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By Astrid Bidanec  Many autistic children suffer from social problems due to their lack of social skills. In many cases this can lead to aggression and frustration which further isolates an autistic child from his peers, as well as any authority figures, like parents and teachers. This seemingly endless vicious circle can be broken by teaching these problem kids martial arts.
Photo by Astrid Bidanec
Mekola Bidanec at Gracie Tampa's MMA training for kids
In contradiction to popular belief martial arts does not make anyone more aggressive. Rather it teaches self control and respect for others, which are the building blocks of appropriate social behavior as well. Since an autistic child often lacks the ability to put himself in the other person's shoes and relate to other people's feelings, practicing martial arts is the perfect opportunity to learn this skill. By practicing the same technique with a partner and taking turns, both children experience the very same thing. Modeling behavior is one of the best teaching methods for autistic children, as well as any other kids. Moreover, the physical contact can become a component of occupational therapy. For many autistic youngsters it is difficult to understand how their body relates to the rest of the world. They feel all sensations with much more intensity than the average person. At the same time, they are not able to tune out any of the sensory signals to the brain. This can lead to erratic physical behavior like stomping, jumping, pushing others, and anything that creates a physical contact to let them know 'where' they are. Onlookers often misjudge this beahvior and label the child as misbehaved, violent, aggresive, and difficult. All the while the kid is in fact just trying to fit in and make sense of the world around him. During the martial arts training, a child with autism can learn many benefitial things and fit in at the very same time. This naturally elevates their self esteem, self confidence and happiness level. A problem child can turn into an easy going kid in a very short time without any medication. My son, Mekola, has autism and is a classic example for this. He was struggling at a new school and becoming increasingly violent and hostile towards the teacher and the other students. When he told us that he did not fit in his new class, it made me realize that he needed some fun time with other kids in a more playful setting. At the same time, we knew that he needed to learn discipline and respect for others. Based on my own experience with martial arts, I instinctively knew that an activity like learning karate, judo or any other kind of martial arts would help him. It only took several sessions of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to turn things around for Mekola at school. Believe me when I tell you that he suddenly did not have any more problems in his class room. He was complying, friendly, and even helpful and caring with his peers as well as the teacher. Of course, all autistic children differ since they can be anywhere on the autistic spectrum and their symptoms may vary accordingly. Nevertheless, I truly believe that taking martial arts lessons can help any child and even more so a kid with autism or other special needs. They are still young enough to reroute the wiring in their brains, so to speak. That is why early intervention can be extremely successful. When you try to find the right martial arts school make sure that the trainer has experience with special needs children and is aware of your kid's special needs and quirks. You should also keep a watchful eye on your child during the class to verify that everyone understands how to interact appropriately with him. For more information contact a local martial arts school in your town. One example in Tampa, Flo. is the Extreme Youth Sports School, which even offers a program tailored to special needs children.
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