When Arlene Lopez Martinez founded Kidisthenics in 2018 it was her goal to fill a gap in the treatment options available for youths — particularly preteens and teens — on the autism spectrum. Her program involves working with clients one-on-one outdoors, instead of the usual clinical setting, using Kidistehnics science-backed movement methodology.
With 20 years of experience, Lopez Martinez recognized a lack of options for treatment out there for individuals with autism, and the few available opportunities all took place in controlled environments that didn’t accurately represent everyday life. So she came up with a new program, using movements that involve replicating involuntary motions performed in the early developmental stages and repetitive movements known to support nervous system regulation.
Arlene Lopez Martinez
PHOTO BY KYLIE CAPUANO
These movements have proven to help these individuals release and work through the pressure within their bodies and the anxiety they deal with every day. Kidisthenics-trained movement specialists work to guide their clients through these exercises but are careful not to force them to do anything they are not comfortable with or do the actions for them.
Lopez Martinez believes that there is always a solution, and it is her mission to assist individuals with autism in finding those solutions on their own.
Kidisthenics also offers opportunities for the whole family, whether that is individualized sibling training or mentoring mothers, Lopez Martinez wants to make a difference that sticks and believes that starts at home.
Every Saturday, clients are invited to participate in a group activity that changes every six to eight weeks, including sports such as basketball, swimming, kayaking, parkour, etc. They believe the easiest way to feel included is through sports, and by facilitating these events they allow for their clients to develop friendships and social skills without intervention.
During the week, in one-on-one training, these sports are broken down into bite-sized pieces for the clients and worked through with a movement specialist to prepare them for the group activities.
PLNU team members (back, from left) Anthony Thomé, Ryan Bigelow, Kylie Capuano, (front, from left) Sara DelGiudice, Kalea McClain, Talia Tarabishi. PHOTO BY KYLIE CAPUANO
To understand the body better, Lopez Martinez began taking martial arts classes from Point Loma Nazarene University alum Ryan Bigelow. She quickly recognized his knack for understanding body language and asked him to help her develop a self-defense curriculum to implement with her movement specialists at Kidistenics. During this collaboration, the pair shared ideas and a vision for growth within the company ultimately leading to Lopez Martinez asking Bigelow to become her COO.
Bigelow brought in a pseudo partnership with the PLNU Psychology Department, with four of their nine movement specialists being current students or alumni of the program. Before hiring, they were vetted by Bigelow and suggested to Lopez Martinez as a potential option for the job.
“Props to the Point Loma professors, they prepared not just me but all of our movement specialists for the field they’re now working in,” Bigelow said.
Through these connections, Lopez Martinez has found that PLNU students often share her ethical values and their education has made them mature beyond their years and display a special dedication to their jobs.
The individualized work her employees are doing requires them to have strong instincts and the ability to think outside of the box to help them understand the thought processes of their clients on the autism spectrum.
Connect with Kidisthenics on Facebook (Kidisthenics), Instagram (kidisthenics.hq), or at kidisthenics.org.