Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”)

What is ASD?

• CDC estimates that an average of 1 in 54 children in the United States has ASD. Most likely you will very well find that you have a kid with ASD, diagnosed or undiagnosed, on your team.
• ASD is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing difficulties in social interaction and communication. The term "spectrum" in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.

What behaviors might be demonstrated?

• Difficulty processing a spoken series of instructions
• Too much sensory input can be overwhelming. We interpret a child being overwhelmed as “misbehaving” vs a coping mechanism.
• Trouble making eye contact with peers and coaches
• Sensitive to bright lights or loud noises
• May repeat words, phrases or movements.

What can we do as Coaches?

Summary

• Talk with parents
• Connect with the player
• Break it down
• Set up routines
• Communicate clearly and avoid common phrases
• Foster connections
• Focus on development
• Be positive
• Be patient
• Reduce restrictions
• Provide a safe space – or a person

Detailed Summary

• Talk with the parents. Schedule time to talk before practice begins. It’s an opportunity to learn about a kid’s specific challenges and how to deal with them in a consistent way.
• Connect with the player. If you can, meet with the player before their first practice — just to get to know each other. It’s also a great opportunity for the child to get familiar with you. That way, when they come to practice, they won’t be trying to process too much information at once.
• Break it down. Many kids with ASD have trouble processing verbal instructions. Demonstrate the actions yourself. Rather than give instructions for several steps at once, break things down into smaller, bite-size chunks.
• Set up routines. Provide a routine or structure to meetings and practices. When possible, preview any upcoming changes, communicate the changes ahead of time. This will help the child with ASD who does well with structure and is accustomed to doing things in a certain order. And most kids appreciate structure. A special daily job (i.e. setting out the cones) can also keep kids engaged.
• Communicate clearly and avoid common phrases. The child with ASD may take what is said quite literally. Best to avoid phrases that do not actually mean what they say, such as, “Pulling my leg,” or, “Pull yourself together.” Sarcasm, humor and metaphors can be confusing.
• Foster connections. A child on the autism spectrum might want to connect with their teammates but find small talk difficult. Help create a connection, notice if the child may share a particular interest with a teammate, like a famous character or movie, and help strike up a conversation about that subject.
  • That said, some kids with ASD might find the social aspect of team sports overwhelming. Don’t force it.
• Focus on development. For children with ASD, both fine and gross motor skills can be affected, giving the child an appearance of being clumsy or make skills like dribbling and driving a ball more challenging. Just as a child without ASD would practice a skill to improve, a child with ASD can learn and improve as well.
• Be positive. Above all, be positive. It’s not always easy to see the effort child and family is putting in.
• Be patient. Players may take time to adjust to any change, such as a new session, a new coach, or team.  
• Reduce distractions. For example, only get out the equipment that will be used.  Maximize the space between your session and other groups using the same facility.  
• Provide a safe space – or a person – they can go to when a situation becomes too much. This can help them if they need to regulate their emotions.  Know who will be at the field with the child and that it is ok to go see that person at any time during the practice session/game.