Teaching yoga to children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder is, undoubtedly, the most challenging task of my life. This article may help you understand the difficulties involved in that challenge as well as inspiring you to want to do it too.
Autistic Spectrum Disorders are increasing at an alarming rate. In the UK the National Autistic Society (NAS) report that the ratio of children and adults in the population with ASD is 91:10,000. The Autism Society of America claims that 1.5 million Americans have disorders within the spectrum and that autism is growing at a rate of 10 -17% per year. There is concern that the figures may reflect a greater understanding and acceptance of the broadening of the spectrum rather than an increase of the incidence of autism. However fresh research findings from the Medical Research Centre suggests 60 per 10,000 children under 8 years are affected by ASD and a ‘narrowly defined autism’ at 10- 30 per 10,000 for the same age group (MRC, 2001). Studies from both sides of the Atlantic concur on the ratio of 3 - 4: 1 in favour of boys to girls. That apart, ASD affects children from all races, social backgrounds and cultures.
Autism is complex. It is considered to be a neurobiological disorder that impairs the development of social and communication skills and severely impairs the child’s ability to think and play imaginatively. Around the age of 2 to 3, when children generally show noticeable improvement of social and communication skills, parents will become aware of clear developmental differences in ASD children.
Language delay and obsessive interest in objects are just two of many typical classic features of autism. In cases of severe disorder, a child may be unaware that others have different thoughts to their own. More mild or moderate disorders can be a lack of understanding facial expressions or hypersensitivity to some sounds. Yet no two children display the same severity of disorders, nor indeed the same number of disorders, although all share the same difficulties of communication, social interaction and limited flexibility of imagination. The term Autistic Spectrum Disorder encapsulates the wide band or continuum of disorders.
At the higher end of the spectrum is Asperger's Syndrome (AS). Children with AS have average and, often, above average IQ, and with fewer learning and language problems are more able to communicate.
Professor Uta Frith, a leading figure in research and teaching children with ASD, describes the underlying essence of autism as:
“. the inability to draw together information so as to derive coherent and meaningful ideas. There is a fault in the predisposition of the mind to make sense of the world” (Frith, 1989)
Many children with ASD can and do develop their social and communication skills. The skill of the teacher is to discover the child’s strengths and to work with them using appropriate approaches. Strengths that are often apparent in many ASD children include, a preference for things familiar ; a fondness and almost obsessive need for repetitive routines; the ability to think in pictures* and/or communicate through pictures and images; and the behaviour of mimicking and repeating words, sounds and sentences. Teaching yoga to ASD children uses these qualities naturally. Peter’s story is a shining example.
Following weeks of non-attention and disruptive behaviour, a breakthrough came with Peter when I was teaching a sequence of postures called the Sun Salute (well known in yoga classes world wide.) As I demonstrated and called out each posture of the sequence Peter mimicked my words and each posture. We adults were amazed and burst into spontaneous applause much to the delight of Peter. I repeated the sequence twice more and so did Peter. Over the ensuing weeks and months Peter fully applied himself to the Sun Salute, often taking delight in correcting me when I made a mistake, as well as kindly helping his classmates who maybe did not have the same memory capacity as he.
That day, I had struck gold with Peter. Of course, I had tried dozens of tactics that had not come near bronze. A more professional approach, and certainly good practice, is to construct an Individual Education Plan (IEP). This entails setting a small (often tiny) achievable target with appropriate implementation strategy and assessment criteria. This approach has proved highly successful with many ASD children with severe difficulties.
Spencer’s pattern of behaviour at the beginning of the Yoga lesson was to wander off, run around or just be distracted. I constructed an IEP where the main goal was to encourage Spencer to sit in the first posture, which was a simple kneeling position, called Candle. In order to help him understand what we wanted he was shown a picture of another child performing the posture, the name of the posture read out aloud several times, staff modelled the posture, and other children in the group praised for being in the posture. Eventually Spencer kneeled and received praise too. The accomplishment was reinforced several times during the session. The following week, the next tiny goal was to encourage Spencer to put his palms together in Candle. Using the same methods he accomplished this. In the third week the final goal was to get him to close his eyes, hands together, kneeling in Candle. Not only was this achieved, but also now when he is shown the picture and I say Candle he will come into the posture hands together, eyes closed and hold it for a short time. He is also much improved in practicing all the postures in our session.
It is important to look at the structure of the yoga session. With a small group of ASD children the teacher will need to decide how to convey to the children what they will be doing and when. The children are more relaxed when they know what is happening and what is going to follow. Thus following a predictable established routine will not only help improve opportunities to implement IEPs but also help the child cope better and avoid behavioural problems.
The use of pictures showing children in posture has been very successful with my small groups of ASD children. Visual techniques transcend the language barrier and integrate well with the picture timetable strategy of the class teacher. I display the posture cards in a prominent yet accessible place. The postures are always practised in the same order week to week, and often I sneak in a new one.
Not all children will respond to visual techniques, preferring, instead more tactile stimulation. Using objects that have a direct link with the posture and represent a signal to children as to what is coming next have proved to be very successful.
Simon and his classmates had great difficulties in being still and quiet even for the shortest time. Getting them to lie down was proving very challenging. This was a major problem since relaxation is an essential part of the yoga lesson. I introduced the ladybird (puppet) into the activity. Simply, courtesy of the care assistant, the ladybird landed gently on Simon’s big toe, then flew up and landed gently on his knee, and then in turn on thumb, shoulder, nose, other shoulder, other thumb, other knee, other toe and finally on Simon’s tummy. Simon was being kind to the ladybird by being still, and was obviously focused tracking the route of the ladybird. For whatever reason, Simon had been still and quiet for about three minutes and so had most of the other children. Simon grabbed the puppet from his tummy and saying “Its Andy’s turn” proceeded to take the ladybird on the same circuit tour that he had just experienced mimicking my words. Andy lay peacefully as this happened.
Another benefit of structure and routine in the yoga lesson is that the teacher may spot signs or movements from the child that signify an anticipation of what posture is to be practised. And that is good news. Beginnings and endings are also important areas. The child needs to know that the lesson is complete , that all the postures have been practised and that it is time to roll up the mat. In a small group that I have been teaching, initially one of the five would roll the mat at the end of the session; often, now, after much encouragement and role modelling, three of the five now do as well.
Local Education Authorities are expected to take responsibility for ASD children. This may mean the placement of some ASD children in mainstream schools if they are at the higher end of the spectrum and therefore deemed to be more able. Alternatives are special needs schools or special units often attached to mainstream schools. Steve Broach, Head of Policy and Campaigns at NAS, is concerned that with an estimated 90,000 children in the UK with ASD and only 7,500 specialist places available, that mainstream schools will be under pressure to deliver the specialist help that children with ASD need.
This aspect is taken into consideration in the curriculum of the Teacher Training Course. The BTEC Advanced Diploma for Teaching Yoga to Children. Part of the course is concerned with training students to teach yoga to ASD children in both mainstream and special needs schools. The above figures suggest that they will be busy.
In addition to working from the strengths of the child my teaching has evolved over the years as I have researched and integrated many recognised and approved teaching methods that are helping children with ASD. Such practices include TEACCH, ABA, Social Stories, Sensory Integration and Music Therapy. Two of them are briefly explained.
ABA is about finding ways to encourage acceptable behaviours and eliminate undesirable behaviours. Praising and rewarding desirable behaviours and ignoring undesirable ones is common practice in the classroom in any lesson, but to make it work with ASD children requires a great deal of expertise and patience.
(TEACCH) Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children was developed in the early seventies in North Carolina and is accepted and used worldwide often as part of a programme of multi-disciplined approach to help children with ASD. This approach recognises that education encompasses a holistic. Gary B Mesibov of TEACCH talks about the need to “understand people with autism as they are “ and that “it simply requires starting where people are and helping them to develop as far as they can go” (Gary B Mesibov 2003)
Which is what we say of yoga. Small world!
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