Karate kids with autism
by Beth
Okay, Monday I blogged about yoga and autism; Wednesday I blogged about surfing and autism. So heck, why not finish my trilogy with a blog about… karate and autism.
A friend on our Easter Seals MySpace page teaches karate in Chattanooga, Tenn. Sensei Green is no ordinary karate instructor, though: he teaches kids with special needs.
Among his students are two boys with autism who compete in the non-handicap division of the USA-N.K.F. (National Karate Federation) Karate Nationals. That is serious karate –Â the real deal.
The results of some Google-ing tell me there’s a children’s hospital in California that uses karate to teach social skills to children with autism.
I also found a blog post about a boy with autism who liked karate class at first, but then later, not so much:
This last week, we knew after two or three minutes that it was going to be a long class. Ds had no focus whatsoever, spinning, playing with his hands, and tilting his head the entire time. The sensei must have picked up on it, and decided it was better to let it go, but it never improved. He barely tried what they were instructed to do, and he was always backwards. His eyes were so vacant, and he seemed so out of it, for lack of a better word.
So, maybe it’s just like yoga and surfing. They appeal to some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time.
As for me, it’s Friday, the weekend is looming, and all this talk of surfing and karate is wearing me out. It’s supposed to be cold this weekend, maybe I’ll stay home and meditate.
You know, open my mind more to yoga. “Ohm… “