Active Special Needs, Shah Alam

Active Special Needs is an innovative gym programme that caters to special needs children aged three to 10 years old.

It currently operates from Headstart Academy’s Shah Alam and Glo Damansara branches, both of which feature well-equipped sensory gyms. Classes are conducted in small groups, with options for one-on-one coaching.

Founder Ms. Low Pek Har, who started Active Special Needs in 2019, says that regular physical activity can have profound benefits for special needs children–not just in enhancing their overall development, but also to help regulate their mood and anxiety levels

“Special children may struggle with gross motor skills, coordination, strength and balance. Many of them also have sensory issues,” says Ms. Pek Har, who has a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science from the University of Malaya and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education from DIKA College. “Our programme targets these areas, while also providing students with a safe space to learn things such as rule-following and turn-taking with their peers,” she explains.

Today, Active Special Needs’ students come from various backgrounds, including those with autism, down syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and global developmental delays.

Ms. Pek Har is a certified Autism Exercise Specialist from the American College of Sports Medicine. She also has extensive experience working with both typical and special needs children as a coach at a recreational gymnastics centre and head teacher at a special needs school, respectively.

Thanks to her unique knowledge in both fields, the programme she designed addresses specific challenges that special needs children face when it comes to physical activity, which may not be offered by typical children’s gyms.

Tailored activities suited to each child’s ability levels

Classes at Active Special Needs focus on several key areas, namely gross motor skills (such as running, jumping, and climbing), body coordination (the ability to coordinate different parts of the body to produce physical movement), balance, and strength.

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While some of these activities sound simple, it can be challenging for a special needs child, says Ms. Pek Har. For example, typical children may have no problems observing and imitating movements on their own–but coaches may need to use visual aids with colours and numbers to guide a special needs child to perform the same movement, which could take months of drilling.

These activities are greatly beneficial not only in terms of enhancing their mobility, but also helps with cognitive and emotional health as it provides children with a productive outlet for their energy and emotions. Children with sensory issues can also benefit from regular exercise as it helps them process sensory information more effectively, leading to improved concentration and reduced anxiety.

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Ms. Pek Har adds that the classes’ group settings help to promote social skills and interaction with peers, which sets it apart from physical therapy or even occupational therapy.

“We usually group the children according to their age and ability levels, so that we can adjust the difficulty accordingly. We use a more flexible approach with the three- to six-year-old students where they can explore the gym facilities and apparatus when it is not their turn on the circuit. For older students, we teach them concepts such as turn taking, so they will have to wait for their peers to finish the circuits,” Ms. Pek Har explains.

Another way in which Active Special Needs differs from a typical children’s gym is its low student to teacher ratio. “In typical classes, there may be up to 15 children per two coaches. Here, we have three students to one coach, to ensure we give the students personalised attention and training,” says Ms. Pek Har, who is assisted by coaches with sports science or early education backgrounds.

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Facilities

Headstart Academy Shah Alam, one of the venues where Active Special Needs operates from, offers large and well-maintained gym facilities that span almost 2,000 square-feet of space. It features equipment such as a rock-climbing wall, monkey bars, and rope climbing obstacle.

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The equipment is complemented by Active Special Needs’ own apparatus, which may include balancing boards, beams, physio balls, and more. To keep things fresh, coaches switch up the apparatus and circuits weekly, to ensure children are challenged appropriately to their level.

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Programme structure and accessibility

Active Special Needs offers one-hour weekly sessions, with the option for more intensive schedules if needed. Prior to enrolment, parents may send their children for trial sessions to assess their suitability for a group setting, and to allow coaches to tailor the programme to their specific needs.

Classes are reasonably priced, starting from RM50 for a trial class, up to RM220 for one-on-one sessions. Ms. Pek Har also encourages parental involvement by providing tips and exercises that can be done at home, to reinforce skills learned in class.

Beyond just providing gym services, Ms. Pek Har’s vision is to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity for special needs children.

“When a child is diagnosed with special needs, the common practice for doctors and therapists is to recommend the child for an early intervention programme, an occupational therapist, and a speech therapist. With Active Special Needs, we hope to promote physical activity for special needs children, such as through gym sessions, which can be just as beneficial,” she says.