Meet Kidisthenics' CEO: Arlene Lopez Martinez

Just two months shy of her second birthday, Arlene Lopez Martinez was involved in a devastating crash caused by a drunk driver. In an instant, her father, mother, and younger brother were gone—leaving her as the sole survivor.

Taken in by relatives, she was quickly moved from her family’s home in Mexicali to San Diego, California. The only connections to her past were the stories passed down to her–tales of her father’s success as an attorney and her mother’s decorated soccer career. From a young age, she felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to carry on their legacy.

“Since two years old, I was told ‘You’re going to be a soccer star like your mom,’ ‘You’re going to be a lawyer like your dad,’’ Arlene recalled. “It made me feel like I lived for a reason. I had to be somebody important, someone they could be proud of.”

Unsure of what her path would be, Arlene initially pursued a degree in criminal justice. However, after spending time with friends studying to be special education teachers, she felt drawn to a different calling. She soon switched her major to education at Grand Canyon University.

It was at Camp I Can, an autism summer camp ran by the YMCA, that Arlene discovered her true passion. As a camp counselor, she received training in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, and had her first experience working one-on-one with neurodivergent individuals.

“I could relate to these kids because they were expected to be perfect,” said Arlene. “If you look at the therapies used for them—especially the older kids—everything has to be perfect. They’re constantly being told, ‘Say hi, say hi,’ ‘Say bye, say bye.’ But what if they don’t want to? It was all about hitting behavior goals and tracking data, but no one was paying attention to what they actually needed.”

Throughout her early 20s, Arlene worked for different ABA companies, yet she kept encountering the same issue—her clients weren’t being truly heard.

“When you’re anxious and you can’t talk, you’re just like ‘Somebody help me, I’m in here.’ Everyone thinks that they know what these kids want but they don’t. And that’s where I can relate – I put myself in their shoes.”

At the same time, Arlene had begun training in martial arts, which sharpened her ability to read body language. She became especially attuned to behaviors that signaled stress in her clients.

“For so many years, I just observed and figured out what they needed. When we’d ask them to do something and they didn’t, the behaviorists would say, ‘Oh, it’s because they don’t have the motor skills to do that,’” Arlene explained. “But no one was focusing on releasing their anxiety first. How do you expect them to sit down and focus when they haven’t even had the chance to release that tension?”

Her breakthrough moment came when a parent asked her to be her son’s full-time behavioral therapist. Unlike traditional ABA goals, her work involved helping him learn skills like ice skating—putting into action the movement-based techniques she had long believed her clients needed.

In 2018, she made a bold decision to step away from conventional methods she had found ineffective. Instead, she followed her instincts and founded Kidisthenics, built on her belief that fitness is one of the most powerful tools for individuals with autism to alleviate anxiety and develop life skills.

With over 20 years of experience as a behavioral specialist, Arlene designed Kidisthenics’ high-intensity movement programs to bridge the gap between therapy, fitness, and real-world application. By integrating Primitive Movement Training, Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI), Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT), and proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation into sports and fitness programs, Kidisthenics provides a modernized, holistic approach to autism support. The program is further reinforced through group sessions and social outings, allowing clients to apply skills in dynamic environments.

By targeting foundational systems within the body and addressing the complex interplay of physical, cognitive, and social challenges, Arlene’s mission is to empower individuals on the autism spectrum to lead more independent and fulfilling lives.

“This is the gift that God gave me, and ultimately this is why I’m here,” said Arlene. “I wanted to build a platform—not just to empower individuals with autism, but to uplift their families as a whole.”