'Agricultural specialisterne': rural employment revolution for those with Autism

[Visionary7903]

Eric Chessen, the Founder of Autism Fitness, is someone whose mission is to bring the benefits of exercise to Autistics.

Interestingly, like Specialisterne’s pre-testing of employment candidates using Lego technology, Chessen stresses the importance of assessment of the abilities of an individual. The PAC Profile assesses Physical, Adaptive, and Cognitive (with relation to movement activity) abilities of the individual…

…The PAC Profile is used to assess the three most important areas of functioning specific to developing and implementing a successful fitness program for individuals with [Autism Spectrum Disorders]. The Profile measures Physical, Adaptive, and Cognitive abilities … allowing the user to determine at what level the athlete is currently performing. Each of the three areas of functioning has three possible levels of ability: High, Intermediate, and Low.

Physical Functioning Criteria
High: Can perform with mastery-level (independent) ability at least 15 of the 20 PAC Profile activities including at least one of the following: Bear walk, Frog hop for 10 yards. Does not exhibit fatigue following a brief period (>30 sec) of movement.
Intermediate: Can perform with mastery-level (independent) ability at least 10 of the 20 PAC Profile activities. May exhibit some motor, strength, and stability deficits.
Low: Performs fewer than 10 (<10) of the PAC Profile activities. Exhibits significant motor delays with strength, stability, endurance, and range of motion/flexibility.

Adaptive Functioning Criteria
High: Athlete is motivated to perform a variety of fitness and physical education activities and requires no secondary reinforcers (BSP withstanding) to readily engage in fitness sessions. Athlete is cooperative and eager to try new exercises or variations of mastered activities. May also engage in creative input and offer different options for games or activity chains. Is comfortable with competitive situations if they are employed.
Intermediate: Will perform three or more consecutive exercise activities (or activity up to five minutes) when a reinforcer is provided following completion (five minutes of activity followed by 2-3 minute access to break, preferred music, book, etc.). May have rigidity regarding competitive or creative game play, getting upset if he/she ‘loses.’
Low: Performs less than three consecutive activities (or activity less than five minutes) before engaging in escape or avoidance behavior (including but not limited to wandering or running away, tantrums, non-compliance/refusal to follow instructions, and destructive activities). Requires high rates of secondary reinforcement for compliance (Performs two exercises and is provided 20 mins of leisure time).

*BSP stands for Behavior-Specific Praise which is a technique derived from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). So the instructor provides positive feedback immediately following the individual’s action. For example, rather than saying “Great job!,” a more effective response would be “Great job bending knees and jumping!” This tells the individual, in exact terms, what they did well.
(source: http://pacprofile.com/PAC-Profile-exerpt.pdf)