Active Games for Children on the Autism Spectrum by Erin Bennett

Author:Erin Bennett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Human Kinetics

Conclusion

Early childhood is the optimal time for children to learn fundamental movement skills and meet movement milestones. A child entering grade 1 is expected to have mastered the ABCs of physical literacy and a beginning level of fundamental movement skills, which will form the foundation for physical education, recess activities, and playground programs. Families are critically important in teaching and supporting their child to become competent, confident, and motivated to move.

Gymnastics is a common activity done in elementary schools once or twice a year. Most of the equipment consists of climbing obstacles with rope ladders and monkey bars. Abby was a student in grade 1 and had difficulty pulling herself up onto the rings of the equipment due to a lack of grip strength. She was missing out on the activities with her peers because it took her twice as long to get through each station. The rules of the school district stated that educational assistants were not allowed to help her onto the equipment if she was not able to climb up independently. This rule then excluded her from multiple stations where she was not able to pull herself up. Changing the direction of movement from climbing up and over the rungs to under and across allowed her to use the full length of the equipment with her peers but not risk her own safety and allowed her to be independent at each station. She focused more on hanging off the equipment rather than climbing across. The stations were then practiced with an EA in order from 1 to 10 with the same student partner for two sessions. By the third session, she was able to move independently with her peer support from station to station, as well as move independently on the equipment without having aid or verbal cues from the EA. This adaptation turned exclusion into inclusion in physical education for Abby.

Erin Bennett

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