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

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One advantage that martial arts might have over other sports for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders is that martial arts places less importance on competitive results, and more importance on the trying and personal progress…

…This is the story of Mrs. Barbie Lauver, Master Leland Brandon, 6DB, and Master Nominee Mr. Travis Dillow, 6DB, three motivated educators whose combined efforts are dramatically improving the lives of autistic children and their families in Nevada.
…Ms. Lauver and Mr. Dillow, owner of ATA Martial Arts / Karate for Kids in Henderson, were introduced at a meeting of For Kids Now, a regional charity that provides funding for children’s causes, by board member Master Brandon, owner of ATA Martial Arts / Karate for Kids in Las Vegas. Master Brandon and Mr. Dillow have worked tirelessly and are well-known in the Las Vegas Valley for their volunteerism, community service, school outreach, and other charitable endeavors. Four years ago, when Ms. Lauver was preparing to open The Achievement Academy, Master Brandon helped her staff meet the state’s restraint training requirements. Her son John Matthew, who has High Functioning Autism, began training at Master Brandon’s studio and showing remarkable progress controlling several symptoms; his self-esteem, coordination, and behavior improved, his outlook and personality opened up, and with them, his whole future.
“When I took John matthew for his first exposure to the studio, he actually cried in the office. The first couple of weeks after I signed him up, he just trembled he was so afraid to walk in the door. But they knew exactly what to do, the ‘baby steps’ he needed to take in order to walk out in front of people and do the Taekwondo moves,” says Ms. Lauver, referring to the social anxiety her son is gradually overcoming. “I found immediately that the instructors totally ‘get’ autism, and that was exciting!”

…He makes a sound point: there are critical similarities in the educational approaches taken by the faculty of The Achievement Academy and by Master Brandon, Mr. Dillow, indeed by all instructors in the [American Taekwondo Federation (ATA)], which might contribute to the successes observed so far. For example, the ATA concept of “personal victory,” that every step in the right direction - even sincere trying - is a ‘win’, allows instructors to modify or reinforce behaviors with the praise-correct-praise model and condition the student’s self-image for incremental learning. A second example is that both academic and martial arts curriculums are taught and challenged at the “ability” level: training is not a race; the pace of progress depends on the individual. (This is a key difference between martial arts and other organized sports.)…

(source: American Taekwondo Association | Martial Arts, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Tae-Kwon-Do)