Second Wave Michigan
Kids on autism spectrum get physical activity, nutrition support through Detroit program
By Doug Coombe

A Wayne State University community-based program for kids on the autism spectrum is taking off. PLANE, short for Physical Literacy and Nutrition Education, offers adaptive strategies to get kids moving, as well as a nutrition curriculum that shares ways to introduce kids to healthier foods. Dr. Leah Ketcheson, assistant professor and program coordinator of WSU’s Health and Physical Education Teaching program, proposed the idea for PLANE through her 2016 doctoral thesis after teaching adaptive physical education in the Detroit Public School Community School District from 2007 to 2010. “The classrooms of children with autism were the most intriguing but also the most challenging,” said Ketcheson. “I saw that the children with autism were exhibiting significant health disparities when compared to neurotypical children.” With funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and in-kind support from WSU, what started as an eight-week summer intensive focused on children’s physical activity and sports has grown into the two-year, year-round PLANE program. Children on the autism spectrum and their families now meet weekly to learn how to successfully integrate physical activity and healthy foods into their lives. Along with Ketcheson, PLANE’s staff includes board-certified behavioral analysts who mentor the coaches who work one-on-one with the children. The coaches are WSU health and physical education, or exercise sports science, majors. “We’ve got all the support systems at Wayne State to make this happen,” Ketcheson said. “I think part of being an effective program is really identifying what your target audience needs. I know that our target audience, our primary stakeholders, are the parents and children with autism. They need direct, individualized support. The way that we can provide that is through the awesome work of our undergraduate and graduate degree programs.” 

https://www.secondwavemedia.com/features/planeautism07142022.aspx