We enrolled both our kids in karate at Go No Sen Karate 5 months ago and it is one of the best decisions we have ever made as parents.
After our positive experience, I would encourage any parents of children with autism who have been thinking about karate to give it a try. It may take a little while to find the right karate instructor who is good with children, but it will be worth the experience. The Go No Sen instructors are bright and proactive, and really understand my children's challenges.
Our son was diagnosed with autism at age 2, and we went through 4 years of intense behavioral therapy, in excess of 40 hrs per week. My son's enthusiasm and engagement from the first lesson had surprised us. It's a function of how much he smiles. Because for a long time, he wasn't smiling. Now he smiles all the time, he just loves it.
Since starting karate, our daughter is developing a level confidence, focus and self discipline I do not believe she would have attained otherwise. More notably, these skills are now being reflected in her approach to her school work, her goals, her self image and her general attitude towards her future. It's really reassuring to see. She has always been a great student, but this year she's even excelling at subjects she found challenging in the past.
In karate, I discovered an activity that is fun for both my children, but more importantly something that is positively motivating and self-esteem building. It contributes to body awareness and a feeling of self-efficacy for both of them. I see a tremendous improvement in physical coordination and overall fitness.
As a result of autism, many kids have difficulty working in groups, focusing and playing ball sports. Given the limitations, we found other exercise options for our kids like running, swimming or jumping on a trampoline. But we needed a good way to get our kids to exercise in a group. For both, karate was the answer. While not a team sport, they are still is required to interact with other children but not so often that it becomes overwhelming.
I was nervous about putting my son in karate in fear of teaching him to be more aggressive. I was worried that he would not be able to focus and would become a behavior problem in class. I wasn't sure that he would be able to sit still and listen.
When I left my very first meeting with Renshi McCauley, I felt as if I had discovered an "applied behavior therapist" that happened to know karate really well. Five months later, I know I wasn't wrong in that assessment. The same can be said of the rest of his team - It was clear from the very first lesson that the karate instructors knew how to work with our kids. I've seen them be firm when called for as well as interject humor when needed to motivate at a particularly difficult moment.
We can see the changes in our children on a daily basis.
Focus and staying on task: Homework used to take hours, especially for my son. His attention span and compliance have improved a great deal. When school started in the fall, it took him the better part of an hour to complete one homework sheet. He now completes his whole homework packet for the week in the same amount of time. In class, he'll pay attention for a full half hour.
My kids listen. At home and at school - they actually pay attention to what is being said and then follow the instruction. I was amazed the first time I saw my 5-year old with autism follow a whole set of verbal instructions from his instructor without faltering even once.
My son is better able to manage his behavior and to recover from challenges more easily. His level of frustration decreased significantly and his eye contact has increased
They are healthier. I see increased mid and upper body strength, improving gross and fine motor skills, and a growing sense of confidence. When he took up karate, he could not stand on one foot without losing his balance and falling - now he not only stand on one foot, but combines that with the most beautiful kicks and punches. Jumping jacks and push-up's were unimaginable activities and he now does it without even thinking.
One of the fundamental difficulties that children with autism have is difficulty relating to other people and imitating other people. I could not believe it when I saw him mirror his instructor's body movements almost effortlessly for the better part of a whole class.
I see an improvement in social skills in both my children. My daughter is more confident and assertive and is finally dealing effectively with a bully at school that has made her life miserable for years.
There is no doubt that it's taken a whole team to get our kids to where they are today, and I believe Go No Sen is a big part of that.
Maria T. read more
