Sports play a huge role in many lives. Dads and sons bonding, camaraderie, teamwork, work ethics, we could go on and on. Sports is a great outlet for many children. We all know the insane amount of energy bottled up in our kids. It seems like they could go for days. They will go till the last minute. The very last minute, I can remember falling asleep in the dugout as a child and running to bat seconds later. Kicking on the energy button for a child is easy.
Even children with Autism are born with this wicked pile of energy. The second they wake up they are moving and shaking. It seems even more bottled up with children with Autism. You look at some of them and they just seem like they want to break out into a dead sprint. That’s where sports come in. What better an outlet than sports?
There are many problems to this scenario. The obvious factor is the social integration that autistic children lack. Basically, Autism is a disorder that keeps people from being able to understand how to behave like the social norm. Call it what you want, simply put, they don’t understand what’s going on around them. This makes for some very challenging issues in the team events. Although, it is not entirely ruled out. Autism has a very large spectrum and therefore you will see different severities in every child allowing some to understand team sports. Secondly, Autistic children don’t really listen. It takes an Autistic child roughly 10 times more prompting to get them to understand. So try telling them to run a post route, 30 times every practice. Probably not going to happen. Lastly, the fine motor skills of the Autistic don’t seem to develop as typically either, so the skill level is lacking in most cases.
There are a list of good “sports” though. They are actually therapeutic. They are obviously going to be individual based sports, but a list none the less.
- Swimming
- Horseback Riding
- Track
- Bowling (my favorite)
- Hiking
- Golf ( I threw that in)
I have been thinking about this for weeks now. My son is getting old enough to understand sports. He is also getting old enough to see me involved in them constantly and therefore peaking some interest. The motor skills are somewhat behind for his age and see how excelling may be a problem. However, I see something else. I see a tremendous focus. And when that focus is active the memory is off the charts. He can put together 150 piece puzzle from memory and he just turned 4. So we lightly participate in some things and I like to see what he grasps onto and what he doesn’t. Almost all kids love swimming, so that’s a given and he is like a fish. And then their is Bowling. He is definitely only participating to see the pins blow everywhere but he is participating none the less.
Then we get to golf. That is why I added it. With individualized sports being his most likely option golf falls into place. YES it does take some serious acute motor skills. I don’t care what anyone says, trying to hit that mini ball off that mini tee from 45 inches, swinging as hard as you can takes hand eye coordination paralleled to none. Anyhow, I have routinely putted in front of him in the house. I have taken him to the putting greens for some visual stimulation, and even bought him a mini putter to fit in. We have worked on grip some, and even what side to stand on but mostly because it gives me a chance to prompt words. He can not speak, he listens, hears, and understands, but the words just won’t come out.
So I question if he can even understand me because like most humans I need verbal response to really know if someone is listening and understanding. We went miniature golfing today with some much older cousins for the first time. They grabbed their putters and headed for the first tee and stood in silence. The wheels turning. They had no idea how to stand, how to swing, or even how they were going to use this stick to get the ball in the hole. I watched my son set his ball down, step away from it with it lined up between his feet. He took his grip, reciting the 1..2.. method we use. Although he cannot figure out how to swing it back and forth and make contact. He knew the steps. It dawned on me, then, that golf may be the perfect sport. It is individualized enough, it doesn’t require to much physical in the sense of football players slamming into one another, or having a baseball hurled at you. It is a quiet game where you can be alone. Where you can really concentrate on what your doing, and reduced distractions. Then it really started rolling through my mind. What if the intensity he shows with the puzzle translates into putting? He would make every putt.
People with Autism are generally routine based. They need and thrive on routine. Well, the first thing I was taught when trying to develop a game of golf was to develop a solid routine. Hmm, this will be interesting as the years go on. To see how this will pan out. From day one he knew the idea of the game. Get the ball in the hole. And he displayed his knowledge the first time we went to a putting green and 5 others were putting. As I turned my back for about 1 minute, I returned to the hole I was standing at with about 15 golf balls stuck in it, and 5 grown men standing perfectly still as my 2 year old son strategically put everyone of their golf balls in the same hole. I think they were sort of stunned and confused. they were probably wondering how they could be mad at a little boy for wanting the ball to be in the hole…isn’t that what we all want??
So I leave you with this thought. The Autistic are excitable and can be extremely focused when necessary. They may not understand the social norms, but these days who does? It is possible for the Autistic to do anything they want with the proper nurturing and teaching and people willing to give a helping hand. The following video is evidence that anything can happen. It is also evidence of how a team sport is difficult for autistic. This guys shoots about 13 times in 4 minutes….But it is Magical! I can watch this 500 times and still feel the most immense joy I have ever felt. Dreams can come true, odds can be over come, and given the correct circumstances people will do amazing things!
Autism doesn’t stand a chance in this fight. I will win! Kade will win, WE will win!!
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