WE ROAR Issue 02 - Flipbook - Page 8
Many Autistic adults I9ve spoken to
have expressed the same negative
emotions regarding school and
especially school sports, with one
theme
commonly
repeated
–
difficulties surrounding changing and
kit. Not only can the sensory
environment of the changing rooms
be overwhelming, but so can the
process of changing in a very short
amount of time. Many Autistic
individuals experience executive
functioning difficulties, and getting
dressed takes a little longer.
Combined with sensory difficulties,
it9s easy to imagine the crowding, the
rush, the noise, the steam of the
school changing rooms being
completely overwhelming and, in
some cases, intolerable for a child.
Some easy solutions could be
staggered timings or allowing some
individuals an extra five minutes to
shower and change. Such simple
changes could drastically improve
many children9s experiences of
school;
8
it could enable them to continue
engaging with sport and exercise as
children and into adulthood.
My final example is that of ADHD,
which can be self-managed by
participation in sports – it9s one of
the greatest self-management tools
available for many people with
ADHD, but again, early experiences
are crucial to this realisation
occurring and progressing. A young
child isn9t likely to have developed
many if any, self-management tools
or techniques by the time they first
participate in school sports. Their
behaviour may not be as productive
as they or others would like. They
may show an aptitude for sport, but
they may have difficulty focusing
their attention. Unfortunately, being
singled out for misbehaving is a very
common occurrence for children with
ADHD, and more often than not,
they are genuinely trying their best.
The
