The Motion is the Key
November 5, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
I’ve become rather obsessed with exercise—-no, I’ve not become a calorie counting fiend tracking the minutes on the treadmill. It’s making sure that there’s enough physical activity integrated throughout Charlie’s day in general and at school in particular that have preoccupied my thoughts. I’ve noted that the very layout and physical space of his middle school classroom are very different from the windowed, light-filled classroom of his elementary school last year; the fluorescent lights just seems to buzz and glow more harshly.
Charlie has gym every morning around 9.30am. He has a locker now and has to change into and out of his gym clothes. The adapted physical education (APE) teacher has put together a very fine schedule of activities including soccer, yoga, volleyball, aerobics, and (though not skateboarding, as at this school), golf. (And Charlie got a hole in one the other day, his teacher noted to me.) One doesn’t want to ask for too much but, well, gym at 9.30am means that the boys in Charlie’s room get in their workout first thing in the morning and then….that’s it.
Because, there’s no recess in middle school.
And, there’s no playground in middle school.
And you’ve four growing boys who’s always had a need for jumping, fidgeting, being in motion, and can’t always tell you that’s what they need. In their elementary school, they had scooters to ride and someone left behind a bike that fit Charlie perfectly; he used to ride it around the school with an instructor running after him (and enjoying every moment of it—-Charlie’s not the only one who relishes getting outside the classroom). Charlie’s in a self-contained autism classroom with the same three boys he’s been with for two years and with a teacher who’s thoroughly up on their learning styles, past histories, communication needs. But it’s middle school, with expectations of being “more mature,” rules and dictates for discipline—-walky-talky bearing administrators roam the halls, not students—-and the difference from the sun-lit corridors of Charlie’s old elementary school, with PTA parents bustling around with plates of cookies, are palpable.
Charlie’s teacher, recognizing the need of all the kids to be in motion, is wondering about getting access to a treadmill and/or exercise bike. For Charlie in particular—as noted, he’s the biggest kid in the class (and the youngest) with long arms and lanky legs to throw around—-Jim suggested that he get a chance to be in motion as much as possible, and Charlie’s teacher has been having Charlie get out of the room and walk. Since it’s gotten cooler, most of this walking has been in the hallways. Fortunately, it’s a big middle school with over a thousand students (which in itself must be something for Charlie to get used to—-being in a building with over a thousand other kids his age, not including numerous teachers, administrators, support staff………).
After some of “those sort of days” in October when I start reading Wrightslaw (obsessively, yes), and after a lot of discussion and some reaccessments on everyone’s part (teachers and Jim and me too) about how to change our approach to teaching Charlie, he’s had some solid days. He’s still adjusting to the middle school schedule: School is over at 2.30, but Charlie is usually “done” an hour earlier, and his teacher has been moving around his activities, trying new teaching methods, making suggestions to us and listening to our suggestions.
Just hoping we can keep doing the same as the year unfolds and that we can remember, staying in motion—-that’s the key. And there’s a lot of hope in the air here right now, and I think we’re going to take that and run with it.
Alex’s running career began when I found out he was choosing to spend a good part of his lunch hour running laps on the school track (6Km worth of laps). At this point he was taking Phys. Ed and had made the school’s track team and cross country teams but this was very much a decision Alex had made on his own to spend his lunch hour “in motion”. Realizing that “running” to Alex was much more than track, cross-country and his head full of running stats, I showed him the PEI RoadRunners website and asked if he was interested in joining. The rest is history.
Don’t suppose there’s a track at Charlie’s school?
In my school, all the kids would be on stationary bikes, peddling to provide electrical power to the classroom….
I would bet that the stationary bikes would be more popular than the treadmill (they’re fairly noisy)
At our school, (my son is fully included with “push-in ESE support” for 1st grade, PE has been cut back to two 30 minute sessions a week for k-2. There is no Playground/recess unless the teachers decide to devote some of their weekly elective time to it, they must choose between the following: library, art, music, PE. Library usually wins.
So, with budget cuts in our state and the all important score the typical kids must make on the state standardized tests in 3rd grade, things like PE–which in my opinion help all kids—have fallen by the wayside.
So we too devote a lot of time outside school to physical activity and exercise. Biking and swimming are two favorites of our 6 yr. old too!
Katherine
Interesting.I used to elope and wander all over the school property,all through elementary and middle school.I thought I was the only one.A few years ago,I came up with the idea of buying a treadmill, to channel this.I haven’t used it much in the past year.My worsening rheumatic heart disease,has left me bedridden most of the time.
But I still get those urges.
If the school is astute enough to provide special classes for autistic kids,surely the understand stuff like the real,uncontrollable need autistic kids,and adults,yes adults,have to wander.The lack of understanding of this by the local police,got me arrested…twice.
There’s a reason why, if someone takes my rolling chair, I don’t sit for long ( other than being called in every direction all day). Some of us just weren’t meant to sit that long.