Autism Soccer: Development

Showing posts with label Development. Show all posts

Friday, February 23, 2018

Learning Soccer: What It Can Do for Your Autistic Child?

Your child will love to experience soccer in a fun way.

Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by challenges in many social interactions, communication difficulties and a usual tendency to engage in repetitive actions. Children under the spectrum usually have a timid behavior and are generally taken as being introvert kids.

These difficulties, including sensory sensitivity, are usually manifested by delayed language development, problems in understanding and using non-verbal communication such as facial expressions or gestures, complications in forming and sustaining friendships and sensitivity to loud noises, bright lights, and strong scents.

That’s why soccer is a great sport, because it can help improve your child’s motor skills, strength, coordination and some other aspects like self confidence. Since Soccer is a teamwork sport, it enables your child to work on his social skills and communications with his or her teammates as well, it is a great option to face the spectrum with different and effective tools.

Here are some of the reasons why soccer is a good sport for your autistic child to play:

Motor skills development

Soccer is a great sport for helping in the development and further improvement of motor skills in autistic children. Soccer requires a certain amount of concentration when playing because the child has to focus on the ball while concentrating on his body movements.
This sport is an ideal activity to help children develop motor skills because it requires practice that, with the help of a coach who teaches step by step the movements, provides the necessary help in the development and improvement of these skills. Also, soccer practice will help with the child gain strength and coordination with the ball.

Social skills and communication, teamwork and cooperation

Practicing sports can help develop the ability to cooperate with others, and this will grant major success with the child's relationships. Since soccer is a sport that has a coach looking after everything that’s going on, he will motivate the children to work as a team to make the plays, instead of promoting solo performances.
Soccer also helps to develop social skills and establishing good communications because the child will need to interact with his or her teammates in order to achieve the desired play.

Self Esteem and confidence

For a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, practicing a sport can be very meaningful and bring positive aspects in the self-esteem and confidence fields. When playing soccer the child can, as said before, interact with other children and at the same time this will allow him or her to get to know their self better and improve their confidence and self-esteem.
Since soccer is an activity that requires control of the ball and the entire body, self-esteem plays an important role because as the child starts growing comfortable with his or her body and his surroundings, it will allow him or her to perform different tasks correctly when playing. When playing team sports, confidence plays a fundamental role.

Children can learn social skills. They can also learn how to control their impulses and deal with stress.

Autism Soccer is a project created to help autistic children develop happily and in a safe environment by practicing a sport that can be beneficial to their health and ease up the love for sports. For more information about the project and how to enroll your child in this activities, do not hesitate to contact us through our social networks or website.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Autism Movement Therapy

This therapy helps them improve their ability to learn through movement sequence and patterns, tempo and rhythm.

When it comes down to choosing ways to help your children, either as a parent or relative, you always seek for the best. We know how difficult it is to see children with autism struggle because of their condition, but there’s always a way to support them. Today, we’ll show you an alternative therapy that has proved to be very effective: the Autism Movement Therapy.

Joanne Lara: the mind behind AMT

This therapy was first developed by Joanne Lara, a severe education specialist teacher with a master in special education. She was a professional dancer whose advocacy focused on improving the lives of autistic individuals, helping them through movement and musical lessons. All her efforts turned towards the foundation of Autism Movement Therapy.

Joanne is an adjunct professor at National University in LA, California, where she helped in the design of the Autism Certificate. Lara teaches Autism Movement Therapy classes in Van Nuys, CA, where she has private consultation practices of her AMT. She’s also produced a documentary called Generation A: Portraits of Autism and the Arts.

The Organization

Autism Movement Therapy, Inc is an organization (nonprofit) that focuses on supporting those with neurological disabilities and peers on the autism spectrum. The program follows a structured musical method based on re-mapping, a sensory integration technique. Also, there’s the Positive Behavior Support, a strategy that aids individuals with the disorder in the development of their speech and language.

Not only this organization seeks for helping individuals improve their quality of life. AMT also seeks for expanding the awareness and advocacy to raise the voices and dignity of the autism community. As a nonprofit organization, their value can be seen in the many testimonials which are the living proof of its success.

If you’re willing to support causes like this one, you just have to access their website and collaborate. No matter how little your donation is, it will help.

Autism is a complex disorder that demands support and attention. When your children get the assistance and love they need, the odds are they’ll have a better outcome in life. Autism Soccer is a nonprofit organization that puts passion and love in what they do, so if you’re looking for a place for your children to improve their skills, then your choice is to contact them!

This is a sensory integration strategy that can help with the development of children with autism.

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Thursday, August 24, 2017

Robison: An Example for Autistic Advocates

The life of John Elder Robinson was full of struggles and hardships due to Asperger and society's misconceptions. He even dropped out of high school but found, later on, an opportunity in the music business.

Every movement or initiative requires an individual as an example to follow. That individual must represent the ideals and will of those who take part of the initiative. Not for personal realization or for a popularity goal, but to raise awareness. Autistic self-advocates are not scarce, but today we’ll talk about an active member of this initiative: John Elder Robison.

Robison was born in Athens, Georgia, in 1957. He is the author of two books: Look Me in the Eye (2007), a memoir that details his life as an undiagnosed Asperger’s, and Switched on (2016), a chronicle of how TMS changed his life. Added to that, he’s best known for the creation of the special effects the band KISS had in their guitars in the 70s.

In his early years, he was a loner. He spent most of his childhood in solitude, unable to make any friends. His parents often took him to different therapists, and he was sent to several schools in an attempt to understand what the problem was.

The social disability of Robison was taken as a rebellious attitude, and he was soon labeled as a “misbehaving student” and “lazy”. By the tenth grade, he decided to drop high school. The answers arrived much later in his life but turned out to be essential in the decisions he made afterward.

Robison could tell he had a problem to reach and understand social environments. It was by the late 1980s that he quit his job as a manager at a Boston electronics firm. He was tired of feeling like he didn’t quite fit. After that, he got into mechanics. Fixing cars played a big role in his life, as he found himself immersed in the world of machines.

This is where J.E. Robison Service became a successful business. Robison specializes in motor car work for Mercedes, Jaguars, Land Rovers, Rolls-Royces, and many other cars. His company became widely popular across the nation in customization work and restoration. Customers from all parts of New England pay a visit there just to get their cars pimped by him.

After meeting a therapist that visited JE Robison Service, he was told about Asperger’s Syndrome. That day Robison’s life changed forever, and after that, he would never be the same. With that understanding, he became aware that he couldn’t just stay doing what he used to.

In 2007, he published Look Me in the Eye. The book discusses his life as an individual who lived the autism spectrum without being aware of it. The book was an instant bestseller that propelled him to become a voice of autistic individuals. Autism opened the door for awareness.

Today, he leads initiatives in favor of autism investigation. His main concern is to improve the life quality of those who have this condition. It’s a gift to have someone like Robison working day and night towards the rights of autistic people.

Ask yourself if you’re doing at least a little to help those who need it, and if you’re not, there are many ways to support the community! You can help nonprofit organizations like Autism Soccer by donating or spreading the word. Remember! You’re doing it for future generations. Be an example people will look up to!

Robison continues to work hard in support of autistic individuals and, as an Aspergers' himself, constantly stands up for their rights.

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Monday, August 14, 2017

Autism and Semantics: People-first Language

Children with autism need help from professors, therapists and parents to change the world to a people-first language.

Language is the most powerful way to reach others and communicate. Communication demands that verbal and nonverbal expressions are in equilibrium to ensure the successful delivery of the message to those who are listening. People-first language has been a matter of debate on the subject of autism. “individual with ASD,” “person with autism,” “person who has autism” are examples of people-first, but why is it used? And what does autistic self-advocates think of it? Let’s start by explaining what it means to use this language in general.

People-first language is, in essence, a way to emphasize the value of the person beyond the condition itself. It means that the individual is more important than any condition that could have. This language respectfully puts the person before the disability in a way people can relate to them without the disabilities getting all the attention.

But as it is widely used, it is also criticized by several autistic self-advocates and members of the autism community, who prefer using “autistic,” “autistic individual” or “autistic person,” as a form of acceptance of the condition as a necessary part of autistics’ identity. The stigma behind these terms is that it feels insulting to parents when people use these terminologies to refer to their children.

All terminologies stated above are widely used in most autistic communities in an attempt to identify children and individuals in society. The debate resides in how people perceive autism: with people-first language focusing on the person-not-the-disability vs. those who claim it’s offensive to deny the condition itself.

It’s understandable to feel the need to protect your children from harm, but you need to keep in mind that your kids' condition is something that they should relate and identify with and not a title to be looked down upon by others. The moment you deny what they are in essence, your children could feel just as bad as you do.

Which choice is better then? It depends on the context: if you’re in a community of autistic self-advocates, people-first might be inappropriate. Nonetheless, if you’re in a group of parents or communities of people without autism, consider using people-first language.

Hopefully, there’ll be a way to find a point in between these two, for the sake of both sides. From understanding comes closeness, further turning into more support for the cause. Search a way to communicate properly, and if your intentions are pure, your message will reach those who need it.

This a oreferred terminology and an initiative present in most of the institutions that work with people with autism.

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Thursday, August 10, 2017

Can Autism be Genetically Investigated?

Scientists are looking at the genetic code to identify the patterns and causes for autism.

Almost everything that defines who we are is rooted in our genetics. If you have read stories about identical twins separated at birth, you’ll find a similar pattern in their behavior and certain life decisions. Taking out the fact that each person life's conditions are different, there’s an obvious pattern in genetics that can be traced down. Now, autism is still clouded with some uncertainty about its origins and occurrence, but can autism be genetically investigated?

Getting back to the identical twins referent, there’s a lot of information about their genes that is related to the investigation of autism. It happens that if one of them has autism, the chances of the other to having this condition as well are higher. Since genes are shared among identical twins, this evidence indicates that the roots of the spectrum have a lot to do with the genetic.

Autism is not such an uncommon disorder. According to this study, 1 out of 68 people has it. The chances of having other children with it increase to 15% and it doubles if there are two or more children. Of course, this doesn’t mean autism can't occur out of anywhere. DNA always changes over generations, which means that determined new genes or the lack of them can easily lead to an autistic newborn, even if the family didn't have autism records before.

Most of this research was done in groups of less than 100 families who have at least one autistic child, which means these results require a closer look and further investigation. But the truth is the concern shouldn’t be if autism can be studied genetically, but to find tangible solutions for autistic individuals to be successfully understood in society.

It is clear that genetics play a role in the autism puzzle, and given that information, scientists can continue to unravel the mysteries that hide behind it. As for now, the labor of helping autistic individuals to accomplish their goals remains. Autism Soccer is continuously trying to support the development of autistic children: they have the facilities ready, a staff of professionals and the good will to help. Reach for them and see it yourself!

This condition has been studied for years, but in the last decade genetics are beginning to be a crucial key to scientist.

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Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Quiet Hour: A Great Initiative

For people with autism, noises can cause a great deal of distress.

There have been many initiatives on the rise over the last years. While the majority of them were just awareness campaigns (social media and educational campaigns), there’s also been an increase of call-to-action movements. This year’s awareness month, for example, was filled with not only online but local events, activities, and many other things to raise understanding. But the end of awareness month doesn’t mean the labor has ended. The National Autistic Society decided to make a Quiet Hour Initiative to help those with autism to enjoy the outdoors without complications.

Starting October 2nd, the UK will have its first nationwide quiet hour. This time would consist of turning down the music and all those overwhelming noises that autistic people hate and that make them feel discouraged to be around shops and shopping centers. Also, these stores have been asked to dim their lights, as it causes them distress as well.

Most stores and shops will be providing information about autism to help spread the awareness message among the citizens. Also, the Too Much Information campaign, which will provide much more knowledge about autism, will be shared in that period.

This initiative kicks off on October 2nd and will last about a week or more. All shops and centers will be able to choose an hour each day to support the cause. The goal of the National Autistic Society is to create the first massive participation for autistic people to enjoy a nice time with their families. Perhaps it may seem like a little time, but it’s a good start to promote other initiatives like these in the UK.

Check your schedule and start making plans for October, you’ll have the chance to take your children for a marvelous outdoor experience! Don’t be afraid. You’ll discover that there will be places for them to enjoy their day! In the meantime, why not put them to play some sports? Autism Soccer is open for your children to train and learn the basics of football. On the other hand, if you wish to support this initiative, you could always leave a donation on their website!

Institutions and locals around the world are creating a trigger-free day for people within the autism spectrum.

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Thursday, August 3, 2017

Autistic Role Models for Children: Why there should be more?

Autistic children can't relate to most role models on the media, which could lead them to feel isolated or not taken into consideration.

From the moment you gain awareness of the world you’re in, a sudden curiosity takes over. All you want is to touch, feel and see almost everything around you. After several years, you can tell which things are good and which are bad. At this point, you look up to your parents as if they were the best, your heroes and examples, the role model you ideally want to become.

What happens after you’re 10 to 12 years old? This is when you start experiencing more profoundly what’s out there and the people outside your family environment. You watch TV, meet new people, and discover new things about yourself. As an autistic individual, you might find it strange that there are many actors, models, and famous people in general, covering the TV shows and in the spotlight, but that, unfortunately, are people you can't relate with or make your role model. Perhaps you thought there should be more autistic people being mentioned and recognized, so there could be someone you could look up to, right? You couldn’t be more right!

Having someone to look up to is not only for admiration. When you see someone you can relate to becoming successful, you feel empathy immediately and desire to improve, as a personal challenge. You want, in some way, to “be like them.” As surprising as it might sound, there are several successful autistic people that, sadly, haven’t made it to the mainstream media. Today you will have an opportunity to meet them. I’ll list three important role models to soothe the spirit.

Satoshi Tajiri

The name by itself doesn't ring any bells, but perhaps if I mention the word “Pokémon,” you’ll identify the person. Referred as “Dr. Bug” by his companions because of his fixation with these, Satoshi was one of the minds behind the creation of one of the most famous video game/anime franchises in the world today. Perhaps you didn’t know, but he was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Satoshi is a successful autistic model passionate about his work and projects.

Donna Williams

The author of the bestselling book Nobody Nowhere is an autistic writer and artist that decided to open up and express what is like to be born “different.” Donna managed to learn how to express herself by using her own hands: excelling in sculpting, painting, screenplay managing and books. Nobody Nowhere is an autobiography, where she exposes her life through her personal experience as an autistic individual.

Thomas Mckean

Thomas Mckean is one of the supporters of autistic research and education. He became popular for his continued work and due to his life experiences related to autism. He was first diagnosed with autism at the age of 14 years old, in 1979. All his life experiences with this condition are a source of inspiration for advocates and members of this neurotribe.

As you can see, role models are out there waiting for you to reach out to them and learn from their experiences. With time, people will understand the importance of autistic individuals in society. Autism Soccer is an organization capable of providing you with the best tools to help you improve your skills and grow as an individual. No matter who or what is pulling you back, they’ll be there for you!