TEACHING FUNCTIONAL FITNESS TO STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Adapted physical education and general physical education teachers may face challenges in teaching and promoting general physical activity and fitness. Implementing functional fitness activities, which integrate motor skills to carry out activities for daily living, may help teachers to effectively engage students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to become more active. Because students with ASD often lack motor coordination and have low levels of physical activity, functional fitness training can be a fun and effective tool that helps them improve their fitness levels and potentially assists them in their activities of daily living. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how simple functional fitness activities can improve activities of daily living that require strength, endurance, flexibility, and stability. These activities are meant to be stimulating and purposeful. Keywords: autism; ASD; physical education; fitness
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by two categories in which individuals with ASD demonstrate deficits in social interaction and communication and/or resistance to change (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This [...]