In Case You Missed it: Top Posts for the Week of March 5- 9

Photo:
missedmytrain.com

"In Case You Missed It" is a new feature on the S.M.Art Kids Blog.

Each Friday, we will feature the top articles (archived and new) that are relevant to students, educators & our personal interactions that week.

To read the original article, click on the title link. (A short description taken right from the article appears under each link.) The source is listed next to the article title. If you have an article link you would like to add, contact Barbara at the e-mail at the bottom of this post.

Have a great weekend!

~Barbara


8 Creative Ways to Share Yoga With Children 
(Mind Body Green)
The great thing about yoga is that it naturally addresses all of these modes of expression; from partner poses, to singing, to learning about angles as they relate to the body and our bodies as they relate to the natural world....


What to look for When Looking for a Babysitter for your Autistic Child 
(AutismUnited.org)
It is not enough that your potential babysitter has babysitting experience. What is more important is that she has experience in looking after autistic children....


Is Immaturity being mistaken for ADHD?
(Medicine.Net)
The study raises new concerns that some children who are simply immature (compared to their classroom peers) may be misdiagnosed and unnecessarily treated for ADHD, which is characterized by poor attention and impulse control...


How to Coach Your ADD Child Athlete
(ADDitude Magazine)
11 ways to help the coach of your ADHD child expose her natural talent, better provide instructions, and make her team-sport experience a good one...

7 Keys to Adapting Movement for Special Needs Children
(S.M.Art Kids Blog)
The practice & skill of modifying and adapting games and activities has served me well in the early elementary & special education field. I always looking for ways to adapt common (and not-so-common) activities such as yoga, dance, storytelling, movement games & art to make them more accessible and inclusive to all children...


Societal Values & Policies May Curtail Physical Activity for Preschoolers
(American Academy of Pediatrics) 
Three-fourths of US preschool-age children are in child care centers. Children are primarily sedentary in these settings, and are not meeting recommended levels of physical activity. Our objective was to identify potential barriers to children’s physical activity in child care centers.


Physical Activity Boosts Learning
( SportsConcussions.org)
School administrators looking to restructure the academic schedule should consider the placement of physical education classes, according to research released today by the American College of Sports Medicine. The study, titled “Effects of Varying Types of Exertion on Children’s Attention Capacity,” is published in the March issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® and finds that adding physical activity into the school day helps children concentrate on their academic work.






Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com
 
 
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Games That Build Core Strength for Kids

"Funny Football" is a fun game that
helps kids build core strength

We hear many references in the fitness industry to building "core" strength. The body's 'core' refers to the muscles of the abdomen, pelvis, hips & and back & neck. The "core"  is  body’s center of gravity and affects all functional movement & postural activities: sitting to standing, walking to running, jumping, playing and more. The core muscles are responsible for alignment of the skeleton (bones) and for providing internal pressure for digestion & to detoxify the body by expelling substances (vomit, urine, carbon-laden air, etc.) These muscles are continually at work stabilizing the body against the force of gravity.

When looking for activities & exercises to help encourage a stronger core for children, keep in mind that the major abdominal muscles have very specific & limited action. There are many different minor muscles (and ligaments, tendons and nerves) that assist in stabilizing the spine and pelvis, and run the entire length of the front & back midsection of the body. Exercises, games and other activities need to focus not just on the front abdominal region, but on a variety of groups of muscles that run from the hips up to the shoulders & neck.

Signs of poor core strength are: tiring easy,  poor posture, decreased body awareness, head hanging or holding up head while sitting, poor self image, constipation and frequent injuries. Poor core strength results in poor proprioception, motor planning and balance due to unnecessary torso movement and swaying during all other body movements. This is tiring and frustrating to the student and can lead to de-motivation.

Good core strength will improve posture, digestion & elimination, confidence and concentration, increase energy level and improve balance and motor planning. The key is to keep in fun and challenging. I like to call the exercises & activities "Games" to young children because exercise should always be fun. Try these beginner, intermediate & advanced activities for younger children:

Downward Dog

Dogs Chasing Frisbees: (Beginner) Each student gets 2 Frisbees, one for each hand. Place them on the floor, curved side up, in front of the student. Each student stands in front of the Frisbees and bends down, (Downward Dog-pictured at left) placing one hand in each Frisbee. Students must bend knees & "Dog Walk" as the push the Frisbees to the other side of the room.  (Encourage the children to squat or dog-walk-not crawl.) You can make this a relay race or even have the kids go through an "Obstacle Course" to find the bone at the end of the course. (you can mark off with tape or use plastic cones and  cutouts for the bones.)

Bridge Pose
Photo by B.Gini @2009

The Bridge Game: (Beginner/Intermediate) Have children lay side by side and hold a "Bridge Pose" (See photo at right) . See if you can roll a ball underneath them as they stay up. Gradually extend the amount of time the posture is held. You can even sing the  "London Bridge" song.

Funny Football:  (Beginner/Intermediate) Pass a spiky colorful ball around in a circle using only your feet. For added challenge, use a balloon, football or beach ball. Have each person say a letter to spell a word or say the alphabet as the ball passes round the circle. (See Photo at Top of Article)

Don't Rock the Boat: (Intermediate/Advanced) Have children come into "Boat Pose" (see photo at left) and see who can remain the stillest.

To keep this fun for young children, limit the number of repetitions by having them count to their age. (If they are 5 have them hold "Bridge Pose" for 5 big breaths.)  It’s better to do a few repetitions & move on to another activity, and then come back and repeat. This keeps the kids interested & engaged.

Also remember to always remind the children to breath IN through their noses. Its very important for proper respiration, filtering & warming of air, mind/body integration and improved concentration.

For teens or advanced learners, who need a little more of a challenge, here is a down-loadable file showing how to do "Yoga Sit Ups".  I showed this to a teen boy who was going through a sensory-motor therapy program and had reached a plateau with sit ups and "Boat Pose". He started to become bored and de-motivated and needed an additional challenge to keep him interested. He liked this activity and stated that it made him feel "awake" &  "powerful", like he wanted to "run a race". It will provide the additional challenge he needs to take him up to the next level of his therapy.

Keep in mind that any of these postures and activities can be adapted to slower learners and children with lower tone and underdeveloped motor planning. Use bolsters, pillows, props and mats as needed.

For more information on how to adapt activities for children of all abilities, visit our website: www.bodylogique.com  or  Subscribe to S.M.Art Kids / Healthy Kids by Email
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7 Keys to Adapting Movement & Sports for Special Needs Children

Barbara mirroring  movement
for a non-verbal student.
(Photo by J. Yurgel)

Inclusion is about providing a broad range of fun & engaging options to children of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. This means modifying an activity or sport to provide a more appropriate version for a particular group of participants. This can be done in such a way that the integrity and structure of the activity is maintained, while softening the rigidity of how one should participate.

When I was a child, I spent many hours outside playing in the yard and inside playing board games with my younger brother. There is nearly a 5 year difference in our ages & I would come up with ways to adapt & modify the activities so he could be included too.  As we both got older, we still carried on the tradition of  of  "making it up"  much to the dismay of my father who was trying to teach us to 'follow the rules."

The practice & skill of modifying and adapting games and activities has served me well in the early elementary & special education field. I always looking for ways to adapt common (and not-so-common) activities such as yoga, dance, storytelling, movement games & art to make them more accessible and inclusive to all children. So far, my efforts have been  been successful.

My daughter with a 'Buddy'
at the Special Olympics, 2010

Statistics show that physical activity for children with disabilities as compared to children without disabilities is much lower. In recent years, there has been a call for more physical activity for kids. At the same time, there is awareness of the need for more adaptive recreational programming to address the growing population of children with a variety of  physical, sensory and other adaptive challenges. While the idea of adapting for and including a variety of children with different abilities may overwhelm many coaches and educators, I think we need to see this instead as an incredible opportunity to expand existing programs, or create entirely new ones & step out of what is comfortable and predictable. The benefits far outweigh the little bit of extra preparation it takes.

Modifying the methods & rules of exercise, activities or even of competition structure of a sport is nothing new. In fact, most national sporting organizations provide modified versions of many sports for their junior programs. (Special Olympics, The Miracle League and others.) As the need for adaptive movement activities has increased, so has the interest in how exactly to do this in a meaningful and effective way. Here are 7 key points to keep in mind:

• The purpose of adapting and modifying movement activities & sports is to make them more accessible by minimizing or eliminating the disadvantage caused by the environment in which a sport or activity is played. There are as many ways to do this as ther are children who need it. Think of ways to break the activity down into its smallest most basic parts and build up from there. Don't be afraid to experiment with new ideas or to change something that is not working.
• Modifications can be minor - such as a change in rules (6 strikes to be 'out' instead of 3) or piece of equipment (lighter or shorter bats). Sometimes bigger modifications are necessary, that may require some planning in advance (using  equipment that contrasts with the playing area: white markers on grass, bright balls or mats, sound/echo proofing a room, etc.) 
• Know your students. Talk with their parents and other members of their education or therapy team to gain insight into the best way to structure your activity or program. Use common sense in determining what activities that child should avoid. (A survey form filled out by parents and therapists before an instructional program starts is very helpful.)
• Learn to view all modifications as temporary. Review them regularly for restructuring or to be phased out. Adaptations are just another step toward a program that is fully accessible. (In some cases, the changes may become a part of a regular program, such as those previously mentioned junior sport programs. ) The end goal is to allow participation with as much independence as possible.
• Teaching Style is important! The way an activity is communicated has significant impact on how inclusive it is. Use appropriate language for the group, speak clearly & keep instructions short and to the point. Using visual aids, (pictures) demonstrations and a buddy system are effective ways to support students as they learn & interact. Be sure the students understand rules, techniques and procedures before they begin. Keep it simple!
• Environments can be adapted in simple ways such as reducing the size of the playing area or using an indoor surface rather than grass or even using grass as an element of sensory integration or slight challenge when the student is ready. In any case, you also want to minimize distractions in the surrounding areas as much as possible.
• After an activity or game is played, assess it for the need for new or different modifications. There is always room for improvement, so ask yourself what worked, what did not and why. Get feedback from the participants. Their input will give you clues on what to keep and what to improve upon to make it more fun and inclusive for everyone.

 

* Are you an adaptive sports coach, a special education teacher or instructor? In what ways do you modify and adapt your program to make it more inclusive for children with special needs? We want to hear from you! Leave your comment below!

 

For More Information:

The Miracle League (Northampton, PA)

Special Olympics (PA)

B'More Abilites  Special Arts Center

One World Karate

Sensory Swim

Horse Boy Method

American Association for Adaptive Sports





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Why Adaptive Movement is Necessary



Photo ©2011 B.Gini

Its not something I talk about much, but about 24 years ago on a rainy morning while driving to work, I was injured, along with 4 other drivers, in a motor vehicle accident.

My car (an ’85 Buick LeSabre) took the most of the impact but was destroyed. My body ached for months. Up until then I had worked out by kickboxing, aerobics & martial arts. At age 23, I was in excellent physical shape but was told by my doctor to stop exercising so the movement wouldn’t 'jar' my spine. I was not given any alternative exercises.

I was cautioned that I would probably always have headaches, hip and back pain & by my 40's would likely lose most of the feeling in my (dominant) arm & hand. My orthopedic surgeon suggested I have surgery to remove several of my ribs to "release" the compression in my spine. I laughed thinking he was joking. He was not.

A week later, I found an article in a magazine in that same doctor's waiting room. It outlined a study at Bryn Mawr Hospital that was using yoga as a complimentary medicine to speed healing. The results looked very promising. I left his office that day, took the magazine with me, and instead of filling the prescription for pain medication, I searched for & found a 20 page booklet and cassette tape on yoga in a local book store.

I practiced with that little book daily on my own. I worked in short intervals and learned to modify the movements to adapt to my limited mobility. I took it slowly & did was felt sensible to my body never pushing beyond what felt 'safe'. Progress was slow, but it did eventually help my body feel and move better. (And I am happy to report that I still have ALL of my ribs!)

I believe there are 3 main reasons that I can move at all today, at age 47:

• my big clunky car that surrounded & protected me like armor
• my good physical shape prior to the accident
• the yoga that I learned from that booklet & tape

I’ve practiced to varying degrees over the years, always in harmony with my changing health, weight, fitness level, & body chemistry. Yoga has always helped & has never failed me. It now helps the children that I work with in ways I never thought possible.

This is why I continue to adapt, modify & customize yoga to my students and why we need more people willing to do the same. After playing sports my whole life and having excellent coordination & mobility, I remember after the accident trying to move a certain way and not being able to. I remember the decreased sensitivity in my leg, arm and hand and that clumsy, disconnected feeling. I felt frustrated & trapped in my own body. To me, adaptive movement in the form of sports, horseback riding, swimming, karate, dance & yoga and others, not only makes perfect sense, but is an absolute necessity.

Statistics show that physical activity for children with disabilities as compared to children without disabilities is much lower. In recent years, there has been a call for more physical activity for everyone, especially kids. At the same time, there is awareness of the need for more adaptive recreational programming to address the growing needs of children with a variety of  physical, sensory and other adaptive needs.

In adapted classes, there is better ratios of 1:1 instruction, smaller groups and a slower pace to allow the children to build on their strengths, overcome weaknesses & and master new skills gradually. Adapting recreation, dance, karate, yoga & PE is a way to ensure that everyone is challenged and participates to their full potential while maintaining the integrity of the activity.

I found this article below with great information, discussing the importance of adapted PE in Schools & why we need to keep kids active not only in gym class but throughout the rest of their lives. It outlines reasons why we need more adaptive movement programs not just as PE but as recreation as well.

As always, I encourage you to find activities that you & your child can participate in & to move and play with your children every day!


The Importance of Adapted Physical Education in Schools

 
 
  *In my next post, I will talk about one approach to HOW to adapt PE, sports & recreational programs.










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