Adaptive personal training helps Long Island kids with diverse needs

It looks just like a picnic in the park. A blanket on the grass under a tree, colorful balls and hoops set up for play, a child and two adults tossing bean bags.

But there is something else happening here. This is actually a specialized personal training session bringing greater mobility, improved focus and better communication skills to Long Islanders with diverse abilities and challenges.

A year ago, Madeline (Maddie) Walbroehl, now 9, couldn’t jump, couldn’t alternate feet going up and down stairs, or throw a bean bag. Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, she has additional challenges like high toe (tiptoe) walking and sensory processing disorder. She fell a lot. Her mom, Laura Mansdorf, 43, of Mineola, was concerned.

"I want to set her up for the future, so she has a more enriched time in the community," Mansdorf says. "I was looking for a service to get her to be more active. She needed more exercise."

She learned that they could apply Maddie’s disability-based Medicaid self-direction funds — discretionary funds recipients can choose how to use — toward personal training. Through Team Extreme X-Training, a company in Hauppauge that specializes in adaptive training for individuals with diverse needs, Maddie began working with personal trainer Carey Zinn three times a week.

"We start by speaking with the parents," says Zinn. "We talk about what they feel we need to work on. I find out what they can do physically, whether they are verbal or nonverbal, and then we make an adaptive personal training plan."

INDEPENDENCE AND SOCIALIZATION

For Maddie, that means working on balance and her high toe walking by standing on yoga blocks or a BOSU ball (a rubber hemisphere on one side and a flat surface on the other) as well as stretching to keep her Achilles tendons flexible. Walking on plastic "steppingstones" increases her spatial awareness and balance. Bean bags help develop hand-eye coordination as well as the use of both hands.

It was slow going at first.

"She was unable to tolerate very much," Mansdorf recalls. "She could do two activities and then she would get frustrated." But Maddie quickly developed a positive connection to Zinn, so much so that her teachers at school asked Mansdorf who "Carey" is, because Maddie asks for her so frequently. That connection, and the way that Zinn tailors the sessions to Maddie’s abilities, has led to better physical outcomes — Maddie walks more independently, jumps on the BOSU ball, throws beanbags and balls and goes down a playground slide —  and practical and social benefits.

"You see more socialization," Zinn says. "She is talking to me. She counts with me. Focus is a challenge for any child, but especially for a child on the spectrum. Now I can bring her back." Maddie makes regular eye contact with Zinn and answers her when prompted.

Progress is not linear and trainers have to be responsive. "One time Maddie just wanted to sit," Zinn recalls. "So we just did everything from a seated position. You have to be flexible. I might have had a goal for the session, but it might not work on that day."

DIVERSITY IN TRAINING

Trainers from Team Extreme meet clients in their homes, in local parks, even in shopping malls to navigate real-life situations. Team Extreme’s 32 trainers hold personal training certifications, are CPR certified, and participate in continuing education, says Team Extreme owner, Laura Ciliotta, 62. Then, there is the right mindset. "We look for trainers who have a loved one or family member with these challenges, so they really understand," Ciliotta says.

"Some participants are nonverbal and can’t say ‘I’m tired; I need a break.’ The trainers have to be very hands and eyes on all the time so they can see if they are struggling." Zinn, for example, has years of early childhood education experience as well as extensive volunteering with youth sports.

Consistency is key, says Aneillo (Neil) Iadevaia, 43, Long Island general manager of GymGuyz, an in-home personal training company founded in Plainview in 2008 and with locations worldwide. GymGuyz offers training by Certify Strong adaptive fitness certified trainers. "The majority of the parents just want their child to move; they don’t move enough. So just like the typical population, we hold you accountable. We show up to your house."

Zinn says the work is a joy. "I really love this job," she says. "I know I am making a difference in their lives. They have a right to a personal trainer, just as everyone else."

Mansdorf says the change in her daughter means everything. "This is huge for her. It’s worth the effort."