What sport does your ADHD/ASD child do?

[UnderTheAntenna]

DS takes part in the juniors of a sports activity (organised through a school, run by a club), but next year he will be too old for the juniors and would have to join the club itself. His coach doesn't think he will manage with club level because they expect a higher level of focus and attention than is required at juniors where he can coast along and be carried by the rest of the team. With ADHD, this just isn't possible for him.

I'm going to slowly start drip feeding to him that it might not be the best idea to continue with this sport and he could try out something else. But what? We go on bike rides, swimming and walks with him at the weekend and he does enjoy it. However I'd like to keep him in an activity with other children during the week as it has been a huge benefit to him socially.

Mine does Rugby on Sundays. He likes it. He has a sense of belonging. But he's not great at it. And I think when the selection is competitive he won't make the cut. But, for now we continue because I think it's important for him to be part of something where he has to interact with a team. He likes park run very much. Unfortunately park run is the same time as rugby. But we do park run when rugby is not in season. He likes tennis, and does well with a private lesson. But can't cope with waiting his turn in a group activity. So we have private tennis lessons in the warm weather, and take swimming (indoors) in the cold wet winter. We tried cricket. And of course that involves standing on the field for long times doing nothing. Stupid idea (of mine)!

Is your son medicated? Mine takes methylphenidate, and he would definitely not cope with two hours of rugby if he didn't.

DS2 used to do rugby. It was a very very uncompetitive team with a brilliant coach and suited him fine.Since that ended, he does swimming, cycling gym and walking. no team sports. Too challenging.
if your DS's physical co-ordination is OK, I recommend martial arts. Great for helping concentration. Some of my SEN pupils do it.

Ds tried to join a football team but it didn't work out. He played hockey for a while and we found teh athmosphere and ethos much more inclusive than football.

His performing arts took over though so when he changed school he sadly dropped hockey but he now dances and does musical theatre.

Dd has always been a dancer.

Mine is ASD/dyspraxia not ADHD. He struggled with football from about age 8 or 9, but has managed fine with hockey because the club have been great at making adjustments for him (he has always trained in groups a year below his chronological age and is only picked for matches occasionally when they think he'll cope, he's now in the U16s). He also plays for two different disability football teams and does climbing. He always managed football and multi-sport holiday clubs too as they are non-competitive.

My DD loves sport. She does football and long distance running. She’s pretty good at both, especially the running. She’s smashed a few school records as well. She’s 9.

She struggles with the football more as it’s a a team game, but I think it’s good for her to belong in a team and learn about that aspect of the sport.

Mine does taekwondo (ASD & dyspraxia), finds solo sports easier and loves the discipline of the martial arts

long distance running, horse riding and rock climbing. all solo activities.

Taekwando for mine too. With the right teacher it’s great.

Football and running. He is also really into basketball at the moment but isn't in a club.

Dd isn't keen on sport but is fine with group stuff she likes, but she is asd which is a very different condition to adhd, she concentrates to the extreme! She's still in orchestras an choirs as an adult and it provides a structured social life

Dd 9 has asd and adhd and doesn’t do team sports but does swim 1:1. She horse rides weekly and we’re on the waiting list for a place for martial arts that is inclusive.

He tried martial arts for a while, but couldn't keep with the rest of the group physically (dyspraxia too) and started to refuse to go. I don't know if he would give it another go. The club was quite well thought of and competitive though, probably a bad thing!

My daughter has ADHD. She plays netball for a performance club (2 hours per week), competes in acro gymnastics and tumbling (7 hours training per week), and dances competitively (7+ hours of class a week, more when there's shows/comps on the horizon). SHe loves team sports, but always wants to be in the glory position eg GA or GS for netball.

We started all of the sport before realising she has ADHD. That amount of intense exercise was necessary to keep her even vaguely controllable. She needs a good couple of hours a day to keep her grounded.

She's 10.

Pingu do you mind asking what ADHD type she is? DS is ADHD-I.

How old is he?

I have many ASD and some ADHD traits (not formally assessed) and tend to like technically complicated individual or co-operative sports. My favourite is rowing (generally from age 11 if you can find a club that takes juniors, or from 16 if not) and I've also enjoyed orienteering, riding, cycling, climbing and swimming.

I can imagine martial arts or gymnastics being good too.

Team ball games and racquet sports can be too chaotic for me to really get a handle on.

DS1 doesn't do much (ADHD and dyspraxia) . He did do taekwondo but his younger brother was quickly surpassing him. Football became too competitive.
He does scouts and choir and is training for a 5k. He fancies gymnastics or parkour.

Ds (ASD) does Ninpo (jujitsu) and loves it. But it is not a competitive club it is very much centred on the children achieving their personal bests. Perhaps look around another one with a different ethos. They can vary massively.

Ballroom dancing and basketball. He's 10. Not great at team games but loves the basketball club at school.

Not a team sport but how about skiing with a specially trained instructor? Have a look at Disability Snowsport UK

Mine have enjoyed trampolining. Not too competitive, and good for building core strength...

Riding, Jujitsu, multi sports after school for a while. Choir for a term or two. Swimming (well OK mucking about in water, not actual swimming, he was too distracted to learn as yet), walking. Ours has ADD and dyspraxia plus some other stuff.

We just encourage him to try all sorts and hope he'll find his things.

My ds (14) has asd. He's a swimmer.
He currently trains 6 times a week over 5 days.

It's really helped him with sensory stuff and concentration.

DS doesn’t like sport, however spends a lot of time on the trampoline in the spring and summer and also likes swimming. Also goes to theme parks loads during the year which requires a lot of walking.

Our DD (10) has slow processing, with add traits and currently refusing everything except cheerleading (which took a lot of bribery and tears before she'd give it a go).

We had a CAMHS appt today. They suggested we take her diving, as she loves swimming and gymnastics but won't join in with classes!

Ds9 has ASD.

He did a kids rugby club until he aged out of it. He did karate & loved that until he went up to the next class which was too much for him.

He swims once a week & is quite good. He has tried canoeing & loved it; I would like to find a way of getting him into that. He does a twice weekly class at school called gym trail for gross & fine motor skills.