Aikido for Special Needs Children

Jeanne Shepard
Puget Sound Aikikai

Most people can tell you the benefits of Aikido for children; they get exercise and play and learn how to cooperate with others. But what about special needs children? Many of them do not have the opportunities to interact with "mainstream" children. What does Aikido offer them?

Children with special needs, including the Autism Spectrum disorders, frequently have what are called sensory processing problems. They do not perceive or integrate sensation the way typically developing children do, and can find it frightening and overwhelming. Therapists commonly working with these children use carefully selected sensory activities which help them organize their nervous systems. That means activities that involve rolling, spinning, bouncing, etc. Does that sound familiar? Aikido is an activity tailor-made for these children. Plus, like any other martial art, the Aikido dojo has a set structure that helps children learn the social rules they need in order to relate with others.

At Puget Sound Aikikai, I work with the special needs children to help them learn a fun activity that also helps them organize their nervous systems. When a child is new, I typically work with them on a back mat, where they can move at a slower pace, but can be included in games with the other kids on the big mat. As they become more able, they are slowly integrated into the main class.

We like the idea, here at PSA, that Aikido can be for all kinds of people.

Jeanne Shepard, MS, OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist and helps teach the childrenŐs program at Puget Sound Aikikai.