Week 1: Episodes 1-3
Episode 1: Autism in Children; Starting an Exercise Program
Autism fitness experts, Coach Dave (David Geslak) and Coach Ashley (Ashley Palomino), share the 5 Exercise Connection Standards to create a successful autism fitness program.
Episode 2: Apps for Autism & Tips to Teach Exercise to Children with Autism
Individuals with autism, Aspergers and other cognitive disabilities need visual and other supports to have success in an exercise setting. Coach Dave and Ashley share some tips!
Episode 3: Autism in Children; Exercises to Calm the Body & Improve Coordination
Champion Brody, an adolescent diagnosed with autism, exercises using a foam roller and the support of a visual schedule. Watch him stay on task and have success during a fitness routine.
Week Two: Episodes 4-6
Episode 4: Autism in Children; Strategies to Begin an Exercise Routine
Teaching exercise to individuals with autism can happen. By gradually adding it to their routine you can help them build a physically active lifestyle.
Episode 5: Children with Autism can use Exercise as a Sensory Break
Champion Dylan, who has autism, and Coach Ashley show you exercises that can be done in a classroom, at home or in a physical education class.
Episode 6: Autism in Children; Teach the Body Parts to Promote Exercise
Champion Roan, who has autism, demonstrates exercises that helped him learn his body parts.
Week Three: Episodes 7-9
Episode 7: Exercise for Children with Autism Can Go beyond Fitness
Exercise for children with autism can be the gateway to many possibilities. Coach Dave and Coach Ashley share success stories of the Champions they have worked with.
Episode 8: Autism in Children; Use Exercise to Manage Anxiety
Champion Rachel, a teenager with Aspergers, shares and teaches you exercises that can help to manage stress for children with autism.
Episode 9: Teaching Children with Autism to Tie their Shoes
Champion Anthony, who has Aspergers, had difficulty tying his shoes as a teenager. Anthony teaches you the fine-motor activity that Coach Dave taught him, that helped him improve.
Week Four: Episodes 10-12
Episode 10: Physical Education Routine for Children with Autism
Teaching children with autism in a Physical Education setting can be challenging. Coach Dave shares a station protocol that can help you and them achieve success.
Episode 11: Basketball Activities for Children with Autism
Champion Noel, who has autism and is non-verbal, demonstrates his favorite sport, basketball. With Noels help, Coach Dave and Coach Allison breakdown basketball skills for your children with autism.
Episode 12: Autism Fitness Activities for Children with Autism to do in the Classroom
Teaching children with autism exercise may best be done in a classroom before you head to the gym. Coach Dave, Ashley and Champion Dylan share some activities.
Week Five: Episodes 13-15
Episode 13: Autism in Children; Create Success with Exercise
Individuals with autism need accommodations in their learning. By breaking down exercises you can help your students gain confidence.
Episode 14: Autism in Children; Teaching Exercise and Sports
Movement First – Sport Second is the Exercise Connection motto. Many people with autism don’t like sports or want to be athletes, so teaching lifetime activities is essential.
Episode 15: Sensory Integration Exercises Benefits Autism in Children
Champion Rachel, a teenager with autism, educates you on the benefits of using a foam roller for individuals with autism.
Week Six: Episodes 16-18
Episode 16: Autism in Children; Exercises to help Calm the Body:
Champion Rachel shares how the Stability Ball can help to calm the body, or any anxiety, for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. She compares the activities to using a squeeze machine!
Episode 17: Improving Muscle Tone in Children with Autism
Dumbbell activities can be a great way to improve muscle tone for children with autism. Champion Roan, will show you how he improved his tone.
Episode 18: Teaching Yoga to Children with Autism
Yoga can be a great start to build the fitness levels of children with autism. Here, Coach Dave shares Roan’s routine.
Week Seven: Episodes 19-21
Episode 19: Autism in Children; Exercises to help Toe Walking
Coach Dave and Champion Brody demonstrate 3 exercises that can help your students or children with autism reduce on the muscles caused by repetitive toe walking.
Episode 20: Autism in Children; Exercise with a Pet
Champion Rachel shares exercises that she does with her dog, Fleur. Using your child’s pets can be a great motivator to help children with autism to exercise.
Episode 21: Teaching Children with Autism a Push-Up
Champion Anthony and Coach Dave breakdown the Push-up to help you teach it to your child or student with autism.
Week Eight: Episodes 22-24
Episode 22: Autism in Children; Fitness Activities to Improve Posture
Champion Anthony shares with you fitness activities that can help your children or students with autism improve their posture.
Episode 23: Autism in Children; Parental Rights, Visual Supports and Apps for Autism
If you want your child or student with autism involved in sport or exercise, schools and organizations must provide the necessary accommodations.
Episode 24: Partner Exercises for Children with Autism
Bill and Anthony demonstrate the Superman exercise that can improve posture, abdominal strength, motor coordination and build social skills when working in pairs or in small groups.
Week Nine: Episodes 25-27
Episode 25: Working in Pairs to Improve Social Skills and Coordination for Children with Autism
Champion Anthony and Bill demonstrate how to teach your children and students to work together and learn to catch a ball.
Episode 26: Agility Ladder Exercises benefit Autism in Children
Ladder Exercise are common for high-level athletes but for children with autism these exercises can be just as beneficial. Champion Bill shows various exercises using the ladder that will challenge your children and students both physically and cognitively.
Episode 27: Motivating Children with Autism to Exercise
To introduce your child or students to exercise you may need to find a motivator. In this video you will learn how books motivated Champion RJ to build his fitness!
Week Ten: Episodes 28-30
Episode 28: Autism in Children: Cardiovascular Fitness Alternatives
Running or walking on treadmill is a great exercise to improve your cardiovascular fitness. But can be difficult for many individuals with autism and many parents can’t afford a treadmill. In this video Coach Dave and Champion RJ show you ways to structure your child’s workouts that will benefit their cardiovascular system without using a treadmill.
Episode 29: Using Games to Engage your Children with Autism to Exercise
Champion RJ share with you how he turned his favorite iPad game into an activity to improve motor coordination that can help individuals with autism learn to throw a baseball.
Episode 30: Challenging Autism with Exercise
At 24 years old, Bill could not catch a baseball and is something he desperately wanted to do because baseball is his favorite sport. In this video Coach Dave will share what he did to help him and you will be amazed to see what Bill can do!