A Clinicians Approach to Helping Athletes With Autism

Only available as part of a package

Abstract:
Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a fast-growing and misunderstood diagnosis and affects 1/36 children and 1/45 adults in the US. ASD refers to a broad range of conditions but is typically characterized by socialization challenges and verbal and nonverbal speech difficulty. Athletes with ASD require differentiated support systems than typically-developing athletes (e.g., palpation alternatives). In this presentation, I will discuss how clinicians can identify athletes with ASD, the unique challenges athletes with ASD present to clinicians (e.g., overstimulation, avoidance behaviors, clinician mistrust), and strategies clinicians can use to optimize care of this unique population.

Learning Objectives:

  • Recognize signs of autism in athletes.
  • Describe the unique challenges clinicians report when working with athletes with ASD.
  • Analyze a case study of an athlete with autism to create an appropriate response based on the situation presented.

Level:
Essential

Domain(s):
Domain 1: Risk Reduction Wellness and Health Literacy 
Domain 4: Therapeutic Intervention 

Orthopedic Domain(s):
N/A

CEUs:
1.0 Category A

Keywords:
Verbal, nonverbal, mental health

Course Expiration:
This premium course offering must be completed within 12 months from the purchase date.
For full details, refer to the Expiration Date Policy on our FAQ page.

Jennifer Ahrens, PhD

Dr. Ahrens is currently the director of Texas State Autism Camp and working towards completion of her Board Certification as a Behavior Analyst. Through her work as the camp director, she pursues her research agenda of developing pre-swim rituals and promoting safe swim habits among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to reduce the rate of drowning. Children with ASD have an incidence of drowning at 160 times when compared to their typically developing peers. In addition, she serves as a fellow for service-learning and the program coordinator for Physical Education Teacher Education at Texas State University. 

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