Martial Arts Not a Cure for Autism
November 5, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
More than a few parents of autistic children that we know have mentioned martial arts as an activity their kids have thrived in. In an article in the October 29th Roanoke Times (VA), martial arts turned out to be the “something else” that now 18-year-old Wesley Henkendorn, who was diagnosed with PDD-NOS as a child, needed. Requiring “high level of efficiency in motor coordination and body movements,” martial arts helped Henkendorn develop his physical skills. He has earned his black belt and now teaches classes at the American Martial Arts Center in Blacksburg, VA, where he first took lessons.
Due to overcoming his “physical challenges,” Henkendorn speaks of himself as recovered from autism.
“Most people that had that [autism], they’ve had it their entire lives. I’ve ran into some people of a medical background ,and they’ve heard about it and they’re surprised. They said really nobody recovers from that and you actually did.”
Indeed, blogger Flea has written about Henkendorn in a post entitled Martial Arts Cures Autism. One can only applaud Henkendorn’s accomplishment but suggesting that martial arts can cure autism—-can be a way to make a child no longer autistic—is potentially misleading. Martial arts as a means to help autistic children address various physical challenges is to be applauded, but to say that they (or other remedies or treatments) can cure autism can only inspire false hope in families, as well as undermine the actual benefits of children participating in them.
Thanks to Liz at I Speak of Dreams for alert for her post about Wesley Henkendorn.
i tried to post a comment there (@ flea) about how several years of competitive judo as a college student had helped my husband to be more able to tolerate physical proximity, and i think he also used it in a very decided and effective effort to learn self-control. but it didn’t make him less autistic. only there was a bug @ flea (haha) and i couldn’t post comments. My husband is still autistic: with some skills he didn’t have before, but inside he is the strange man that i know and love.
Thanks, Natalia! Glad you commented, and hope you don’t encounter any bugs here….. We do really have to look into martial arts for Charlie—-for his physical control and skills.
Thanks for picking up on this. It was sloppily written. I know that Martial Arts don’t “cure” anything. I actually meant to place quotations around the word “cure” in the title but forgot to. I suppose I could go back and do it, but I hope you will understand I meant the title to be sardonic.
best,
Flea
Martial arts are great for that ‘crossing the midline’ thing.
I find gymnastics to be good for the autistic awkwardness too. I used to move much more clumsily than I do. The current problem (well, USUAL problem, right now I’m on crutches for a 2nd degree sprain), though, is that training took too MUCH hold and unless I’m very tired, instead of having the “autistic walk” I DANCE down the sidewalk.
Or so I’ve been told. Supposedly it looks almost natural. Still don’t have that midline thing down though.
Many thanks, Flea—–”cure” is such a “fighting word” in autism discussions (I think, at least) that I could not help posting about your post.
Am more enthused than ever to start Charlie on martial arts…. He does have the “autistic awkwardness.” Hope you get better soon, Kassiane…..
Flea, the sardonic-ness was not obvious. And I’m one of the autistics who usually use and often notice sarcasm, as opposed to some who that’s not really their style.
But if you change the title, the links to your post maybe won’t work. So you could put a little edit at the end… (?)