I Can Jump Rope! - EBOOK

"I Can Jump Rope!"  by Sheena Leedham

In the first of its series, I Can Jump Rope! replaces a child’s demoralizing “I can’t” with an accomplished “I can.” Relying on the same teaching methods outlined in The Power of a Note, let’s consider the WHOLE child with autism who wasn’t given the appropriate time or instruction to learn how to jump rope in gym class.

Meet Charlie, a bright-eyed autistic eight-year-old with lots of spunk. Well, she’s typically bright-eyed and full of spunk, but as you’ll soon see, she’s not feeling so good about herself and her abilities. She wants to jump rope like her friends in gym class but can’t.

Well, yet.

Watch as she dodges slithering snakes and flies high over bubbling lava in a 12-week fitness adventure!
Jumping rope will be the easy part!

I Can Jump Rope! starts from the ground up as we reshape negative jump rope associations and develop the child’s motor, behavioral, and social skills sequentially. A refreshing aim is attached to every desired skill and relies heavily on physical and cognitive load, plus the teaching strategy of modeling to provide ongoing support, feedback, and adaptation (Tompkins 2006). Through deliberate practice, a child will attain general physical preparation and the skills necessary to jump rope and participate in structured and non-structured play in various settings and social climates (Ericsson & Pool 2017).

Table of Contents

Dedication .......9

Introduction......13

How to Use This Book.....17

Jump Rope Basics......21

Storybook: Charlie Can Jump Rope!.......31

Methodology.....55

Observe....59

Communicate.....63

Schedule.......69

Progress.....83

Motivate......93

12-Week I Can Jump Rope Program.....99

References.....131

Bibliography......135

Acknowledgments......137