Occupational Therapy Home Program For Autism
Benefits of Occupational Therapy Children who present with sensory, physical or speech issues can all benefit from receiving occupational therapy. According to, occupational therapy can help children with autism to:. improve balance. develop more coordination. learn body awareness. improve social interactions through play.
enhance communication skills Occupational therapy helps a child learn basic life skills and assist children in learning to adapt to new situations or transition between different activities, which can be a struggle for many children with autism. Children will also learn about how to delay gratification, to identify and regulate emotional responses and to focus on the task at hand. How an Occupational Therapist Helps Autistic Children An occupational therapist is a trained professional who helps people develop the skills necessary to function in home and work environments. The therapist completes an evaluation that determines if the individual has the appropriate skills for his age. Therapists focus on the following skills:.
dressing. grooming. eating. playing. academic skills. attention Play is a very important aspect of this type of intervention for children as they learn many skills including social, communication, and self-help techniques. Engaging an autistic child in play activities requiring motor skills and interaction can be useful in speech therapy as well.
Home-based Pediatric Occupational Therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sensory Integration, facilitation and development of gross and fine motor. Occupational Therapy in Autism Treatment. And teachers adjust school and home tasks to match their skills and abilities. Occupational Therapy Interventions for. Students at Monarch Preschool and Day School receive occupational therapy with one of Monarch’s five occupational therapists. Together they work diligently on IEP.
How Occupational Therapy Helps Children with Autism Communication Skills typically address a number of different skills through one activity. Speech and occupational therapy for autism are often combined to help the individual develop communication skills while adopting new self-help skills.
Some common activities include: Oral motor. Nuk brush.
bubbles. whistles. stick out tongue. blow kisses Preverbal imitation. bang drum. tap table. sign language.
clap Each activity encourages the development of skills necessary for communication while addressing self-help techniques in the process. Combining speech and OT exercises is a wonderful approach to creating a comprehensive treatment plan. Sensory Integration Autistic individuals often have a great deal of difficulty processing sensory input.
Occupational Therapy For Asd
This interferes with the ability to perform well and stay on task. Some OT exercises include to address sensory problems while developing self-help skills in the process. These exercises can be combined with speech therapy. Gross motor activities. Run/walk.
Walk backwards. Turn around. Tricycles Processing movement (vestibular). Trampoline. Swing. Slide Balance (proprioceptive).
Occupational Therapy Home Program
Sit on an exercise ball. Balance beam.
stand on one foot Fine Motor Skills Each activity provides opportunities to develop important skills. For example, balancing on a ball can help a child sit properly in a chair while attending to a task. A speech therapist can work with the occupational therapy specialist to encourage communication. The patient may be asked to say 'more swing' during a swinging activity. Speech and OT are not always addressed simultaneously; some individuals require interventions that focus on one skill at a time.
The development of fine motor skills is crucial to an individual's ability to perform well on daily living tasks. Occupational therapy for autistic people includes many activities that develop deliberate muscle movements in the hands. These activities require attention and hand-eye coordination. Drawing. Coloring. Blocks. Beading.
Clay. Musical instruments. Push buttons on toys. Puppets There are many for individuals that develop fine motor skills. Activities like clay and putty address sensory needs while working on the muscles in the hands. Some of the fine motor activities address brain development as well.
Combining Sensory Integration and Fine Motor Skills Sensory integration and fine motor skills can help an autistic person use both sides of the brain. Engaging in activities that involve more than one of the five senses is an ideal approach. When using fine motor activities, for example, the person engages both visual and tactile senses. Activities that involve cross-modal skills include:. Drawing large circles on a chalkboard.
Putting pieces in a puzzle from left to right. Turning pages in a book Any activity that requires reaching across the center of the body is a cross-modal action. These exercises engage both sides of the brain while developing important fine motor and gross motor skills. They also serve as wonderful pre-reading activities to train the person to move from left to right when completing tasks in the same sequence as reading. Occupational Therapy for Adults with Autism Adults in the autism spectrum of disorders benefit from OT exercises that stress safety awareness, self-care, and independent living skills. Computer activities and job-specific skills like cooking, programming, and working with animals are usually covered. Career planning can begin in early adolescence as parents create a transition plan for their teens.
Many autistic people struggle with everyday tasks. Occupational therapy for autism is a helpful resource that encourages developing life skills with the hope of increasing independence and self-reliance. Was this page useful?
Occupational Therapy Home Programs Occupational therapy home programs are a crucial component to the success of your child’s occupational therapy, because most children attend therapy only one to two times per week. Your child’s occupational therapist will provide you and your child with specific activities to work on at home in order to continue progress toward your child’s goals. Home programs vary depending on a child’s individual needs and the programs can address a variety of different skills. Below is a description of some common occupational therapy home program activities, as well as their purpose as it relates to your child’s treatment plan. Sensory Diet – a sensory diet is a set of activities designed to meet the sensory needs of your child. A sensory diet may include heavy work, movement, tactile (touch), feeding, or oral-motor activities. Your child’s therapist will work with you to design a sensory diet that works well for your schedule and your child’s individual profile.
If your therapist recommends a sensory diet, it is important to have your child participate in these activities, daily, in order to help him or her maintain an optimum level of regulation. It also gives your child the ability to learn and engage with his or her environment. Exercises – a home exercise program may include various exercises for you to complete at home with your child.
These exercises may be targeted at building muscle strength in your child’s fingers, hands, upper extremities, core, or even eye muscles. Exercises may also be targeted at building balance, posture, or body awareness.
Most exercises given to you by your therapist will not look like exercises. This is because your therapist wants the home program to be fun and motivating for your child to complete. Skill Development – occupational therapy home programs targeted at skill development may be recommended by your therapist. This may include having your child complete specific worksheets, activities, or even play games in order to directly build a skill. Common activities may include mazes (to develop fine motor and visual motor skills), handwriting assignments, or even a request to have your child shop for and bring back materials to complete a craft activity (to target organization and planning skills). Your child’s participation in occupational therapy home programs, in conjunction with participation in therapy sessions consistently at the recommended frequency, will maximize your child’s progress in therapy.