Importance of occupational therapy for children with autism

As a parent, you want your child to grow and feel confident when they are tying shoes, asking for help or playing with their friends. But for children with autism, these tasks may feel like mountain climbs and as a parent you’re climbing right beside them. It is where occupational therapy can make a difference.

Occupational Therapy is a foundation for supporting the development needs of children with autism. Children with autism often experience challenges in sensory processing, emotional regulation, motor coordination, and they are not able to perform everyday tasks. With the help of occupational therapy, the gap between a child’s current ability and functional skills they need to navigate daily life is filled. Whether it’s learning how to brush teeth or dress independently, OT uses structures and evidence-based strategies to promote independence and participation.

The primary goal of occupational therapy is working closely with children with autism and their families to develop customized goals based on their needs and strengths. The goals may include:

1. Improving Social Skills:
   OT helps children develop and improve their social interaction skills such as engaging in conversation, taking turns, and understanding non-verbal cues. By providing children with evidence-based techniques, children are supported in navigating social situations and building meaningful relationships.
2. Improving Sensory Integration:
   It helps by developing strategies to manage sensory sensitives and regulating the response to sensory stimuli. Through sensory integration technique and implementation of sensory diet, OT can help children engage better within their environment.
3. Developing Fine Motor Skills:
   OT focuses on the development of motor skills, which are essential for daily activities. By engaging children in purposeful activities and providing specialized actions, it supports the improvement of motor skills and coordination.
4. Promoting self-care skills:
   It helps children develop skills necessary for daily activities. These skills help individuals to become more independent and increase their overall confidence and well-being.

Benefits of OT

Engaging with occupational therapy can have a life-changing effect on children with autism, as it supports their ability to interact with the world more comfortably and confidently. The benefits exceed around a range of physical, emotional, and social domains and are customized to each child’s needs and strengths. The main goal is to improve a child’s quality of life. Following are the benefits of that a child can get from occupational therapy:

• Focus on academic tasks.
• Communicate appropriately.
• Maintain and foster relationships.
• Work with others to achieve a common goal or purpose.
• Learn to delay gratification.
• Express emotions in a healthy, productive way and manage self-regulation.
• Become more independent and confident.
• Feel less anxious.

Process of Operational Therapy

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, it is estimated that about 80% of children with autism have sensory processing problems. A therapist starts the treatment by initially assessing a child’s needs for occupational therapy. For example, the therapist will observe the child participating in challenging motor tasks or a setting where challenges generally arise. After collecting the data from observation, it is used for developing the treatment plan focusing on attention and sensory regulation, social interaction, or development tasks. Once the treatment plan is created, the therapy for the child start on a regular basis. Therapies include sensory-based activities, fine motor exercises, play-based actions, social skills training, and adaptive strategies to promote independent living skills. The therapists also regularly consult with parents, caregivers, and teachers to evaluate the child’s progress.

Parents Involvement- Home tips

The collaboration between parents, caregivers, and therapists is important for the success of occupational therapy. By working together, a holistic and supportive environment can be created for children. Parents play a very important role, as valuable insights can be gained from the daily routine of children which enables in customizing actions accordingly. Parents can openly communicate with therapists so that their child’s challenges or improvement can be understood properly. The following are tips that parents can use at home:

• Create a Sensory Bin:
  Sensory bins are a preferred activity as they are easy and engaging. You can fill a shallow bin with pasta, rice, beans, or sand. Then you have to add small toys or spoons for scooping. This will motivate your child to explore different textures while interacting in tasks like hiding and finding small items or sorting objects by color or shape.
• Obstacle Course Adventure:
  You can turn your living room or backyard into an obstacle course using chairs, cushions, and more. Now you can create activities like crawling under a table or hopping on a cushion, this will help in adapting the course to your child’s ability.
• DIY Playdough:
  Playdough is a good sensory activity that improves fine motor development. Your child can knead, roll, and shape the dough. You should also try adding scents for extra sensory stimulation.
• Yoga Poses with Visual Cards:
  Yoga blends movements and mindfulness, which can benefit your child both physically and mentally. You can use flashcards to guide them and create a fun interactive experience.
• Finger Painting:
  You can motivate your child to draw shapes, mix colors, and create patterns using their hands. It may look a bit messy, but this activity promotes self-expression and sensory engagement.

Conclusion

Occupational therapy is not just a planned exercise, it is a gateway to more confidence, independence, and joy for children with Autism. At LifeLab Kids, we believe in finding out every child’s ability through a blend of therapy, recreation, and expression. Our therapists work closely with the family of each child, to understand the needs of the child and develop personalized treatment plans. Our mission is to empower neurodiverse children and create spaces where children can grow not just in therapy sessions, but in every aspect of life.