The below  article was written by Christine Latreille on the Active For Life website. Thank you for allowing us to share this information. Go check the full article and website at https://activeforlife.com/martial-arts-kids-autism/

Doing homework regularly is an important part of having a successful school year. Taking time now, at the beginning of the year, as a family to discuss good homework habits can help students reach that goal and set them up for success.

I'd like to talk about setting goals and address topics like what makes a goal different from a 'day-dream' or just 'wishing' for something to happen. We will talk about the steps to take to put an action plan and strategy in place to reach a goal.

When I look at the many reasons parents enroll their children in Martial Arts a need that comes up time and time again is Focus. Sometimes a counselor or a school administrator has recommended martial arts to acquire help with a child’s focus.

Many times when people think of martial arts they think they need to be a black belt to know what to do in a dangerous situation, well that's not true. A few targeted moves practiced over time can really stack the odds in your favor and give you the inner confidence you need for a positive outcome.

“Cross-training” involves engaging in two or more sports. Cross-training provides fitness, variety, academic, and psychosocial benefits and prevents injury to young athletes. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids cross-train on a regular basis.

Put down your pizza, because we have news for you: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles don’t do martial arts! Splinter and the Ninja Turtles are practitioners of ninjutsu, which doesn’t involve any martial arts.

Have you ever been to the Scottish Games in Woodland CA? Or maybe visited Mission San Juan Bautista during a Native American festival or attended a Cinco De Mayo event? All of these venues are steeped in tradition and culture.

There is a reason why Oprah, Dr Phil, Dr Laura Schlesinger, Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser), Tony Robbins, pediatricians, child physiologists, and educators the world over all have alluded to the fact that Martial Arts is one of the most valuable things you can involve your child in.

Our martial arts journey began for all of the right reasons, which turned out to be wrong.