Embracing Neurodiversity
Teaching clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often very different from teaching other Yoga therapy clients. What might work in your regular yoga classes may not work with these clients, so a different approach is required.
Clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder have a wide variety of characteristics that range from differing learning capabilities, communication, motor impairment, behaviour and social capabilities. Although these characteristics may present challenges for the client and their Yoga teacher or therapist, the client often has unique skills which can be drawn upon by the Yoga teacher or therapist to enhance the session. With so many varying presentations, it can be difficult to know where to start.
It is estimated that 1 in 70 people in Australia have Autism. Estimates of the number of people on the spectrum rely largely on the reported number of people who have received a diagnosis. Diagnosis is now more common in childhood, which means the reported number of children is higher than adults. In Australia, up to 2.5% or 1 in 40 parents with children born 2004-2005 reported their child had received an autism diagnosis by the age of 7 years, whereas 1 in 67 parents with children born in 1999-2000 reported the same thing.
(Source: https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/
In this Workshop You Will Learn:
- How to prioritise what the client needs
- To use the doshas and gunas to make your consultations more effective
- How Yoga therapy may assist the client to
- Promote mobility
- Improve confidence
- Reduce anxiety
- Calm their nervous system
- Enhance quality of life by using Yoga therapy’s “whole person approach.”
Module 1: Characteristics of clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and why a different approach to teaching is often needed
- What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
- Understanding the client’s different style of learning, communication and behaviour
- Motor impairments associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Where to start: prioritising what the client needs
Module 2: Using an Ayurvedic lens to assess the client’s needs and inform the Yoga session
- How to identify dominant elements/doshas in your client
- How an excess in a dosha or guna will help inform how to structure the session
- Examples of session structures and asanas to address excess in the different doshas and gunas
Module 3: Thinking outside the square when teaching clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Why a good understanding of bio-mechanics in asana is important
- Teaching clients with dyspraxia
- Open chain vs closed chain exercises and why this matters
- Looking for areas of physical weakness and ways to get a client to engage the muscles you want them to when they can’t do it voluntarily
The principles taught in this workshop can be applied to both children and adults.
They can be applied to clients with mild, moderate or severe autism
Workshop Schedule:
Each module includes:
- 1 hour 20 minute Presentation with slides
- 10 min Q&A
Tracy Gray is clearly passionate about this client group. Her knowledge and enthusiasm were evident throughout the entire educational offering. I would highly recommend this workshop series to anyone.
Catherine Rathjen, Yoga therapist
Who Should Attend the Autism Spectrum Disorder and Yoga Therapy Workshop?
- Yoga therapists, Yoga teachers and Yoga teacher trainees
- Medical doctors, health professionals and complementary therapists who want to use Yoga practices in their work
Benefits of Attending this Workshop:
- Learn from Tracy Gray – over the past 7 years, Tracy has completed over 1000 hours of Yoga therapy with her clients who have severe ASD and intellectual disabilities
- Learn practical tools and techniques that you can apply immediately with your students and clients
- Educate yourself about the safest and most effective way to teach Yoga to your students and clients with ASD
- Connect with a network of yoga teachers and therapists working in this field
- Deepen your knowledge of Yoga as a therapeutic practice
- Yoga therapists/teachers are eligible for 4.5 Continuing Professional Development points.
Tracy Gray is very passionate about working with ASD clients and this shines through in the course. She’s extremely knowledgeable but also creative in her adaptation of how Yoga Therapy can benefit her clients and demonstrates the importance of a creative thinking in this space. This is a great course to get an understanding of this work.
Lisa West, Yoga therapist
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Yoga Therapy Workshop:
Delivery: Available on demand now.
Cost: $199. Prices include GST.
Assumed Knowledge – Basic anatomy
The recordings are available to you for 12 months from the time you register.
You will need: a computer and stable internet connection.
Tracy Gray’s course is really comprehensive. Even though I have been working with clients with ASD for some time, I still learnt several new concepts and tools to apply. It was really valuable to see the application of the concepts and techniques in the videos of sessions with actual clients. Tracy delivers the course with enthusiasm and passion. If you are considering working with people with ASD, I highly recommend you draw upon the expertise of Tracy through this course.
Stacey Louise, Children’s Yoga teacher trainer and Yoga therapist
