The Best Sports For Autism

Autistic children have varied needs depending on how their autism affects them and where they fall on the spectrum. When it comes to autism and sports, it can be challenging to determine which ones are good for your child. That said, sports activities are important for all children, and autistic kids can get involved in sports if you know the right one to pick for your child. Is your child uneasy around lots of people? Solo sports may be best. If your child is nonverbal, any sport that requires open communication may not fit them well enough. There are many factors to consider when looking at the best sports for autism, all of which will lead you to determine the perfect physical activity for your child.

Can an autistic child do physical activity?
Being autistic comes with certain challenges. Regarding sports, these challenges may make it difficult to participate or engage in some sports. With a wide variety of physical activities to take part in, though, choosing the right sport comes down to a few specific factors:

• Language skills. Language skills are sometimes delayed or non-existent in some autistic children. That doesn’t mean that they can’t play sports – it just means you will need to narrow your search for the right activity with their ability to communicate in mind.
• Movement skills. Some autistic children have delayed movement skills. Because of this, you’ll have to investigate sports that require less movement to participate. 
• Hyperactivity/impulse control. If your child deals with a lack of impulse control or hyperactivity as a result of their autism, they may have a lot of energy they need to get out daily. Their energy levels and inability to control specific impulses can be advantageous in certain sports.
• Interaction skills. In some cases, an autistic child may find it challenging to be around or interact with lots of people. This can rule out team sports, but has no bearing on sports that can be done solo.
• Sensory difficulties. Some autistic children may be highly uncomfortable with specific sensory inputs, such as loud noises. This can make some sports difficult to manage, but it does open the door for others that offer less sensory stimuli.
• Coordination difficulties. If your child struggles with coordination because of lowered muscle tone, playing ball-led sports such as basketball may not be the greatest option.

While these factors seem like challenges, they are better used as a jumping-off point to determine what sport your child can participate in and enjoy.

What are the benefits of sports for autism?
There are many benefits associated with sports for any child, not just autistic kids. Getting enough physical activity is vital to a child’s health while they’re young. It also helps set up an active lifestyle that they can continue into adulthood. By participating in sports at a young age, many children remain more active than their non-athletic counterparts throughout their lifetimes.

Autistic children may have difficulty connecting to their peers, but participating in a team sport gives them a chance to do just that by bringing them together through a common denominator. This fosters connection as well as helping autistic kids make new friends and learn how to grow relationships with others. Another great benefit is helping autistic children communicate better with others and develop social skills they may lack due to their condition.

Other benefits include:

• Improved confidence
• Better cognitive skills
• Improved physiological health
• Improved psychological and behavioral functioning

Autistic children are often at risk for sedentary lifestyles because of specific deficits. However, the benefits of physical activity are clear, so if you want your child to experience them, it’s vital to choose the right sport for your child.

What are the best sports for an autistic child?
Certain sports will be better for your child, depending on what issues they face daily. Team sports, while not always the best choice, are a great place to start if you want to get your child connected with their peers in a tangible way. Track and field is a great example of a team sport that can also be done solo. On the track team, your child can connect with other students, but they are often alone when actually performing the sport. This gives them both time to breathe away from others and time to build solid friendships.

Autism and swimming also go hand-in-hand for several reasons. Firstly, the basic strokes involved in swimming are simple enough to perform for autistic children with coordination or movement issues. Swimming can also help them build muscle in a way that doesn’t feel strenuous. It can also be a team sport similar to track and field, where a student is a part of the group but has the chance to explore their own path during individual competition.

Bowling could also be a good choice for autistic children because of the repetitive nature of the sport. The only thing that may harm your child’s experience with bowling is the noise. Even so, noise-cancelling headphones could lessen the auditory stimulation while allowing your child to experience the fun and competition of playing against their peers in a game of bowling.

You may want to avoid team sports like basketball, soccer, football, hockey, and lacrosse. These can be more difficult for autistic children because of sensory challenges, the level of communication needed, and the need for coordination.

Other sports that may be beneficial for autistic children include:

• Horseback riding
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Biking
• Martial arts
• Dance classes
• Yoga or Pilates
• Video game exercises, such as the Wii and Kinect

If your child has their heart set on a team sport such as the ones mentioned above, try doing it with them yourself as a fun one-on-one activity to get them involved in the sport without the challenges that may come with participating in a more official capacity.

What sport is best for autism?
All autistic children are different, and their needs and abilities will vary. Because of this, saying that there is one sport best for autism may not be entirely accurate. That said, autism and tennis may just be a match made in heaven for getting your child involved in sports.

Tennis helps to teach children new skills, such as patience and perseverance, that they can adopt in their everyday lives as well. The sport can also reduce stress levels in autistic children while providing them with a less abrasive way to connect to others who enjoy the same pastime. The teams in tennis are small, so your kid is less likely to get overwhelmed by their peers. Tennis can also increase your child’s fine and gross motor skills because of what’s required to play the sport effectively.

Autistic children face certain challenges, and getting involved in sports may involve some of these challenges. But in many cases, the benefits outweigh the difficulties. All you have to do is find the sport that works best for your child and encourage and support their involvement.

 

Featured image by Leo Rivas on Unsplash