Asperger's And The Martial Arts

The following article, was written by Melody Shuman, a martial art's instructor who specializes in child development and teaching all types of children at her school.

With Asperger's Disorder, the affected individuals are characterized by social isolation and eccentric behavior in childhood. There are impairments in two-sided social interaction and non-verbal communication. Though grammatical, their speech is peculiar due to abnormalities of inflection (change in voice tone) and a repetitive pattern. Clumsiness is prominent both in their articulation and gross motor behavior. They usually have a circumscribed area of interest which usually leaves little or no space for more age appropriate, common interests. 

Some examples are cars, trains, meteorology, astronomy or history.  The name "Asperger" comes from Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician who first described the syndrome in 1944. 

The most common symptoms associated with Asperger’s in relation to training in a martial arts class include:

1. They tend to lack motivation during drills that they are not interested in. They will either not apply any effort to the drill, or they will complain throughout the entire drill.
2. They tend to fail at proper interaction with the other students.
3. They either ignore everyone, or they get too close to others when speaking and playing.
4. They tend to interrupt the teacher by asking a lot of questions, usually regarding the same topic when they do not get the answer they desire. For example, they may obsess over playing dodge ball at the beginning of class. You explain that the game will be played at the end, but they keep asking you throughout the class hoping that you will say yes.
5. They are easily frustrated because they tend to lack the same motor skills as the others
6. They tend to raise their hands when you ask questions, but usually do not have the correct answer, and in many cases their answer is not even associated with the question that you asked.
7. They have sensory issues and sometimes activities that require touching may intimidate them.

Here are some tips when working with children diagnosed with Asperger’s:

1. Use incentives to motivate him. Explain that if he tries real hard during a drill that he is not particularly motivated to do, you will reward him with a sticker or let him pick the game at the end of class.
2. Remind him to use proper language when speaking to others. If he does not want to be bothered by another student, remind him to say “no thank you” or share a simple smile instead of hard words. For those that are overly-aggressive, remind him to say “excuse me” when speaking to others, and remind him not to get too close to others because it is not polite.
3. Learn how to re-direct him when he becomes over obsessive. For example, if he asks to play dodge ball explain that you will play at the end of class but only if he maintains good behavior. Then, ask him a question related to the next drill: do you know what part of the foot to hit with on a side kick?
4. Be patient with their motor skills. Change up the exercise for him if you notice a significant difference in his abilities vs. the other students. For example, if he cannot do 10 kicks with his leg in the air, instead try having him hold his leg in the air for 20 seconds.
5. Be patient when he tries to answer questions. He will raise his hand to get your attention more so than to answer the question correctly.
6. Understand that he may be very sensitive to touch, so be patient with this area. Scale back the touching until he feels comfortable. Ask him if he wants to increase the intensity. Let it be his choice.

Additional tips:

1. Learn what his interests are. If you know that he is a big fan of the Power Rangers, use that when you are teaching class. Also, use it to break the ice and increase communication between the both of you.
2. Be calm! If you show that you are angry or frustrated, he will only feel worse and more intimidated by you. You must approach him with a calm manner, especially when he is at his worst behavior.
3. Stay near him as much as possible during class. You should give him more attention than the other students or else he may develop anxiety.
4. Even if he doesn’t talk to you very much, talk to him a lot. This will improve his communication skills.
5. Master the art of patience. Immediate results are not likely. It takes a great deal of patience and consistency for your student to grow.

I have worked with several children that have Asperger's and I have found them to be very smart, but lacking in social graces.  But over time, I have witnessed significant changes in my student's behavior, not only to me, but to other students in class.

Currently, I am working with one boy in my special needs class who has Asperger's and he displays many of the traits listed above.  However, he is a really good boy and with the proper motivation, one day he will be taking classes with the other kids.

If you know someone who falls on the Autism spectrum, that might benefit from martial art's training, please feel free to call me at 803-462-9425.

Sensei Chris Feldt

Samurai Karate Studio

Columbia, SC 29229

803-462-9425

samuraikaratestudio@gmail.com