Top Three Reasons to Encourage Kids with Autism to Play Sports

by Dewey Does DeweyDoes

Not many parents encourage their kids with autism to play sports but they should. Recent data from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) indicates that autistic kids are two to three times more likely to be obese than their healthy counterparts. This makes it important to encourage them to play active sports to beat obesity.

For autistic kids, the positive effects of sports aren’t just limited to maintaining a healthy body weight. By playing a sport of their choice, the kids can also benefit from improved motor skills, balance and coordination, self-control, and the ability to focus on a chore.

Since sports help these kids engage with their peers in a social setting, they can also develop useful social skills. From forming friendships with teammates, and working together to accomplish common goals, sports will boost their confidence and self-esteem, and make them feel they have a role to play in the society, which they might not have felt before.

Autistic children often perform repeated self-stimulatory behaviors since they offer them comfort in doing what they’re familiar with. By making them involved in a physical activity such as a sport they like, parents and teachers can slowly help their transition into a fresh routine. Those wondering how sports changed kids with autism can take heart for they have indeed succeeded in establishing a new routine in the lives of several autistic children.

There are several other positive effects of sports. Even if autistic children find playing sports challenging, they should be encouraged to play sports to ensure they end up enjoying a healthy lifestyle – both as a kid and as an adult later on in life.

Call to Action:

What other benefits do you think sports can bring for children with autism? Let me know in the comments section below. You can also reach out to me on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads to keep the conversation going. If you want to have some more valuable reads, you can check out my books.

References:

BE THE BEST SPORT. “Five Benefits of Physical Activity For Children With Autism.” September 15, 2017. Accessed March 28, 2019. https://madnessmedia.net/top-5-physically-disabled-female-athletes/

Holecko, Catherine. “Sports for Kids With Autism.” verywell health, May 29, 2018. https://www.verywellhealth.com/sports-and-fitness-for-kids-with-autism-1256961