The Student Guide to Grocery Store Navigation
For autistic college students, these guidelines can be instrumental in minimizing stress at the grocery store.
They are NOT Angry Birds!
I used to hate the term “special needs,” but now I can’t stand people who say they hate the term. FACT: My son has special needs.
12-Week I Can Jump Rope Program
In a traditional gym class, how will the concept of jumping rope look for an autistic child? Considering that 79–83 percent of the autistic population does not display the appropriate motor skills for their age group, their needs will likely not be met. Until now…
18 Exercises Your Child Wants To Do
Somewhere between a child eloping, having a meltdown, or worse, associating everything miserable toward training, circle back to play with these exercises.
#111 - Autism Interventions That Really Work
They dive deep into strength training and Spell to Communicate, two significant modalities that encompass the whole child and form the basis for all other therapies.
Connect By Entering Their World
Where does a child go when their physical world is too loud or quiet, bright or dim, uses jargon that makes no sense? Somewhere worth visiting.
#75 - Dave Tate's Table Talk with Sheena Leedham
Are you a parent, educator, or personal trainer serving autistic children and young adults? If so, perfect your active role through The Power of a Note.
Why "The Power of a Note" is Empowering
The Power of a Note is an outreach tool for parents, educators, and personal trainers to help a child with autism reach his highest potential through movement and health.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength: Home Training
Now at home, this is a great opportunity to get the family involved by creating new healthy habits using indoor and outdoor space.
Writing Through the Storm
Three years and counting, through change of grounding and shelter, one thing remains. Here’s my attempt at living, learning, and passing on.
WATCH: I am Clint Darden
“I don’t need a psychiatrist. Give me a squat rack and a deadlift platform and a bench and a couple of Atlas stones, and that’s my psychiatric chair right there.” Everyone needs a safe haven, and elitefts coach Clint Darden has found his at the House of Biceps in Cyprus.
Meet Report: Pressing the Pieces Together
When a friend invited me to a bench press-only APF meet that also raised money for Autism and Autism Awareness, there was no way I could say no — even though I haven’t competed in quite some time.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip —The Missing Link to Social Skills: Move...
“This is going to debunk everything we know about autism. ” Sheena Leedham talks about how she intertwined movement and social skills through the OSU Men’s Aspirations program.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast Clip — Playing the "Autism Card" in...
When a stranger asks the guardian of a child with autism to calm down their kid, should they say, “Sorry, my kid has autism”? Dave Tate and Sheena Leedham share their perspectives on what to do in that situation.
LISTEN: Table Talk Podcast #5 with Sheena Leedham
In this episode of Table Talk Podcast, Dave Tate opens up about being a father to a son with Asperger’s, and elitefts Managing Editor Sheena Leedham talks about training and educating Blaine and other young adults on the spectrum.
Supplemental Material for Table Talk Podcast on Autism
Do you have questions relating to exercise for a child or young adult with autism? For a father raising a child with autism? Click here to ask questions that Dave Tate and Sheena Leedham will address tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST on the Table Talk Podcast.
Under The Bar: They Are NOT Angry Birds! You Are the Parent
Navigating the seas of parenting a child with autism means weathering storms, passing shipwrecks, and getting stranded on an island. But there are always people willing to help get both parent and child back on board with resources aplenty.
World Autism Awareness Month Kicks Off April 2nd
April 2nd, or Autism Awareness Day, marks the start of Autism Awareness Month. Instead of donning blue as a symbol of autism awareness, here are a few other things you could do to participate in this month, as well as what elitefts has planned. (Hint: It involves a sale, articles, and a special Table Talk Podcast episode.)
Milestones National Autism Conference — Presenting Men’s Aspirations
Rather than attending another highly acclaimed conference centered on helping individuals with autism, it was time to present at one.
2018 Zoo Run Run: Team Not Team Old Man vs. Team Old Man
This was more than a 10-week prep geared to beat our previously recorded race time of 52 minutes and 32 seconds while flying past a self-proclaimed mashed-up meathead.
Skip the Gym — The Scioto Challenge
Bridging the gap between immobility and action, this lesson served as another opportunity to reshape the students’ negative associations with exercise and revamp their workout creativity in OSU’s backyard.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength — Gym Training
The goal is to get an inactive child on the spectrum socially and physically strong through movement. This initial type of training, the first in a progression of eight, takes place in the gym.
![WATCH: Defining Autism — Beyond the Label [Documentary]](https://www.elitefts.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/DefiningHeaderImages-300x250.jpg)
WATCH: Defining Autism — Beyond the Label [Documentary]
This documentary is the culmination of years of intimate interaction with a child with autism. Interaction as a father, a mother, an educator, a trainer, and a friend.
Ocalicon 2017 — Nation’s Premier Autism and Disabilities Conference
With more than 50 presentations to attend within a 10-hour time frame, here are the presentations from which I found great applicability to my work in both the private and college settings.
The Student Guide to Grocery Store Navigation — Lucky's Market
Moving from theory to practice, this lesson took us from the classroom to Lucky’s Market on High Street in Columbus, Ohio.
Skip the Gym — Create Training Space Indoors and Outdoors
Listening to a group of college students with high-functioning autism, I learned there was a consensus among many of how they felt in a typical college gym setting — something they didn’t want to feel again.
2017 Zoo Run Run: Blaine Tate Runs a Faster 5K
At 3.1 miles, we cross the finish line in 52 minutes and 32 seconds — four minutes quicker than our 2016-competition time. A success! Beating our previous time was exactly what we came to do.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength: Program the Cadence
You’ll meet Sean, Wesley, and Blaine (three boys on the spectrum) and consider their needs, find a starting place, and create a program schedule using a singular, linear, or overlapping approach.
Ocalicon 2016 — Nation’s Premier Autism and Disabilities Conference
With the option to pick and choose over 40 presentations to attend within a 10-hour day, here’s how I plan on implementing what I learned within the private and college setting.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength: Off-Site Team Tr...
As we relocate a group of connected individuals outside of the gym, the mindset attached to training evolves.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength: Team Training at...
In this type of training, we’re taking things one step further — we share the entire training experience with at least one partner at the gym.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength: ½ One-to-one, ½ ...
In this type of training, we’re taking things one step further — we share the training experience with a partner.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength — Off-Site Training
½ Gym, ½ Off-Site Training leads us here: a full session away from gym grounds. Fit your programming needs within these structures to differentiate skill, meet new people, and have fun.
Social Skill Integration Through Movement and Strength — ½ Gym, ½ Off-Si...
The goal is to get an inactive child on the spectrum socially and physically strong through movement. You’re ready to leave the comforts of the gym and move off-site to extend the learning curve.
Take Your Training Day to the Trampoline Park
If you’re looking to explore a gym-training, flying-through-space alternative, make sure you’re aware of these less-advertised details we learned on our trips to Sky Zone and Get Air.
"Pressing The Pieces Together" Bench Press Benifit For Autism
Feb 20th, 2016 - "Pressing The Pieces Together" Bench Press Benifit For Autism
8 Training Types to Progressively Integrate Social Networks
These training types are rooted in movement that naturally progress the child from private training to play dates with a friend.
Take Your Training Day to the Zoo
A trip to the zoo provides the trainer and child a great opportunity to accomplish new challenges and exercise gym lessons. Consider these tips for the planning process.
Remembering Brain Explorer Oliver Sacks
A doctor, best-selling author, weightlifter, skilled pianist, and professor...
Adjustable Programming: Using Flexible Goals in an Inflexible World
By rewriting negative associations at the track and field, Blaine and I were able to overcome previous limitations and create new opportunities for growth.
6 Exercises to Engage Your Child's Senses
Make each training session sensory-rich, personal, and dynamic for the child with special needs. Tweak your approach by considering these six exercises.
Jordan Spieth's Inspiration for the Masters
Jordan Spieth wins the Masters at age 21. His inspiration? His Sister Ellie, who is autistic
12-Week Program to Conquer the Monkey Bars
This 12-week training progression is tailor-made to strengthen the mind and body of a child who fears this playground implement.
Throw Out Your Expectations
Avoiding hostility and disinterest by following these communication tips will result in greater engagement and child development.
Off-Site Training: Considerations for Training Children with Special Needs
If done incorrectly, leaving the comfort of the traditional training environment can become chaotic. These basic guidelines will make it a positive experience.
Don't Sweat the NEW Stuff
Change can manifest disaster for a child with autism. Here are three steps to follow when presenting something NEW in the training schedule.
Five Gray Areas You're Not Considering
These areas will significantly increase how a child is progressing in the gym.
12-Week Progress Report
Blaine needs this training to help address the stress and frustrations he will have all his life.
Four Exercises Your Child Wants To Do
Using some basic equipment from elitefts, here are four easy and inexpensive ways to make typical exercises child friendly.
Whoopee Cushion Invasion
All fell victim to this except for Matt Goodwin, who has become so accustomed to such wet bugle blasts as to not notice.
Creating the Schedule
Dave and I planned that Tuesdays would be a good day that Blaine and I could routinely work together.
I Train. You Train. We Train.
Dave wants the best for his son; he wants the world for his son; a world that also balances movement, strength, exertion, all with a self-motivating willingness to be active.
Autism Awareness: Resources
April is Autism awareness month. Reliable, accurate, and useful information should be accessible to those faced with the diagnosis of a loved one and the inevitable challenges that will arise.
Four Things My Decade of Autism Fitness Programming Has Taught Me
Whether you are training high school athletes, professional sports icons, or people with special needs, you’re working with human movement and behavior..and there will always be underlying correlations.
