Piece It Together

04/09/2024

Along with some yoga poses sent out a couple of weeks ago, here are some great stretching exercises to do daily!
https://thephmp.com/2018/02/13/stretch-it-like-this/

04/01/2024

This month is Autism Acceptance Month!

National Autism Awareness Month

03/25/2024

Yoga is a big focus for the PIT Program. Try out these yoga poses!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/641514014/75-yoga-poses-pdf-85x11

03/18/2024

Here are some fruits and vegetables with high water content!
http://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/THEACADEMY/4556f4af-bcea-4fd9-8fc9-5647e0d15658/UploadedImages/DHCC/Documents_/Newsletters/Summer_2020.pdf

03/14/2024

Check this out!

Tee-rific news! Our new Adaptive Golf Clinics are swinging into action soon! Each clinic is designed to be a brief introduction to the sport of golf. Please only register for one date - as each clinic will cover the same materials.⛳️

Spaces are filling fast and some dates are already full! Reserve your spaces now by clicking on Therapeutic Recreation using the following link - https://recreation.northcharleston.org/

03/12/2024

Deep breathing is a great tool to help with calming the body and getting good oxygen flow through the lungs. Try this box breathing technique:
https://www.maimonidesem.org/blog/box-breathing-technique-nbspnbsp

03/11/2024

Let's focus on sleep. Sleep is very important for your body. In the article, "Behavioral sleep problems in children and adults with intellectual disabilities: An integrative literature review", the authors completed a meta-analysis of 99 articles and found:

-“People with intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience sleep problems, which can affect quality of life, physical health, mental health and well-being.”
-“There is a relationship between poor sleep and physical health, mental health, and people's quality of life and poor sleep also negatively impacts their family or careers.”
-“Behavioral interventions using a combination of sleep hygiene, sleep ecology and reinforcement appear to be effective. The study described using behavioral sleep interventions to increase sleep, such as, weighted blankets, light therapy, increase physical exercise.”
-“Improving sleep is likely to benefit not only the individual's quality of life, their physical and mental well-being but also that of their family and careers.”

So, how did you sleep last night?

Harper, L., McAnelly, S., Walshe, I., Ooms, A., & Tuffrey-Wijne, I. M. (2023). Behavioural sleep problems in children and adults with intellectual disabilities: An integrative literature review. Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID, 36(5), 916–928.

Background People with intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience sleep problems, which can affect quality of life, physical health, mental health and well-being. Methods An integrati...

03/07/2024

Since one of our biggest goals of the PIT group was to drink more water, here is a water tracker to track your glasses!

03/04/2024

During our last 6 weeks of PIT classes, we focused on SMART goals. SMART goals are:

S-specific
M-measurable
A-achievable
R-realistic
T-timely

Everyone created at least one SMART goal for themselves and we held each other accountable by talking about our progress each week!

03/01/2024

Meet Alec! Alec has been a great addition to PIT. Alec's goals are to be healthy, energetic, and strong. Alec loves playing the drums and going to the beach with family and friends. Alec stated, "I love coming to PIT, it keeps up my fitness and I want to meet more friends." Alec's favorite exercises are golf, yoga, and basketball.

03/01/2024

Meet Rhyan! Rhyan has been one of the longest members of PIT. His goal is to walk/run 3 miles a week. Over the course of the session, Rhyan has been accomplishing this. His favorite exercises are swimming, walking, yoga, and doing squats and lunges. Rhyan enjoys creating film at Trident and making new friends. Rhyan says "I am learning so much about wellness through Piece It Together and it has helped me with my physical exercise, sleep, and nutrition."

02/29/2024

Meet Joshua! Joshua joined PIT this last session and his goals are to write 100 words daily, exercise daily, and eat better. His favorite ways to move his body are stretching and walking. Joshua stated "I enjoy this program and look forward to exercising and learning about wellness".

02/29/2024

Let's talk about exercise. This article, "Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities: a meta-analysis using the RE-AIM framework" states:

“Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (IDs) tend to have lower levels of physical activity and poorer mental health than their typically developing peers.”

“Recent WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior recommended that children and adolescents living with a disability should engage in at least 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity across the week, with at least three days of vigorous-intensity aerobic activities per week. However, children and adolescents with IDs engage in lower levels of physical activity than their peers with TD.”

“Physical activity had positive effects on cognitive function in children and adolescents with social, emotional, and behavioral disabilities.”

Yang, W., Liang, X., & Sit, C. H. (2022). Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities: a meta-analysis using the RE-AIM framework. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 19(1), 80.

Background Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (IDs) tend to have lower levels of physical activity and poorer mental health than their typically developing peers. Studies on the effects of physical activity on the mental health of children with IDs using the Reach, Effectiveness...

02/27/2024

Piece It Together just wrapped up its winter session! 6 weeks of great wellness, moving our bodies, learning about health, and making goals for ourselves. Join us for the next session in the spring!

02/27/2024

What is Piece It Together? Piece it Together (PIT) is a comprehensive wellness program designed for transitional age youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and mild neurodevelopmental disabilities that focuses on exercise, nutrition, socialization, and stress-reduction.

It is a 6 week course that meets once a week online that incorporates 45-min of exercise and health and wellness lessons in goal setting, nutrition, bones and muscle anatomy, and stress management.

Spratt, E., Norton, J., Papa, C., Newton, J., McDonald, C., Mercer, M. A., Serpe, A., Blackmon, L., Felty, K., & Carpenter, L. (2019). "The PIT Experience": A Young Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder's Opinion of how a Wellness Program Changed her Life. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 49(10), 4363–4364.

Piece it Together (PIT) is a comprehensive wellness program designed for transitional age youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and mild neurodevelopmental disabilities that focuses on exercise, nutrition, socialization, and stress-reduction. The PIT Summer Program is a 6-week program, consisting of 9...