Movement & Disability: Stacking Movement and Education for a Meaningful life

Inspired by a moving letter from a parent of an adult son with autism, biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram explore the relationship between movement, health, and quality of life for people with disabilities.

They are joined by Kristina Montgomery, a special education teacher at a school for children and young adults affected by autism, and a behavior analyst working with Essential for Living, a curriculum designed for those with learning difficulties. Through her work, Kristina teaches an event-based approach to learning—one that moves away from abstract, isolated skills and instead “stacks” goals within meaningful, naturally occurring events. This approach supports not only skill development, but also health, social inclusion, and caregiver sustainability.

Together, they discuss the importance of choosing activities that are meaningful to the learner both in the moment and for future independence, and the shift from instructing a task to modeling it alongside the student. Kristina also shares how powerful movement stacking has been in her work, improving both the happiness and wellbeing of the people she supports.

This episode is a powerful reminder that movement truly is for every body, and that by embedding it into daily life, caregiving, parenting, and teaching can become more sustainable, and joyful for everyone involved.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:00 – A Letter from a Parent of an Autistic Son

04:50 – Movement & Disability: Movement is for Every Body

07:57 – Podcast Sponsors

09:44 – Introduction to Kristina Montgomery

14:00 – Essential for Living: Life Skills Curriculum

15:58 – What Are Functional Life Skills?

19:45 – Movement, Health, and Wellness in Special Education