Activities for AS Daughter?

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My 5 year old daughter was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. A couple of years of ballet were fun but proved difficult with her inability to focus at times. For that reason we hesitate to sign her up for piano lessons or join a soccer team. Thinking about gymnastics, tumbling, an animal club, etc.. She struggles in social settings as many Aspie's do. A bit quirky, but never mean spirited. We just want her to be exposed to as many fun activities as possible. Any suggestions?

due to our daughter's inattentiveness, impulsivity and poor social skills- it's been hard to find a sport or activity to put her in.her special interest is animals- i thought of putting her in horseback riding lessons, but they were too expensive....we've tried dance- that ended when her tap shoe flew off of her foot into the front line of girls during the recital.........we've tried swimming- that ended when she refused to put her face in the water.........we've been successful with- Girl Scouts ( mainly because I'm the leader). Acting lessons- it's a very small group, and her turn comes around pretty quickly....Karate- again, it's a very small group. lots of 1-1 attention

When I was younger my parents were quite big on "not giving up", I think in retrospect that might have been a bad idea; if I could drop things I didn't like I might have been more open to trying more things.

I've also noticed that apart from piano all your activities are outdoor active things, have you made an attempt try more intellectual pursuits? Chess club or Computer club for example? Its not uncommon for Aspies to really shine at that sort of thing. Although to be honest I'm not sure if they have those for 5 year olds.

I'd also recommend horse rideing, that's really really fun

I tried soccer and T ball for my son, and will probably never do that again. Art classes didn't work for him either. I eventually put him in gymnastics and he really likes that. You stand in line, take your turn, you get help when you need it and it's great gross motor practice. It was very structured and not at all team oriented. One thing I did learn is that he was happier with younger kids. The classes with kids his age wasn't as fun for him because he has trouble fitting in with his same age peers.

I agree with the above post. I would keep trying different things until you find something she likes, and don't force her to finish a session of something if it isn't a good fit. It may deter her from trying something else. She's pretty young too. PDD or not, she's 5 years old. You may have more options when she is a few years older.

Good Luck!

Hmm I was able to do piano lessons from about age 8-16 and didn't have any problems, but I wasn't especially good either.

I think music lessons would be a good idea, or art, or whatever intellectual pursuit she might be interested.

I would NOT recommend competitive sports as those on the spectrum usually lack the gross motor skills to be competitive, however certain sports that are slow and repetitive, such as bowling, pool, darts or other "aiming" sports she might do well in. Also as mentioned before, gymnatistics might be a good fit, or something like martial arts where emphasis is placed on personal growth rather than competition. I really dreaded competitive sports growing up, because not only was I really bad, but also kids can be very cruel when you miss the ball time after time.

As long as the group is small and quiet I don't think the typical PDD-NOS'er will have much problems with things like Girl Scouts, 4-H or other group activities.

My son is too young yet, but as he gets older I plan on having him in martial arts because I think it's something he can get personal satisfaction from, and because of the mind-body connection that's helpful in keeping the repetitive, obsessive, racing thoughts away.

The posts above have made some really good points and shared some great ideas. The only thing I'll add is this: what is SHE interested in? Don't forget to ASK her. I know it can be hard getting an answer, but kids need to feel they have input in this and, quite honestly, I have no personal desire to spend money on something my kids do only because I wanted them to.

You could sample piano lessons. My son enjoyed the sample lesson, but didn't want to promise he would practice. So, I didn't spend that money. We have a keyboard and some teach yourself books, and he plays around with it on his own.

My daughter dropped out of ballet at the formal ballet school, but loves the low key dance class offered in the after school program.

Both of my kids have done acting and really enjoyed it. The programs they did were pretty intense, though, so it isn't something we do constantly.

My son loves scouting. It's very tangible. Do A and earn badge B or rank C.

But the thing with all of it has been that my kids pick.

My daughter loves origami. It's kind of a stim, a physical activity she can do by herself, but surprisingly it helped her socially as well. Other girls would see her making something cool and come over to ask ask her how to do that.

She used to love knitting but hasn't touched it in a while. Depending on where you live it might be easier to find knitting instruction than origami.

<<We just want her to be exposed to as many fun activities as possible.>>

I think that's a great approach. Give her a variety of opportunities and see what's right for her. A five year old is unlikely to come tell you that she wants to play the clarinet or whatever. You have to try things and see what she enjoys and what she has a talent for.