Can AS/Autistics dance or play sports?

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Hi,

Just wondering if a person with autism is able to get down and dance really well (like in hip hop) or play a sport like basketball?

Thanks,

Mariam

Uh, yeah.
We have all kinds of talents.
Like anyone.
We're people.

Yeah of course it's just not as common, most of us are more into things that involve more deep complex thinking rather then quick and simple reacting....

This summer I met a 13-year-old on the spectrum who was just barely verbal, and he was a lot better than most kids at square dancing. I myself can't seem to get the hang of dancing naturally unless I memorize all of the steps. If I'm not thinking about it I just stop moving. It takes a lot of concentration for me.

I'm good at karate though... and know a couple of other AS folks who are as well. Practicing karate helped me gain a lot of coordination too, both karate and rock climbing. I honestly wonder why I don't run into more AS rock climbers at the gym, given our propensity for wandering and scaling things as children.

My daughter (also an aspie) is great at sports. She plays soccer and ice hockey. Bikram yoga is my thing. It takes a lot of concentration and you do the same sequence of postures every time so I find it much more enjoyable than other types of yoga.

I for one used to be a fairly competent martial artist, just below competition level. Sanshou is a very small sport here, so the first level of competition is the national championship. Never been much for team- or ball sports, however.

My boss has a thirteen year old daughter with atypical autism and who is just getting into fencing.

I don't know about hiphop-dancing, but do look up Dan Bull on youtube, he's an autistic rapper.

Check this scene out from the superb film Napoleon Dynamite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcWPiHjIExA

I should have been more clear about what I'm trying to ask. I was wondering if autistics can move their bodies smoothly to any type of music? And I'm not talking about simple back and forth steps, I mean can they grove and move their entire bodies to the music??? I know a lot can play sports but it seems like when my cousins that are on the spectrum try to move, they look awkward and don't really get involved in sports.

Identify the snare or clap in the timing. Everything revolves around it in most danceable music. Do whatever with the rest of the time as long as you come back on the snare. Clack! Boom cht Clack cht. Boom boom Clack.
Country, Rap, Rock, Techno, whatever. Hit the Clack and you can not go wrong.

Sports is mind over matter. You just have to imagine things much less significant and they get easier. Don't forget to practice more than anyone else does. You can prevail at anything if you try hard enough (AS or not).

I used to do Martial Arts (Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiu-jitzu), I play golf and I used to do both golf and baseball in middle school, and I sometimes play Tennis.

As far as dancing goes, not really, but My sister and I really want to try Swing (more specifically, Lindy Hop).

Wow! I am so impressed by responses. I read the heading and was thinking "nope". But I forgot, that's just me. No, I cannot do either of those things, move body smoothly or do sports. Just nope. Everybody else: you rock.

No good at sport but dancing....love it...love clubbing. Having said that, I agree with Anachron except I have devoted myself to making money, lots of it. I dont worship money, but I like the freedom it buys....and with the allistic world making my life at work a misery, I devoted myself to making the stuff on my own.

Moral of this story, you can excel at sport of you want it and are focussed. Dancing is fun so dont work too hard at it, just enjoy it.

I have never been fantastic at sports, but at least I have got myself fitter. I do struggle a little with co-ordination at times. I don't like lunges, I tend to get a little light headed at times, and struggle at cross skis, where you have to co-ordinate arms and legs like a cross country skier.

I have two medals in amateur freestyle wrestling from back in the 1980's. I never participated much in ball sports due to being a klutz with both throwing and catching, however I was able to function as a decent kicker/punter on an intermural football squad during my college years. As for dance, I took ballet in my youth and was involved in a number of performances including the Nutcracker ballet at Xmas time. I refuse to go "clubbing" because styles like hiphop and techno are off limits to me due to my SPD.