Woodbury, MN – The parents of a youngster with autism have turned to martial arts in order to help their son cope with the symptoms of his disorder.
Heidi Zeterwall’s 11 year old son George had had trouble focusing and controlling his stress levels due to both being on the spectrum and having an anxiety disorder which often made it difficult for him to interact effectively with others.
As a result, George was often unable to participate in mainstream extracurricular activities where he was expected to adhere to specific rules and regulations. Zeterwall asserts:
“We tried basketball. We had tried baseball. It never really worked for George.”
However George eventually asked his mother if he could try doing kung-fu, prompting Zeterwall to enroll him in classes at JK Martial Arts. The group specializes in providing services for children with unique needs including ASD and ADD and proved to be the perfect fit for the youngster.
Ultimately the Zetterwall concede that while martial arts are not be suitable for all children on the spectrum, they believe that it can and often does help many to mitigate some of the symptoms of the disorder.
Classes take place at Woodbury’s Trinity Presbyterian Church in St.Louis Park at Groves Academy.
Source: on the kARE11.com news website: Parents turn to karate to help kids with autism