1300 073 422
Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Mathew had been showing heightened behaviours and poor physical health. To help, the Better Rehab team developed a range of physical and mental activities to help Mathew manage his ASD-related symptoms, and also guided him in performing everyday tasks such as cooking.
To fully engage Mathew in his therapy, Exercise Physiologist Christina created exercise choice cards featuring a picture of certain trains and the name of a particular exercise that Mathew needed to complete.
‘Featuring the trains on his exercise cards was a great way to build rapport with him as he was able to socially interact with me by naming all the different model trains,’ said Christina. ‘He continues to discuss his love of trains throughout each session to this day!’
Over time, and still by choosing exercises on train cards, Mathew has progressed to resistance training utilizing equipment approved through NDIS. As a result, he is managing his behaviours of concern through a regular exercise routine. He is also always in a great mood and enthusiastic when trying out new exercises or activities!
‘It’s really important to understand what the participant loves in life – whether it is also a love of trains, TV show, etc., – and utilise this when building rapport, trust, and engagement with your participant,’ said Christina.
After gaining confidence and independence since starting his Better Rehab therapy, Mathew would love to complete his EP sessions at the local gym to gain access to the local community and enhance his social participation.
Great work, Mathew! Keep train-ing hard!
If you would like to make an appointment with a Better Rehab clinician, please click here or call our friendly admin team on 1300 0 REHAB (1300 073 422).