Pablo Rodríguez, day center coordinator and psychologist at the comprehensive center, and José Peñalver, head of physics and sports, welcome us to talk about ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and its improvement through sport at Astrade.
How does sport influence users' lives?
PR: Within the autism spectrum, there is a very heterogeneous range of profiles, regardless of where users are located on that spectrum. We saw a few years ago that sport was great for them to regulate their behavior and promote their personal development and self-esteem.
What is your job with them?
JP: I'm fully dedicated to adaptive sports. I've designed a training program for each level of impairment. Thanks to Bodytone's donation, we've been able to acquire a good gym and begin working on ASD from more angles, not just the communication difficulties, social skills, and repetitive interests. The goal is to improve their quality of life through sports.
How does sport affect user behavior?
PR: While exercise is good for everyone, the positive feeling after exercise is magnified for them. They are more emotionally regulated, which leads to a significant reduction in disruptive behaviors and an improvement in their attention, making it easier for us to work with them. Exercise helps people with ASD regulate their emotions.
How do they feel about making these efforts?
JP: Those less affected understand why they should exercise, but those more affected don't. It was a problem for them to exercise, but since we've had the colorful weights and spinning bikes at Bodytone, they see it as something more fun. They understand that exercise is like a game; with the gym, they've started to get more enthusiastic, they see it as a positive stimulus.
How does sport influence your emotional state?
JP: One common aspect is emotional dysregulation. This means they go from zero to one hundred in a matter of seconds, after which it's very difficult for them to return to a normal state. Thanks to exercise, the body gets used to speeding up and calming down, and that's precisely what's so important when working on this dysregulation.
How do you get a person with autism to participate in a group game?
JP: Medicine balls help us develop a team game where everything is planned and communicated, but it still has a friendly and social aspect. Through cooperative games, they learn to communicate and make their own decisions, as well as to accept rules and collaborate with their teammates. It's good for both lower and higher levels of autism spectrum disorder. Sometimes we even leave some uncertainty, and they react well and resolve it.
Do you have any specific cases you can tell us about?
PR: We have the case of one of the boys who, in addition to ASD, also has epilepsy. This causes him to suffer epileptic seizures daily. His school decided he should use a wheelchair for fear he would hurt himself when he had a seizure and collapsed. When he arrived at Astrade, he presented with significant hypotonia, which greatly hindered his independence in simple movements like getting up from his chair. Thanks to the support of his parents and special training, we have managed to help him regain strength in his legs, and he can now walk and support his body on his own. He has gained a lot of independence; he no longer uses a wheelchair or a walker.
Daniel Martínez is one of the users of the gym at the Astrade Integral Center.
Daniel, have you used the gym yet?
Yes, I've already used it. My favorite machine is the Spinning bike . I like to do an hour and combine it with 40 minutes of swimming throughout the week.
And the weights, have you tried them?
Yes; the weights help me exercise my arms and I haven't used the punching bag yet, but I know it has a good effect because of the Rocky movies.
How do you feel since you started doing sports?
I feel healthy and happy. I take care of my diet and I feel like new. I would recommend everyone do some exercise. I also go for walks some afternoons. Everything helps me feel much better.