Learning From Autism

Five years ago, at the Christie Lake Climb for Kids fundraising event, I was approached by XXXXX, who was interested in personal training for her son, David. David was in his early thirties, had never worked out before, and was autistic.  

At the time, I had no experience working with people with autism. I had a lot to learn. But working out had been such an important part of my life that I wanted to share it with everyone. I was convinced that we could make it work — and Marianne and David were willing to give it a try. 

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the way people communicate, connect and process sensory stimuli. It can also cause people to focus intensely on specific interests or activities. Autism is a spectrum and individual characteristics and needs vary from person to person. 

I met David in the gym a week later. It didn’t take long to see that I would have to adapt my training methods to meet his needs. The gym was a new environment for David and he was not very comfortable in the unfamiliar surroundings.   He was very timid and reluctant to try anything new. I realized I would have to take a more hands-on role to help David feel at home. So, instead of just showing David the exercises, I did the workouts with him. We exercised together, we had fun and, gradually, we started to develop a rapport and build trust. 

Then, something unexpected happened: the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic lockdowns forced us to move our workouts outdoors. We exercised in the woods, with few distractions, and our relationship grew. David  became much more engaged and dialed into the workouts. We would flip logs, lift them over our heads, sprint up and down hills — and we just loved it! Eventually, when lockdown ended,  we were able to transfer everything we did outside back into the gym. 

Today, David has done a complete 180. — He loves working out and wants to try everything! He’s even participated in the Special Olympics. When we train together, we mix things up, with some workouts indoors and some outdoors. When David has trouble with an exercise in the gym, I find a way to do something similar outside. Once I see that he’s becoming more comfortable, we  try it again in the gym. Before I met David, I had no idea that autism would become such an important part of my life. Exercising with David — seeing him grow and gain confidence — inspired me to learn more. I now have my certification as an Autism Exercise Specialist from the American  College of Sports Medicine and I have worked with numerous people with autism, as well as service organizations that support autistic people. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from them and to grow as a trainer. My connection to the autism community is not just a part of my job, it is a passion — one that has enriched my life and helped make me who I am today.

REFERENCE:
Government of Canada. 2024. Autism: Overview. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/autism-spectrum-disorder-asd.html. Accessed on October 6, 2024.