A Critical Analysis Of Alternative Renewable Energy

A Critical Analysis Of Alternative Renewable Energy Introduction In this chapter I will provide brief overview and scope of the dissertation. I will present the highlights of the major topics that will be covered in this dissertation and summary will be presented of the later chapters. The dissertation will be research based and the research sources will be from journals, books and internet articles. Through this research I will explain the aims and objectives of the dissertation which will be covered in this chapter. Furthermore I will also look upon the need for alternative renewable energy in this chapter and the benefits alternative energy brings to the environment, society and corporations. The growth in the alternative energy industry will also be mentioned along with theoretical framework and research methodology. Aims and objectives The main focus of the dissertation will be on the benefits of alternative renewable energy. The supply of traditional energy resources such as oil, gas and coal are depleting and ever increasing demand of these energy resources is drawing our attention towards alternative renewable energy thus one of the aims of my dissertation is the need for alternative renewable energy. Alternative renewable energy doesnt impact the environment, society and climate in a negative way thus the second aim of my dissertation will be the advantages of various forms of alternative renewable energy sources. The investment in development of alternative energy sources is very limited primarily because of the perception that this investment will not match the profits generated by investment in traditional energy sources. Contrary to this popular opinion I have designed another aim of my dissertation which will be the benefits of alternative renewable energy to corporations. Since there is lack of confidence in big corporations so I will also consider the limitations in development of alternative energy industry and will present the solutions to these limitations in my dissertation. Justification of the subject: In the recent past the world has heavily relied on traditional energy sources such as oil, gas and coal. The growth in industrialization in all parts of the world particularly India and China and in developed parts of the world U.S, Japan and Europe has increased the global demand of oil and made these countries net importers of oil. The supply of oil by OPEC and Non-OPEC members is decreasing and there are not sufficient oil resources to meet the ever increasing demand of energy. Moreover oil has huge impacts on the society and the environment particularly in the form of oil spills. The dependency on oil is changing the climate of this earth and increasing the threat from global warming. I believe to meet the demand deficit of energy it is time that the world should consider investment and growth in alternative renewable energy sources. The decreasing supply of oil and its adverse impacts on the environment and society increases the need for alternative energy sources. Alternative e nergy sources bring along benefits to the society, environment and corporations and thus it is the need of this hour that upcoming and large oil and gas companies shift from traditional energy to alternative renewable energy. Some background to the problem: Need for alternative energy: As Hasan stated in his report Introduction to alternative energy on page 1 that the worlds dependence upon oil and the decrease in traditional sources of energy such as oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear power is changing the structure of this world. The world is heavily oil dependent rather I will say addicted to oil and the growth in industrialization in all parts of the world is increasing this dependency on oil. However at the same time there is decrease in the supply of traditional energy. The resources of traditional energy are limited and due to depletion these resources cannot match the demand of energy and thus it is believed by every authority that without alternative energy the growing demand of energy in the future cannot be met. The global supply of coal, oil and gas is limited while nuclear energy is dangerous and thus the discovery of alternative renewable energy sources is of utmost importance to meet the energy challenge. The traditional energy sources such as oil, g as, coal and nuclear power are not renewable and produce a lot of waste products and harm the environment. The smoke and chemicals produced by these sources pollutes the air and affects global warming. On the other hand alternative renewable energy doesnt impact the environment and for these reasons the need for these sources is at its peak. Alternative energy sources are environmental friendly and technologically advanced and at the same time renewable energy will strengthen the core businesses of oil and gas companies. It is believed by all that alternative renewable energy will replace the traditional energy in years to come. 1.4.2 Growth in the Renewable Energy Market: With time the world is seeing the growth in alternative renewable industry and greater investment is coming in this industry from public and private sector e.g. the investment in renewable energy capacity rose from $30 billion in 2004 to $38 billion in 2005 (Alternative energy: A global survey, 2007 pg 4). According to survey on alternative energy conducted by Goldman Sachs in 2007 the increase in investment can be attributed to following factors: The supply of traditional energy resources is uncertain and at the same time the energy cost is high which increases the cost of production. On the other hand the cost of renewable energy is low and the supply is unlimited. Alternative energy reduces cost and thus increases competitiveness and at the same time it allows small players to match the threat from big players. Traditional energy doesnt bring economies of scale not energy efficiency. Various governments through laws are promoting the use of alternative renewable energy e.g high tax on coal and at the same time grants for companies expanding in the alternative energy sector. People these days are more aware of impacts of traditional energy on the environment and thus for better future the support the alternative energy sources. Moreover the global survey conducted by Goldman sachs in 2007 also identified certain macro factors are also increasing the importance of alternative renewable energy and among them include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continued global economic growth: The world is seeing the emergence of new economic powers in the form of Brazil, China, India and Russia and in order for these countries to continue grow economically new alternative energy is required. . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continued population growth: The worlds population is growing and moreover people from rural areas are shifting to urban areas. In order to meet the energy challenge of this growing population new cost effective alternative energy sources are required. .à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Climate change: the traditional energy is a great threat to the climate particularly in the form of GHG emissions associated with fossil fuel and thus in order to protect the climate environmental friendly renewable energy is required. 1.4.3 Various forms of alternative energy: Alternative renewable energy is a form of energy that is renewed by the natural processes of Earth and is environmental friendly such as sunlight from the sun or wind from the air. In this section I will consider various forms of alternative renewable energy sources available which were presented by Hasan in his report Introduction to alternative energy on page 2, 3 and 4. Solar energy: Solar energy comes from the light of sun and it can be harnessed through the use of solar power cells. Sunlight is free, easy to harness and accessible to everyone. It is difficult to harness solar power on a larger level and thus solar power has more usage in home electricity production. The only cost involved in creating solar energy is the cost of solar panels. Apart from the low cost of solar energy, the power is environmental friendly and no waste byproduct is produced through the creation of this power. At the same time solar power promotes a greener future. Sun light from the sun can be used to create solar power at a domestic level and at the state level. Currently many households and companies create solar energy by putting solar panels on the roof of their buildings and thus protect the environment from unfriendly waste material and at the same time benefit from low cost of energy. Wind Energy: Wind power is another form of renewable energy which protects the environments and creates electricity at low cost. Wind power is harnessed though the use of wind turbines which are turned by the wind to produce electricity. Wind is vulnerable to weather conditions but in costal offshore and high altitude areas there is a steady supply of wind. Wind power can be used to produce electricity at a large level by using multiple turbines and at the same time at a household level. Critics of wind power claim that the generation of wind power through use of turbines result in ugly noise and kill birds however the benefits in the form of low cost and friendly environment outweigh the disadvantages. Geothermal energy: Geothermal energy is another cost effective renewable energy which draws energy from the planets core through thermal power stations. The heat from planet boils a liquid which evaporates to turn turbines, producing the electricity. The cost is low because the heat is free and only cost incurred is of a thermal station. Geothermal is an environmental friendly energy that doesnt pollute or produce waste material and it can be used for heating and cooling purpose. Hydroelectric energy: Hydroelectric power is created through water and it comes from dams which harness the power of rivers. The water passes through turbines at base of dam and thus electricity is generated. Hydroelectric energy is created on macro level by the state of or companies and not at a household level. Hydroelectric energy produces no pollution at all and promotes a greener world. Tidal Power: Tidal power is another form of renewable energy that can provide clean and free energy in the future. It is created when water from the ocean flows through the tidal stations and thus turbines create the energy. Biomass technology: Any form of renewable energy that can be created from biological matter is biomass technology. Biomass can be in the form of biofuel and biogas. Through biomass technology any material e.g. dead vegetable, crops, meat and plants can be converted to create biofuel and biogas. The transformation of these materials into electricity will save the cost and the material which if unused will be a waste product and spread pollution. Biofuel will be in liquid form while biogas will be in the form of natural gas. This technology is very cost effective and can be used to create electricity or satisfy any needs from oil or gas. . 1.4.4 Advantages of alternative renewable energy: According to the article Seven most beneficial alternative energy advantages Alternative energy offers various benefits to the environment and society and these benefits have been explained below: 1. Municipal Solid Waste Elimination The harmful fossil fuels will run out in the near future and thus to meet the energy demand the solid waste material can be used to create energy. The municipal waste or household garbage will be used to generate energy and it will be very cost effective and environmental friendly. 2. These Energy Sources Are Renewable Through alternative energy there will be unlimited supply of energy as the sources are renewable. So whether its the solar power, wind power, biofuel or hydroelectricity it wont get wasted and unlimited supply will be available for households and industries and thus there will never be an energy crisis. The oil, gas and coal resources will be finished one day however renewable energy will remain forever. 3. Local Production and Benefits The traditional energy in the form of oil and gas are produced by big players such as BP, Shell and Exxon Mobile. These companies operate in various countries and use the local resources to supply oil and gas. Moreover these resources are sold to the local population at high prices and profits are returned to the shareholders. Thus there is nothing for the local economy and the local population. On the other hand alternative renewable energy can be produced by local investors in the form of large and small businesses. The local businesses, society and government will benefit from local production of renewable energy and benefits will be in the form of low energy cost, steady taxes, generation of jobs and returns to local investors. The renewable energy will be produced locally and the involvement of foreign companies will be minimal. 4. More Environmentally Friendly Oil and gas result in creation of smoke and pollutants which impact the environment e.g. greenhouse gas emissions which harm the environment and contribute to global warming. Thus these energy sources are increasing the temperature of planet and making it a more dangerous place to live. On the other hand renewable energy does not have carbon emissions nor do they cause damage to environment. The environmental friendly renewable energy will make this earth a better place to live. 5. Better National Security: The reserves of oil and gas are under control of some countries while they are explored and distributed by only a couple of companies this means that rest of the world are dependent and on mercy of some hands. A catastrophe, unstable government or war will heavily impact the supply of oil and national security will be at threat. However on the other hand renewable energy will secure the countries more and will enhance the national security because of domestic production. 6. More Price Stability As seen in the recent past the fluctuations in the prices of crude oil resulted in financial crises and it also affected the economies of many countries and left some companies on the verge of bankruptcy. The high price of traditional energy also keeps the cost of production high. On the other hand renewable energy is very cheap which will keep the cost low and there will be no fluctuations in prices that will result in catastrophe. 1.4.5 Benefits to upcoming companies: Oil and gas sector is dominated by a bunch of large companies and thus it becomes difficult for upcoming startups to compete with them. The high barriers to entry, limited resources and control over the production reserves by these large oil and gas companies makes it difficult for upcoming companies to enter the traditional energy industry. However on the other hand through favorable government policies towards renewable energy, unlimited supply and local production startups from emerging and developing economies can compete on the basis of cost with these large companies. The alternative renewable energy brings along various benefits for these upcoming companies which were identified by Goldman Sachs in 2007 during the survey Alternative energy: A global survey and they are explained below: Feed-In Tariffs In order to promote the alternative renewable energy sector the government purchases power from these upcoming companies at a fixed rate this is set above the market price. The fixed price creates stability and reduces financing barriers for these startups. Feed in tariffs result in stable long term payments for these companies and also gives the incentive to the producer to use the most efficient source of energy. Through long term stable cash inflows from the government the upcoming companies can compete with large firms and at the same time their liquidity needs will addressed and profits will be generated. The subsidy which the government provides to these startups in the form of feed in tariffs help them to grow and match the threat from competition. Tax Credits: In certain countries government offers two kinds of tax credits to companies that produce electricity through renewable energy. Production tax credit is based on amount of energy produced from renewable sources while investment tax credit is based on amount of investment in renewable energy projects. The tax credit can be in the form of income tax, sales tax or property tax. For upcoming companies the tax credits bring along a great opportunity to invest in renewable energy. The tax credits in any form will increase their liquidity position and allow them to expand more through money saved. The tax credits along with feed in tariffs will result in cost savings and organic growth for startups. Minimum GHG emissions: Regulators in certain countries set standards for minimum GHG emissions and encourage companies to reduce GHG emissions. Those companies that exceed the minimum level are penalized while others that are below the minimum level are given incentives. Thus for upcoming renewable companies this kind of laws gives them a great opportunity to get incentives under such programs as renewable will result in minimum GHG emissions and companies will benefit from incentives. Similarly certain governments have imposed carbon tax and this kind of tax is discouraging for traditional energy companies and thus gives a great opportunity to upcoming companies to pursue a carbon free strategy. . Loans, Grants and Subsidies: In order to promote the alternative renewable energy many governments and authorities like World Bank or United nations offer grants and subsidies for upcoming companies. The grants and subsidies can be in the form of provision of land and technology, expertise or even low interest rate loan. Thus new upcoming firms can take this opportunity to address their capital requirements and though such grants and loans can step in the alternative renewable energy sector. These grants also offer great opportunities to companies in under developed countries in Asia and Africa to produce power from alternative renewable energy. Other benefits: There are various other benefits to startups investing in alternative renewable energy sector according to article Dollars from sense: The economic benefits from renewable energy and these can be later passed onto the society e.g. an investment in renewable energy project by the local investor will strengthen the local economy, help government in the form of taxes and at the same time create jobs for the local community. Secondly because of low cost of production and unlimited supply the prices will remain stable and thus this will ensure steady profits and cash flows to the company. On the contrary a sharp decline in oil prices result in losses to these big oil companies. Thirdly people now prefer energy from alternative sources because of less impact on environment so money invested in renewable energy will generate more returns than money invested in traditional energy. The increasing demand of alternative energy will result in high returns and high profits for shareholders. Theoretical framework To make the study more effective journal of corporate governance, journals of management in science and journals of industrial management were analyzed. The articles from internet were also analyzed and the theoretical framework is based on these journals and articles. In order to determine the benefits from alternative renewable energy to the environment, society and upcoming startups I will also consider the reports of various government agencies that support these programs. Many governments in developed countries offer subsidies and grants to upcoming companies planning to expand in the alternative renewable energy and moreover financial and technical assistance is also offered from international institutions like World Bank. The policy framework and benefits offered by these institutions will be analyzed in the literature review section of this dissertation. Methodological framework In order to make the dissertation fact based and reliable a lot of data was required. The research method I used to gather data was from secondary resources. Secondary resources were used first in order to understand the subject matter and validate the aims and objectives set earlier. The secondary resources that I used were journal articles, internet articles and reports from various government agencies. A lot of research has been done on alternative renewable energy in terms of benefits offered to the economy, environment, society and companies. This research from secondary data sources will be used and analyzed with literature reviews in the dissertation. The secondary research is cheap and easy to find moreover the information gathered is from reliable sources. The data was collected from librarys database and this research will be used to validate the research objectives. Quantitative and qualitative information is available on renewable energy sector and this information will b e presented during the course of dissertation. Outline of the following chapters I have divided the dissertation in five chapters. Literature reviews will be discussed in the second chapter and published information from reliable sources such as books and journals will be analyzed. In the 3rd chapter I will explain the research methods, the process used to collect data and their limitations. . In chapter 4 I will critically analyze the information gathered earlier through literature reviews and recommendations and data analysis will be presented. The last chapter will provide the synopsis of the study, limitations and the need for future study. Summary of the chapter In the initial part of the chapter the aims and objectives of the study were mentioned which are based on the need of alternative renewable energy, the benefits to the society, environment and companies and limitations of this sector. While in the later part of the chapter the overview of various alternative renewable energy methods were presented along with the benefits to the environment and upcoming companies. Last but not the least the theoretical framework and the methodology was presented.

“Ode to an Orange” by Larry Woiwode Essay

Ode to an Orange by Larry Woiwode is an evocative essay that brought many of my memories back. I became part of the story by experiencing what the author was describing. Larry incites all of our senses with the sharp description of an orange that for most of us is simply another fruit. The smell produced when we squeeze it, and its spherical orange shape gives us the sensation of being there. This essay made me think about the different ways we look at an orange. Most of us are accustomed to the conventional way of seeing an orange. However, for some people an orange is a lot more than merely a fruit. The author emphasizes in the importance of an orange for him. One example of this emphasis is at line 10 when he mentions; â€Å"There was no depth of degradation that we wouldn’t descend to in order to get one†. This tells me that the author not only liked oranges, but that he was passionate about enjoying the flavor and texture of an orange. I think that the author feels in this way because the orange brings some of his most memorable times back. He clearly remembers the way her mother used to tease him and his brother. He emphasizes this by repeating his thoughts in the end. I enjoyed reading this story because I can relate with what the author writes. In the summers of my childhood, there was no better flavor than the originated by a cold orange juice. After reading this story, I felt a strong desire to buy some oranges and make a glass of cold juice, and the fact that is summer now; greatly complements it. Finally, this story has made me more aware of the ordinary things we have around us. Everything is an interesting topic for writing, and as the book mentions, we need to be more perceptive with our environment. Larry has a unique way to make us feel inside the story. He reminds me that before theaters and television was writing. We only need our imagination to create the most beautiful stories.

Personality Reflection - 1076 Words

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Home Exercise Program on Children Diagnosed with Autism - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2900 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/08/02 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Benefits of Exercise Essay Did you like this example? REVIEW OF LITERATURE Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Exercise has been well-known to have a wide variety of benefits. It strengthens muscles and bones, improves physical and mental health, controls weight, and much more. One of the other countless positive impacts is decreasing stereotypical behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Home Exercise Program on Children Diagnosed with Autism" essay for you Create order Toscano et al. (11) defines ASD as a neurodevelopmental disability, characterized by deficits in social and emotional reciprocity, and by the presence of repetitive, restricted and stereotyped patterns of behavior and interests (p. 127). Individuals with ASD, particularly children, have difficulty controlling their behaviors. Unfortunately, sometimes they can get out of control in which the behaviors cause harm, physically and mentally, to their family, teachers, or peers. Thus, exercise can serve as an important tool to aid these children with ASD to diminish or control their behaviors. Impact of Exercise on Children with ASD   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In our society, we have turned our back on this population. We have not provided them the necessary resources to improve their lives. Haegele, Zhu, and Kirk (5) completed a study on the physical fitness of children with visual impairments and children with both ASD and visual impairments. As expected, none of the 12 participants met the exercise recommendations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who suggests at least an hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity every day for children 6 to 17 years old (13). Thus, children with disabilities, including those diagnosed with ASD, are not getting the proper exercise needed for a healthy life. Ratcliff, Hong, and Hilton (9) discovered the split in activity levels among children with ASD and their neurotypical companions. As both groups of children increase in age, the gap expands. The researchers stated that physical activity intervention is essential, taking into mind that the earlier in age it i s started, the better.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Levinson and Reid (7) examined the impact of exercise on children with autism, specifically their behavioral tendencies. The researchers believed that exercise is an appropriate activity to reduce stereotypical behaviors, or repetitive nonfunctional behavior, in these children. The participants included 2 male children and 1 female child, all aged 11 years old. The two conditions that the subjects were tested with differed based on intensity: walking versus running. The measures recorded were heart rate and the length of distance accomplished in 15 minutes. The study was interested in how the different intensities would affect the number of stereotypical behaviors. The experiment lasted for a total of 9 weeks, divided into three phases. The first phase established the baseline, consisting of three observations over 2 weeks. In the second phase, the subjects underwent the experiment, in which they went through a pre-exercise observation session (45 minutes), mild or vigorous exercise session (15 minutes), post-exercise observation session (45 minutes), and 90-minute post-exercise observation session (30 minutes). Depending on the subjects behavioral tendencies, the researchers applied either the mild or vigorous exercise program. This study discovered that the running phase of the experiment, also known as the higher intensity condition, produced a decrease in stereotypical behaviors for a couple of hours afterwards, whereas the walking condition did not see a decrease in these behaviors at all. Thus, the researchers concluded that a higher intensity of exercise will promote a greater reduction in stereotypical behavior. These results make sense , as children with autism who are fatigued will be less likely to carry out their verbal and motor behaviors, as their body is too tired to perform more movement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elliott, Dobbin, Rose, and Soper (3) realized the benefit of strenuous, aerobic exercise on behavioral tendencies for individuals with disabilities. A small participant group of 6 adults with ASD was constructed. The control condition involved observation of behaviors in a leisure environment for 30 minutes. Then, the participants either did not exercise, performed moderate exercise, or strenuous, aerobic exercise. The control group engaged in activities that possessed minimal risk of increasing the subjects heart rate. Moderate exercise was operationalized as activities that increased the subjects heart rates to numbers between 90 and 120 beats per minute after 20 minutes of the performed activity. Vigorous, aerobic exercise was affirmed if the activities caused the subjects heart rates to be higher than 130 beats per minute after 20 minutes of the performed activity. At the end of each experimental condition, the participants were again observed of behaviors for 30 minutes in the same environment. Subjects experienced five sessions of each condition Subsequently, the researchers discovered that the strenuous, aerobic exercise reflected the greatest improvement on the participants behaviors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. If parents or guardians are able to implement interventions before the child can react inappropriately to a trigger, there is a chance it can decrease or diminish the potential challenging behavior. A prominent location to achieve a successful intervention is in the school setting. Children are in school for about 8 hours each day, so they are susceptible to experience a challenging behavior at some point during the day. Understandably, any type of behavior can be disrupting to the classroom. Thus, it is important for teachers to be trained on how to lessen a childs behaviors with antecedent interventions in order to most effectively fulfill that childs learning needs. An excellent antecedent intervention strategy is exercise. Cannella-Malone, Tullis, and Kazee (2) saw that after implementing 8 exercise sessions throughout the day, behaviors, particularly difficult ones, decreased dramatically. The 8 exercise sessions were split into 2 20-minute exercise routines and 6 short exercise breaks. The 20-minute exercise routine occurred at the beginning of the school day and directly after lunch period. Activities during this session including jumping, stretching, and jogging movements. The remaining exercise sessions consisted of 1-5 minute exercise breaks at each hour of the school day. These breaks would happen at whichever subject the students were in attendance. A few examples of the exercises that took place during these breaks are jumping jacks, sit-ups, crab walk, and knee raises. The conclusions from this exercise schedule exhibited beneficial impacts on the childrens behaviors. Therefore, it depends on the individual and what exercise fits their needs, but there are multiple interventions of activity that can aid children with ASD in reducing their behavioral tendencies. A few fun or effective methods include exergaming, aquatic exercise, and structured physical activity programs and will be discussed below. Exergaming Anderson-Hanley, Tureck and Schneiderman (1) considered the use of exergaming to diminish repeated behaviors of individuals with ASD. They found that exergaming is fun and enjoyable for all children, but even better for children with ASD as their physical activity levels and attention levels are statistically low compared to their neurotypical peers (8). The study was able to recruit 12 students diagnosed with ASD. The control period involved the subjects to interact with a 20-minute video, along with 5 minutes of recording before and after the video to record them playing, to track executive functions. The following week, the same participants were acquainted with the Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) game system, and interacted with it for 20 minutes. There was no indication of a set level of intensity for the children to exercise at. Afterwards, their actions of play were recorded for 5 minutes. Another subject pool was used, involving 10 children with ASD. For this group, they exercised for 20 minutes on a stationary bike, but with an interactive game on the screen. No level of intensity was described in the study. Again, 5-minute periods of activity were recorded before and after the main exergaming activity. The results illustrated the benefit of the DDR gaming system and cycling video game, for the childrens behavior in the experiment session were significantly reduced compared to the control session. Thus, exergaming is a different, incredible method of implementing exercise for children with ASD. Not only is it beneficial to decrease their challenging behaviors, such as repetiti ve behaviors, but it also provides them with an activity that is fun and enjoyable to interact with. Aquatic Exercise   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shams-Elden (10) delved into the impact of exercises in a pool environment, and their effect on children with ASD. He acquired a final group of 10 children with ASD to participate in his study. The subjects went through an exercise program in the pool for 3 days per week, for 10 weeks. In the end, the data demonstrated the profound benefit of an aquatic exercise program for children with autism on their motor abilities. In the various tests conducted, the children improved their physical skill set and abilities. Their motor skills were enhanced, which consequently reduced their number of behaviors. Nevertheless, this study illustrates the negative relationship between the childrens physical abilities, or their independence, and their likelihood to engage in a challenging behavior to themselves or others. Therefore, water has an amazing effect on these individuals, decreasing body weight that relieves pressure off their joints, which in turn relaxes their body physically and mentally, resulting in decreased behavioral tendencies, such as aggression or self-injury. The childrens psychological and physical abilities are improved, which aid in the improvement of their disability. Structured Physical Activity Programs A study completed by Zhao and Chen (14), investigated the impact of exercise on the social skills of children with ASD. A control group and experimental group of 25 children with ASD each were used in this experiment. Over a course of 12 weeks, the experimental group experienced exercise sessions   twice a week, one hour each session. The program targeted interacting with the other children in their group, such as high-fiving one another, playing catch with a partner, or talking to their companions. With the purpose of fostering communication and social skills in each child, each session consisted of a warm-up, small group activities, large group activities, and a cool-down. These sessions were consistent in content, instructor, and group assignment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the structured physical activity program and to improve the childrens social capability, as measured by the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills- Revised, the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales, the Parent Semistructured Interview Guide, and the Volunteer Open-ended Questionnaires. For the control group, the subjects participated solely in their normal physical activity routine over the course of the study. The study conducted three checkpoints to track the progress of the physical activity program. The first occurred one week prior to the start of the program, the second occurred midway through the study, and the last occurred one week after the conclusion of the 12-week program. Unsurprisingly, the researchers goals were successful, for their experimental group participants demonstrated that a carefully constructed physical activity program will aid in their advancement of interpersonal abilities. In other words, stimulat ing the child to increase their level of comfort of communicating with their fellow peers and authority figures (parents or teachers). Another study was administered by Tse, Pang, and Lee (12). Researchers recruited participants from 3 nearby schools. The participants including children in the special education program who were diagnosed with ASD. Additional requirements to continue as a participant for the child were to be 9-12 years old, non-verbal IQ over a score of 40, ability to listen to instructions, 6 months of physical inactivity, and proof of motor stereotypies by a physician. This study was intended to indicate the effect of different exercises on stereotypic behavior, which was defined as a recurring physical or oral action. Based on the criteria, the researchers were able to select 22 boys and 8 girls. Collection of stereotypic behavior data of the children was measured a day before the first session and a day following the final period of each condition. After observing the 30 children with ASD and their stereotypic behavior, they were placed in two situations. The first situation served as the control to compare with the experimental condition, where the children were read a story by a staff member. During this time, their stereotypic behavior was recorded and rated based on a Likert scale. This scale started at (0) for never observed and ended at (3) for frequently observed.   One month later, the children underwent the experimental situation in which they tapped a ball for 15 minutes, followed by stretching for 5 minutes. As with the control situation, their stereotypic behavior was recorded and rated on a Likert scale. A fascinating result denoted that an exercise similar in mechanics as the stereotypic behavior, significantly decreased the numbers of that behavior. For example, the ball tapping exercise was more effective than the story-telling activity in decreasing the frequency of hand-flapping in children with ASD who conduct with this stereotypical behavior. This being known, any field related to working with children with ASD can implement similar exercises to the known stereotypy, so that it is directed to decrease their behavior. As a result, it will progressively aid the child in their overall health and social capability. Home Exercise Program Every parent/caregiver wants to the best for their child. When supporting a child with a disability, the best approach for the parent/caretaker is to provide as many available opportunities as possible to advance their development. When the parent/caretaker acquires a higher involvement in their childs progress toward greater abilities, the child demonstrates positive results. With improved competence, the child might be more likely to engage in more social activities, participate in extracurricular activities, or improve school performance. Caring for a child with a disability, both physically and mentally, is stressful and burdensome, and time-consuming. A lot of energy is required to assist the child in their daily needs, appointments, and activities. The more severe the disability, the greater need of investment. Jeevannavar, Madinkar, and Jeevannavar (6) illustrate the positive relationship between parental/caretaker involvement in a home exercise program and the future outcomes for their child with a developmental delay. Both the parent/caretaker and the child benefit from the program by lowering the parents/caretakers stress levels and encouraging abilities in the child. The researchers in this study performed a cross sectional study. They recruited 81 parents/caretakers who engaged in a home exercise therapy program for their child diagnosed with a developmental delay and aged between 3 months to 16 years. The parents/caretakers completed two questionnaires, one that evaluated their stress levels and another that assessed their level of compliance with the home therapy program. Statistical analyses of the questionnaires indicated a negative relationship between the level of stress and the level of compliance. In other words, the higher the level of the parents/caretakers stress, the lower the level of compliance with the home exercise physical therapy program. Thus, if a parent/caretaker is more involved and cooperative in the prescribed home exercise physical therapy program for their child with a developmental delay, they are less likely to experience high levels of stress. As a result, the parents/caretakers are more capable to take care of thems elves and their child, while also promoting the best future and possibilities for their child. Summary of Research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All in all, children with ASD are struggling. Outsiders may see a child with ASD having a behavior as misbehaving, when that child may be frustrated or have a sensory need. This population is being overlooked. They are not receiving the proper help they need to attain their best lives. A step in doing so to reach that goal is helping them with their social and physical health. Huge disparities between children with ASD and their neurotypical peers are the abilities to communicate and be physically and mentally healthy. An important method to narrow the gap is to implement exercise programs for children with ASD.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These studies have demonstrated that with the correct measures, children with ASD will gain multiple and various benefits. Their health will be improved, their ability to communicate with their family and friends will increase, and their behavioral tendencies will decrease. Excellent approaches that will create a fun and efficient environment for children with ASD, but also resulting in decrease in stereotypical behaviors, consist of exergaming, aquatic exercise, and structured physical activity programs. Exergaming allows the children to exercise, but not having them realize it. They receive all the benefits of exercise, but their mind is focusing on completing a mission or winning a race. Kids love to play video games, but this activity has a twist on it. It makes them physically and mentally work to complete the game, allowing their body and mind be put to work. In some games, the children need to work together to win, thus improving their social skills. With aquatic exercise, the soothing feel of the water calms down children with ASD. An added benefit is that the water alleviates the pressure off the childrens joints, permitting them to roam freely in the water and not worry about pain or discomfort. Also, the pool environment provides an opportunity for the children to either swim and play with others, or swim independently until they are ready to interact with others. Structured physical activity programs provide individualized and focused plans for children with ASD, targeting what they need and how to accomplish that goal. As time progresses, the children can acquire more skills and work better with others. In the future, research needs to develop a general exercise program that parents or caretakers can conduct at home for their child with ASD. Most of these studies were completed with professionals in a controlled setting. Children with ASD engage in behaviors throughout the day, not always at school or their day program. It would helpful for those not professionally trained to be equipped with basic exercises that will aid them in diminishing their childs stereotypical behaviors. Not only will the program benefit the child, but also the parent/caretaker in dealing with the stresses of caring for their everyday needs.