Five Individual Sports for Kids With ASD

Autism can present a series of challenges, but sports can be the way to face it in better condition. However, team sports can be the wrong option for kids that have a hard struggle with social communications and interactions. These five individuals sports can present a lighter way to help them with communication skills because they possess team components but with fewer interactions.

Top five individual sports for kids with autism

Biking

This activity has many benefits. Physically, they can develop legs muscle organization, increase their endurance, can thrive their coordination and balance. As they continuing to practice it, it can prevent future cardiovascular problems and obesity and their associated health complications.

It can help kids with autism in other aspects. Mentally, they will focus all their attention to stay upright and improve their determination to end the task will increase their wills. Emotionally, learn how to ride a bike and keep getting better at it will give them a sense of independence and triumph, and also can push them to learn new things and success in their lives.

Track and field

This sport is particular because it is a team sport, but it can be done by one person at a time; for that reason communication between teammates is reduce to a minimum, and when a child with autism doesn’t feel comfortable with tons of small talk, this option is great. Their social skills can improve with smaller steps, and without too much pressure. Besides, they can be with peers that like the same things like them.

For their health track and field can raise good cholesterol, maintain a good lung function, strengthens the heart and helps build muscles; and helps prevent diabetes and obesity. For kids, it can improve their coordination and muscle mass. The most important benefits for children with ASD are: decreasing self-stimulatory behaviors, hyperactivity, aggression, and destructiveness since they can release all the energy accumulated.

Swimming

This is the preferred sport for calming the anxiety of children with autism. Water soothes and calm them, allows them to feel better and more comfortable with their bodies. Many kids feel good with touching after a session in the pool. Also, in the pool, they can improve their social skills within small groups and a good relationship with their trainers.

Swimming can improve other things; you will be impressed by them. With swimming lessons, kids in the spectrum can learn new things outside the pool, because they will feel relaxed and cool after every session. It can help improve children’s attention span, concentration, impulse control, and ability to follow directions. The lesson will require a lot of energy that will reduce their hyperactivity, allow them to concentrate on other tasks. Thanks to learning how to breathe inside and outside the water, can help them with their ability to speak. Swimming is a great sport!

Horseback riding

Equine Therapy is a great help for ASD children. Riding a horse can improve their lives. Emotionally kids tend to create a bond with the selected horse, that way they can feel secure and comfortable around it and they can take that to the real world and practice their social skills.

With their health, it helps to improve their motor skills, keeping upright in the horse will require a good combination of muscle movements, every time that they are riding their muscles will become stronger, they also work with their balance and coordination. Mastering riding a horse and create a bond with it will improve the life of an autistic child, it will provide them with confidence and above all happiness.

Gymnastics

This option can sound hard, difficult, and stressful for ASD children; but on the contrary, it is a great sport for improving a lot of aspect with their health and social lives. Gymnastics can include a lot of skills, like cognition and motor skill development because this sport needs a lot of movements and physical efforts. It can help with the body: muscles, bones, articulations, and heart.

Social skills, self-esteem, and body confidence can improve thanks to gymnastics, because of the different exercises kids will understand completely how their body works. Also, just like the other sports, it is a team sport but the interactions with the teammates are minimal, however, it can help them with social situations and talking.

These five sports can improve the lives of children within the spectrum in many and different ways, just let them learn and find what they like, we know that at the beginning it won’t be easy but the results after a couple of months are worth it. Come to Autism Soccer and learn the variety of programs that we offer to the little ones, to put a smile on their faces.