A FOUNDATION FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN President and Founder ~ Tammie Topel, RN, MA We can all agree that the care required to educate and care for our children is costly; but when you add special needs to that equation, that cost increases exponentially ~ from alternative treatments and supplements to after school programs and therapies. Unfortunately, the programs involving physical activity are the ones that parents have trouble finding the time or the resources for after saturating their children’s schedule with other necessary protocols. Besides improving fitness, motor function, and behavior in individuals with a developmental disability, the most important advantages of physical activity are the social implications of participating in sports and exercise. Physical activity can promote self-esteem, increase general levels of happiness, and can lead to positive social outcomes, all highly beneficial outcomes for individuals with autism and other disabilities. For those with disabilities who are able to participate in team sports, this presents an opportunity to develop social relationships among teammates and learn how to recognize the social cues required for successful performance on the field or court. However, individuals that prefer individual sports such as running or swimming that do not rely as heavily on social cues may still benefit from the positive attributes of physical activity while forming social relationships with coaches or trainers. In all cases, participating in sports provides individuals with disabilities with a role in society that may not have existed otherwise. In addition, studies show that physical fitness reduces feelings of depression and anxiety and promotes psychological well-being; increases appropriate play and academic responding in children with Autism and other related disabilities. Exercise helps build and maintain healthy bones and muscles and helps reduce the risk of developing obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is data to support that exercise also plays a critical role in brain activity. Physical exercise improves brain plasticity (the ability to be molded) and brain growth ~ the cells of the brain grow with exercise and the brain is activity dependent - the more activity it gets, the more it will grow in size and density. The body and the brain are codependent ~ the quality and quantity of movement of all the muscles are directly correlated to the quality and quantity of the functional capacity of the brain. |
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