Earning a black belt in tae kwon do takes dedication, commitment and discipline for any child, but for two autistic SouthCoast boys, it also took courage.
Ian Mayo and Collin O'Brien have been studying at Kwon's U.S. Tae Kwon Do Center in North Dartmouth for four years. Both boys earned their black belts on Jan. 27. Both boys are autistic.
Ten-year-old Ian has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. As a result, he has limited social skills and sensory problems. Those limitations made Pam and Robert Mayo of Dartmouth nervous about putting their son into tae kwon do. "What if he doesn't behave? What if he doesn't listen? What if he runs around? That's all I could think of," said Mrs. Mayo.
Ian surprised everyone, not only with his enthusiasm and performance in class, but with how much he has grown through the program.
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2 comments:
I think people are gradually becoming more away of how important martial arts can be for autistic children.
Best wishes
Hi, and thanks for your comment!
I hope you're right - and also that these arts can benefit lots of other children too (and teens, as well as adults)...
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