Abstract
Piece it Together (PIT) is a comprehensive wellness program designed for transitional age youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and mild neurodevelopmental disabilities that focuses on exercise, nutrition, socialization, and stress-reduction. The PIT Summer Program is a 6-week program, consisting of 90-min classes, twice a week. Each class incorporates 45-min of exercise and health and wellness lessons in goal setting, nutrition, bones and muscle anatomy, and stress management. The PIT program has successfully brought together a unique group to build friendships and make healthier lifestyle choices. One female participant has felt positively impacted and many of her in-class achievements have translated to greater success in work and school environments. She describes the impacts of the PIT program in this letter.
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Acknowledgments
Special thanks to SC Developmental Disabilities Council Grants 2015–2017 and NIH/NCATS UL1TR000062, Crews Subaru, the Charles Webb/Ed Croft Trust Endowment of Coastal Community Foundation, the Lowcountry Autism Foundation, the Coastal Community Foundation Cooper River Bridge Run grant, private donors, families, MUSC volunteers, and PIT participants.
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Spratt, E., Norton, J., Papa, C. et al. “The PIT Experience���: A Young Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder’s Opinion of how a Wellness Program Changed her Life. J Autism Dev Disord 49, 4363–4364 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04083-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04083-0