them. But I really want his heart rate up and him building muscle.

 

ETA: Tyler LOVES doing a treadmill for short bursts, but he bought (yes, HE bought) the non-power one (mentioned in your other post) and it's just TOO hard. You're huffing and puffing within a minute and unable to continue within 10. I ONCE got him to do it through a show, taking the commercial off. But it was REALLY hard....so get an electric one if you get one.

Edited April 20, 2009 by 2J5M9K

[calandalsmom]

Would you believe my ds loves football? He has no natural ability but he loves it.

 

Sometimes I wonder if its the tight clothing and the helmet and maybe the smack of hitting one another... I have no idea. In anycase, he rides the sidelines most of the game but what do I care? He is happy out there!

[Night Elf]

I was wondering the very same thing this weekend. My ds12 does NO physical activity at all. I purchased a $500 treadmill because he hates going outside but he just didn't "get" it. He would walk for 30 mins. because we told him he had to, but he walked at a ridiculously slow speed. When he walks, his feet sort of flop around. It's like he's not sure what to do with this bigger body that has sort of appeared within the past several months. His feet are as big as my DH's feet now, except not quite as wide.

 

When he was 6, he joined a TaeKwonDo studio. He stuck with it until he earned his Black Belt at age 8, but like the rest of us, he was tired of it and wanted to quit.

 

He tried a low-key church basketball team one year at age 6 or 7, but he was totally lost in the team game play.

 

I used to make him walk with me at a local park last year, but he complained and whined about the bugs and flying things the entire time we were there.

 

I tried to get him to do a fun exercise tape but he refuses to do it in front of others. I tried to get him to do it in his room but he says it's just too hard. It was a walking tape for kids.

 

I'm at a loss here!

[bettyandbob]

My older ds has severe muscle tone and motor skill issues. When he was younger, it was mandatory to be in a sport--he got to choose and we changed activities each season. So, my first suggestion is to say not exercising is not a choice. The choice is which form or exercise and get out the community recreation guide and try stuff. We tried just about every typical sport. I only asked ds to stay with an activity one season and then he was free to try something new. Around age 10, we started tae kwon do. This was very good for ds and he stuck with it about 3 years. I work at the Y now and have a discount, so ds now sees a personal trainer once a week. My y also has a fitness class for 10-14 year olds. The kids who attend are not athletes, but kids whose parents think they need exercise.

 

You also want to look beyond typical classes. Consider something like Stage Combat or historical swordsmanship, which would be in the theater section of your recreation guide. My ds started playing drums almost 2 years ago and that is very physical. My sister felt playing the tuba was good physical activity for her ds.

 

My approach to swimming--I don't let my kids out of swim team until they are 13. So my ds didn't swim for the first time last summer. He swam 7 years. The last few years he only raced breaststroke and backstroke. The front crawl used for freestyle is just too hard for him to master. Coaches argued with me about having him swim at least 3 strokes, but freestyle races were just humiliating for him after age 9.

[hsmamainva]

My oldest son (14) has Aspergers and he loves baseball and basketball. He plays baseball with the Little League Challengers, so it's a team for children with special needs. He plays basketball with the Special Olympics.

 

Both have been GREAT experiences for him!!!

 

My youngest (7) has autism and she loves to swim!!! She took to it instantly and she just loves any type of water activity. The 14 year old also swims, but he isn't as crazy about it as our youngest daughter.

[SherryTX]

takes fencing classes with her 11 year old sister, but that is only once per week. However, I have found that she likes to practice the footwork at home.

 

We have a WiiFit - but sometimes she gets frustrated on the balance games - which we tell her that she needs at least 20 minutes of the aerobic games and she can then play the balance games. She seems to like the jogging one, and sometimes we play tennis together on one of the other Wii games.

 

She likes to ride her bike, but cannot very well and still has training wheels. I was pleasantly surprised how well she handled just going for a walk in the park with a friend of mine not too long ago. She did complain - but we lost track of time gabbing and didn't realize we ended up walking 5 miles and then had to turn around - so 10 miles is a very long walk for anyone!

 

We have a trampoline that my in-laws gave us for Christmas a few years ago. All the kids love it, so often I will just let her jump on it - she will actively jump for 20 to 30 minutes. Not the best work out but better than nothing.

 

Is there some physical activity that may related to another interested that your child has? My daughter is very interested in how the body works in general, so for her, she seems more willing to do exercise if she can understand which parts of the body it uses, etc.

[skaterbabs]

My DS #2 (PDD-NOS) started playing baseball when I gave him no choice last year. LOL The team he was on was short players, and since his brother had practice at the same time on another field, I convinced DS#2 to play as well. At the end of the season he admitted that he actually likes baseball. :lol:

 

We couldn't afford for the kids to play this year, unfortunately. But next year DS #2 wants to try karate.

[Carrie12345]

Our trampoline is worth it's weight in gold! It keeps ds active, and it plays to the whole vestibular issue.

 

Also, ds has started to enjoy running. We set up short sprints, and we measured out 1 mile (2 laps around the block) so he can compete against himself.

 

Using a stability ball can be great, too. Ds's torso is weak, and that's helped him a lot.

 

I'm considering weight training for him in another year or two (he's 10). I'll be looking into good programs though. Weights at a young age can be dangerous if not used properly.

[DawnM]

My Aspie son loves to golf! My husband takes him and DH is a golfer, so it has been great. He will also practice hitting practice balls in the yard.

 

We tried team type sports and it was a bit of a disaster....he doens't "get" social cues, which are necessary for many of the team sports.

 

He also plays outside in our woods and yard a lot with his brothers.

 

Other than that, we don't have an official regiment for sports.

 

Dawn

[happygrrl]

My ds loves the trampoline. That is about the only 'physical' thing he will do, so we bought the wii fit. Wow! He plays that all the time. Not the best as far as a sport goes, but perhaps a good stepping stone. At least he's moving!

[Niffercoo]

I guess we've been pretty lucky in terms of physical activity! Austin has been playing baseball in a church league since he was 7. He is very good at baseball, and his dad coaches so he can help if there are any issues. But Austin is a different child on the ball field. He's one of the starting pitchers, and he usually makes the All-Star team. He's been playing with many of the same kids since he was 7, and they all know him. They think it's cool that he knows all the baseball stats.

 

At home, he works with a swing trainer, and he rides his bike for enjoyment. He has a small training bench and does some very light free weights.

 

Reece has taken ballet at a small christian dance studio since she was 4. Her teacher has a child on the spectrum, so she understands how to handle her. The weekly class is a bit of a struggle for Reece because she just doesn't handle group settings very well - but she's an excellent dancer. She did tap last year but couldn't handle the noise and the way the shoes felt on her feet. We like ballet because it helps strengthen her core, and helps her with body awareness.

 

At home, she rides a bike with training wheels, and she's trying hard to jump rope. Since I've taken up jogging, she's become very interested in jogging (along with her sister) so I might get them some shoes and begin a little running program with them.

 

We also have a Wii, and have the Outdoor Adventure game for the kids. We've had mini-trampolines in the house and have a swingset outdoors. I guess I'm lucky that my kids like to be active.

[catalinakel]

My daughter has Asperger's and has never been very physically active. But we have required swimming lessons, and they are finally starting to pay off. For the first few years she always had a death grip on her teacher for most of the class. She didn't actually become comfortable with swimming until age 10, when she took off on her own. She and her brother go two nights a week now, and she has improved amazingly. At first it was painful to watch her do strokes, she was so awkward, but we just insisted she keep at it, and she has done really well. We won't be doing swim team, but may have her do jr. lifeguarding in a year or so just because she can. one on one swimming lessons for a bit might help your son get over not wanting his face in the water. good luck.

[Pamela H in Texas]

My ds12 does NO physical activity at all. I purchased a $500 treadmill because he hates going outside but he just didn't "get" it. He would walk for 30 mins. because we told him he had to, but he walked at a ridiculously slow speed. When he walks, his feet sort of flop around.

 

My son does stuff like this also, so I'm VERY clear (like setting the point goal on Outdoor Adventure). For the treadmill, I would set either a planned workout (if yours has them) or would say, except for a 2 min warm up and 3 min cool down, you must do X minutes at 3.5 mph (or 4.2 or whatever is reasonable)...and then raise it in a few weeks...and a few weeks after that...

 

Anyway, if we had a good treadmill, I'd definitely offer that for Ty. But I'd have to do it Jillian Michael's style :)

[asta]

Swimming.

 

Best. Thing. Ever.

 

 

asta

[BamaTanya]

I'm printing them out and running them by dh . . . and later ds who will probably begrudgingly say, "Okay," in his best Eyore voice. Thanks for giving me some ideas!

[BamaTanya]

I was wondering the very same thing this weekend. My ds12 does NO physical activity at all. I purchased a $500 treadmill because he hates going outside but he just didn't "get" it. He would walk for 30 mins. because we told him he had to, but he walked at a ridiculously slow speed. When he walks, his feet sort of flop around. It's like he's not sure what to do with this bigger body that has sort of appeared within the past several months. His feet are as big as my DH's feet now, except not quite as wide.

 

When he was 6, he joined a TaeKwonDo studio. He stuck with it until he earned his Black Belt at age 8, but like the rest of us, he was tired of it and wanted to quit.

 

He tried a low-key church basketball team one year at age 6 or 7, but he was totally lost in the team game play.

 

I used to make him walk with me at a local park last year, but he complained and whined about the bugs and flying things the entire time we were there.

 

I tried to get him to do a fun exercise tape but he refuses to do it in front of others. I tried to get him to do it in his room but he says it's just too hard. It was a walking tape for kids.

 

I'm at a loss here!

 

But I have hope we're run across something that will be fun for him!

[BamaTanya]

 

My daughter is very interested in how the body works in general, so for her, she seems more willing to do exercise if she can understand which parts of the body it uses, etc.

 

 

I hadn't thought of approaching it from the scientific angle. He is interested in all things science, so that might be a good starting place for us. Spending some time on EDUCATING him. And then allowing him to choose among activities that would benefit him in different ways. I like that!

[chiguirre]

Right now, ds 8 is playing Upward Soccer. He's improved so dramatically since the last time he played 2 years ago. He's still the worst kid on the team, but he's at least able to do the drills and run with the pack on the field. He's enjoying it a lot more too.

 

We're going to try Special Olympics swimming this summer so that he can learn the strokes. He's a capable doggie paddler, but it's time to move on and the Y classes are just too large and over-stimulating for him.

 

Now that ds is 8, I think we'll also give SO basketball a try. He's still got a lot of difficulty just dribbling a ball so he definitely couldn't play on even a rec team for basketball. I hope SO will help him learn some basic ball handling skills although I think he'll be too young and too small to actually play on the team.

 

Ds sort of straddles the line between doing SO and doing rec leagues. Depending on the sport or activity, he can sometimes keep up with typical kids, but sometimes it's just too hard for him. My goal is for him to be able to swim well not to compete as much as to feel comfortable in the water. I'd like him to enjoy team sports even if he's not very good and I'd like him to learn a few activities we can do long term.

[Jennifer in MI]

I have to say this thread is very helpful! I was starting to get worried about my Aspie. He's 12 and I have to FORCE him outside. He'd rather stay in and work on/read about rockets.

 

I noticed that most of my ds's activities have already been listed: baseball (he's a GREAT pitcher!), fencing, and karate.

 

He is a very good swimmer, but refused to practice with the team because the water was too cold. We're putting him in a rowing camp this summer. (Dh rowed at Penn, so he's very happy!) We'll see how this goes!!

[Chris in VA]

My almost-Aspie likes weight training and yoga. He doesn't ride a bike, or I'd suggest that.

[Mesa]

Boy oh boy does this challenge sound familiar. My aspie likes the water. We eventually tured the like into love and from there we went to swim lessons and now the swim team. He isnt good, and his technique isnt pretty but he does swim decently and he gets to work all of his muscles. I notic his handwriting is improving now too. I think it's the swimming... but who knows.

[JennifersLost]

My Aspie loves the water - is soothed by it I think, but lessons were humiliating and swim team wouldn't have worked at all.

 

He really likes karate, though - the combination of the katas and learning Japanese is great for him. He likes sparring, too, with people in his class. He might not like it if someone was whaling on him.

 

Our trampoline is great. All the kids like it, even the ones who like little else. They get a great workout on it and have come up with lots of different games they play while jumping.

 

My Aspie son also loves running around in the woods. He's very creative and always has a story in his head. I think he uses the woods, trails, etc., as a place to envision those stories. I used to do that as a kid, too. I'd be walking around in the woods from place to place where the story in my head was situated.

 

It was great to read these posts. So encouraging to know others are dealing with this, too.

[Barb_]

Dd loved ballet (dancing with clear rules), fencing (ballet w/ weapons), archery and trampoline. When she got older she loved long bike rides as a way to find quiet time for herself, but not so much for exercise when she was younger. She like weight training and hated gymnastics with a purple passion. Swimming, roller skating, soccer, and anything where running was involved were also big flops here.

 

Barb