5/5 Christy D. 1 year ago on Google
My
son
has
ADHD
&
Anxiety,
so
he
struggles
with
executive
functioning
(planning,
focus
attention,
remembering,
juggling
multiple
tasks/steps)
and
being
a
self-advocate.
A
neuro
eval
recommendation
was
to
try
Martial
Arts.
When
I
read
this,
we
had
many
concerns.
We've
heard
from
other
parents
how
strict
some
of
these
places
can
be,
how
some
correct
kid
errors
by
whacking
their
legs.
Their
focus
is
on
winning
competitions.
Our
kid
is
extremely
sensitive
&
we
didn't
want
to
cause
him
more
anxiety
or
self-esteem
issues
by
enrolling
him
in
a
place
like
that.
We
also
had
already
tried
many
activities
like
soccer,
3
different
swim
lesson
places,
gym
class
&
gymnastics.
He
struggled
to
want
to
participate,
sometimes
sitting
out,
too
anxious
to
join
along.
Some
of
these
places
he
learned
to
like,
but
he
wasn't
passionate
about
them.
I
looked
up
a
few
Martial
Art
places
to
consider
in
the
Mill
Creek
area,
but
AMA
intrigued
me
the
most
because
the
focus
was
100%
on
the
kids.
We
didn't
care
about
how
fast
he
could
earn
belts
or
about
trophies
.
We
needed
a
place
where
our
son
could
feel
supported
&
safe
to
make
mistakes,
to
speak
up
for
himself,
to
make
friends
&
learn
something
new.
He
struggles
with
large
team
sports
because
of
his
anxiety-
we
needed
a
place
where
he
could
be
an
individual
but
also
part
of
a
team.
We
signed
up
for
the
trial
&
hoped
for
the
best.
My
son
was
super
anxious
to
start
class
&
honestly,
so
was
I!
The
instructors
were
welcoming
to
us
and
made
a
point
to
connect
with
my
son.
I
was
surprised
that
he
felt
comfortable
enough
to
participate
in
his
first
class
on
day
one!
I
was
worried
the
formalities
would
scare
him,
but
everyone
was
super
helpful
with
moving
him
along
with
the
class
in
a
way
that
didn't
make
him
feel
singled
out.
After
a
few
classes,
we
were
all
in.
My
kid
LOVES
Active
Martial
Arts.
He
belongs
here.
Six
months
into
our
membership,
my
son
turned
7
and
it
was
time
to
move
up
into
the
older
class
from
the
younger
class.
He
was
very
nervous
about
this
transition
as
change
is
hard
for
his
anxiety.
The
instructors
were
instrumental
in
making
this
transition
smooth.
We
watched
the
older
class
for
a
cycle
&
it
was
helpful
that
the
assistant
instructors
in
the
younger
kids
class
were
also
in
the
older
kids
class,
so
he
already
knew
them.
His
transition
was
amazing
&
he
is
thriving
in
the
older
kids
class!
We
have
been
going
to
Occupational
Therapy
(to
help
with
his
executive
functioning,
self-advocacy
&
motor
skills)
for
four
years.
Last
week,
the
therapist
told
me
she
can
really
see
how
much
these
Martial
Arts
classes
have
improved
my
son's
self-esteem,
large
motor
skills,
his
ability
to
focus
&
be
more
social.
We
love
the
"yes
I
can"
mantra
&
use
it
in
our
family
every
day.
We
love
the
values
(discipline,
respect,
communication,
self-esteem,
honesty),
which
are
helpful
reminders
for
our
kid
when
he's
struggling
to
manage
his
anxiety
and
ADHD.
I
am
so
thankful
to
have
a
neutral
third
party
instructor/coach
that
both
my
son
and
I
trust
to
ask
for
advice
to
help
guide
us
through
challenges.
My
kid
comes
out
of
his
shell
here.
He
has
friends.
He
uses
his
voice.
He
has
confidence.
He
practices
his
Martial
Arts
at
home
almost
daily.
He
leads
us,
including
the
dog,
through
classes
at
home,
imitating
his
instructors,
which
is
beyond
entertaining!
I
also
appreciate
the
Active
Martial
Arts
Mill
Creek
community.
The
families
are
very
diverse,
made
of
various
backgrounds-
race,
ethnicity,
income,
religion/beliefs,
kids
schooling,
shapes/sizes
of
families.
It's
amazing
how
different
we
all
are
yet
we
can
respectfully
share
ideas/advice
between
each
other.
Updated:
We've
been
coming
to
Active
Martial
Arts
for
over
a
year
now.
Per
my
son's
Occupational
Therapist,
my
son
has
had
significant
improvement
in
his
core
strength,
social
skills
and
ability
to
focus.
She
attributes
much
of
this
to
his
work
at
Active
Martial
Arts.
The
teachers
are
always
willing
to
talk
with
him
or
me
about
any
issues
we
need
help
with.
He
feels
like
he
belongs
at
Active
Martial
Arts
Mill
Creek,
which
means
everything
to
my
family.