How can I help my 6 year-old son improve his running skills?

My son has Asperger's Syndrome and has poor motor skills. He's a tall, bright, good-looking kid, so other children (we haven't disclosed his ASD to his classmates yet) expect him to move well on the playground. He works with an adaptive P.E. Teacher once/week and we have him in private swim lessons to improve strength and coordination, but he is so ashamed of the way he runs and how slowly he moves that he's become very self-conscious about participating in any group activities.

Not to mention that one little girl that we used to be very close to - and whom I've about had it with - is constantly poking fun of his running and hand-writing (another difficult area) and tries to make a game out of having everyone run away from him on the playground. How can I help him? Are there specific exercises that I can do with him that will improve his motor function and strength?

(Besides just having him run more, that is. ) Asked by McBean 56 months ago Similar questions: help year old son improve running skills Health.

Similar questions: help year old son improve running skills.

Dancing and cooperative games could be beneficial This article, included below, suggests two types of activities that I think may be helpful for you. First, dancing can be beneficial in building motor skills. Choose children's music that is upbeat and easy to move to.

You can also try dances like the "Hokey Pokey" that require a certain level of motor skills, but there is no consequence of not having strong motor skills. Also, if you have other children around encourage cooperative games. Such games are the ones that require working together but without the idea of beating someone.

Think of the games like balancing a ball together, such as back to back or front to front. "Children with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities can improve their motor skills, just as typically developing children do. The most effective way to improve motor skills is to practice and utilize motor skills.

The development of a gross motor program that includes all children doing a variety of skills and activities is an important aspect of a young child's life. Although adaptations to equipment or rules may be needed, what children with disabilities need most is challenge, encouragement to try, reinforcement for their success, and involvement in the decision making process about what they want to do. Young children can benefit from many different motor activities.

Broad categories of possible activity areas include physical fitness, basic motor skills, dance and music, individual and group activities, and cooperative games. Within each category, activities can be simple, short, and promote success for all children involved. Physical fitness may involve simple stretching, bending, twisting, and other body movements.

Some imaginative activities such as bear walking or other animal walks can encourage movements created by the child. Basic motor skills include activities such as walking, running, jumping, climbing and ball skills to name a few. A simple way to include a variety of basic motor skills is to create an obstacle course.

The children can go through, in, over and under obstacles; throw balls at a target, and jump over a rope or crawl under a rope (if they are in a wheel chair). Some equipment to use for basic motor skills are air mattresses, cones, mobiles, balance beams, balloons, balls, bean bags, hoops, mirrors, rattles, ropes, targets, tires, and tunnels. When practicing basic motor skills, the emphasis should be on attempting the activity, rather than on the correctness of the movement.

Dance and music can be done by listening to the radio or children's music. Public libraries often have a children's music section. Encourage children to move in whatever manner they want as the music plays, either individually or in groups.

The adults should also participate by moving with the music so children have a model. This will help them believe that moving/dancing is good to do. Cooperative games and activities help children learn how to work and play together rather than always compete.

One example of a game is "Beach Ball Balance" in which two or more children hold the beach ball between them without using their hands. They hold it back to back, head to head, head to shoulder, etc. An excellent resource book for cooperative games is Cooperative Sports and Games Book by Terry Orlick." Sources: http://www.isdd.indiana.edu/irca/SocialLeisure/movementact.html .

My sympathies,Bean. I generally try to avoid answers such as the one that I’m about to give you,but after researching ASD,I narrowed a few peogramsthat may improve the "mind muscle" resposes. I’ll give you links that outline different techniques.

I’ll spot select the most complete programs. Here are some agility exercises. They look simple,but they’re seemingly designed to recruit all of the adductors,abductors,hip flexors,quadriceps,calves and peroneous elogorous.

Laymens terms,the muscles that he needs to run,jump and maneuver. sport-fitness-advisor.com/agility-exerci... This article doesn’t specializee in ASD,but there are ways to overcome some of the barriers your child has,by teaching the brain to respond to certain stimuli. This is a source that I trust 90% of the time.

I read what was there and determined that you could benefit from parts of it. bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=Spe... Now,down to some exercise scince. Part of you childs physical diabilities may stem from a "lack of communication" from the brain to the muscles.

Therefore,I’d suggest using some of the priciples of motor unit recruitment,which is basically teaching the brain to employ all of the muscles (individual fibers) to perform a task. While this is generally used by powerlifters and olympic weightlifters,there are possible benefits here. This is a brief axplanation,so you may even want to skip this for now.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_unit_recruit... You can browse this article,as there are helpful points,I'd be happy to help you afterwords in the discussion or via private message,as you may have a hard time navigating through here. I don't ever advocate a child of that age lifting weights,so the earea of interest is midway down this page. orgs.jmu.edu/strength/JMUPerformPrincipl... Sources: 18 different searches based on my knowledge of kinetics,kinesiology and exercise science..

Here is some running advice we give to our softball players... First, I want to say concerning the girl he plays with that at six, she is old enough to understand what she is doing, and if you haven't already, you should speak to her mother and then to her about your son's ASD. Somtimes children do these things because no one has taken the time to explain to them what the problem is. We have a nephew with Spina Bifida.

He gets around pretty well (is 6 years old), but is in leg braces and will never be able to run. If he has long pants on, other children do not see the braces and will get irritated with him at the playground for going to slow up the ladder or over the bridge, etc. A simple explanation to the other children, usually on the order of "s legs don't work like your legs do, so we need to give him a little more time," usually works very well.In fact, he has learned to tell other kids to please slow down. I have never noticed kids avoiding him after his condition has been made known and, in fact, have found most kids to be very understanding.

They are still young enough to take the information in stride, maybe ask a question or two, and then go on playing happily with each other. Of course, there are times the other kids play a game that involve running, and they either change the rules for him, or he sits and watches or plays something else. He has learned that he can't expect everyone else to not run just because he can't.

So back to this little girl, if you talk to her parents/her about your son, and the situation does not improve, and being around her makes your son feel bad, then that is a relationship you should relieve him (and yourself) of. However, just like with my nephew, you also need to help him understand that some children will not understand that things are a little harder for him, and you need to give him the tools and understanding to deal with these situations/people when he is around them. Just like I have told my sister-in-law... you can't change everyone around you, but you can give your son the tools and understanding to handle those who just don't understand him or simply have poor behaviour.

Here is some advice given to our girls (10 and under) softball team by one of our coaches who used to be a running coach. She pointed out once to me that many children run with their arms flailing out every which way. This makes it more difficult for the body to achieve a smooth running style and flow faster.

She teaches our girls to run with their arms pumping up and down at their sides. They should see their fists come into their view in front of their eyes as they are pumping their arms. I can't tell you what a difference this makes for our girls.

Try to teach him to run with his arms pumping up and down at his sides, and not with his arms down or flailing out while he runs. This will help with his balance, and also help him to run faster. Her other advice to the kids is to run, not bounce.

Help him learn not to bounce up and down while he runs, but rather to move forward. I'm not sure how his Asperger's affects his physical ability, but if you can teach him to "pump his arms" and "move forward, don't bounce," I think you will start to see an improvement in his running ability. Running has a lot to do with strength.

If you weren't already, I would have suggested aqua therapy as that is an excellent way to improve a child's strength and coordination. I would keep doing that (at least 2-3 times a week, once a week is not enough). If you keep up with that and practice with him not bouncing and pumping his arms, he will improve.

Lunging exercises would also be good for him... teaching him that forward motion instead of the up and down motion (bouncing). Good luck! .

Perhaps a treadmill with good hand holds. This would allow him to practice his leg movements while steadying himself with his hands. He could do it at different speeds, without someone running beside him.

Most come with an auto-shut off in case of a fall. If falling is a worry, a bike helmet could be worn. This would allow someone to watch from the side, and give pointers to push off harder with one foot, or lift a knee higher.

You could also switch, and let him see your stride on the treadmill. You can get a good used one for less than $100. You can set it up in your home and practice at your convenience in privacy.

There is no substitute for practice. Most people don’t think about how they move their legs when they walk or run. Your son has to in order to improve.

But with practice, it will become easier, and more natural, and more automatic.

1 I can't wait 'til this answer closes. I've got tons of cool ideas,to make my answer more fun,for him and you. This user has been banned from Askville.

1 I can't wait 'til this answer closes. I've got tons of cool ideas,to make my answer more fun,for him and you.

I can't wait 'til this answer closes. I've got tons of cool ideas,to make my answer more fun,for him and you.

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