How Occupational Therapy Can Benefit Kids With Autism
Discovering that your child has autism can be both frightening and confusing. What should you do and where should you seek help? One thing is for certain, and that’s how occupational therapy can help kids with autism learn to live a productive life.
How Autism Affects Kids
ASP or Autism Spectrum Disorder affects a child’s learning and development. Difficulties can include memory, focus, time management, emotional control, frustration, and organization. A child with autism will not develop communication and language skills in the same order as other children. It will take longer to combine words, and a kid with autism will have difficulty socializing.
ASP is measured on a spectrum so the effects of autism can be widely different from mild to extremely intense. Once a parent suspects their child may have autism, they should get them the best resources to help their child thrive and learn like the professionals at TLC Pediatric Therapies.
How Occupational Therapists Can Help
The main goals of occupational therapists are to promote, develop, and maintain skills a kid will need to function at home and at school. Parents want to be certain they choose a Licensed Occupational Therapist or OT.
Since each autistic kid is different, an occupational therapist will determine the child’s areas of challenge and then design an individualized program to address their particular needs.
An occupational therapist will help kids work on cognitive, physical, social, and mental skills. The goal is to make a child more independent and to be able to participate in normal activities. Those include play skills, self care, and learning strategies.
Important Skills for Kids With Autism
The most important skills for kids with autism are those which will improve their quality of life now and in the future.
Some of these skills may include the following:
- Independent care like dressing
- Grooming
- Eating
- Fine motor skills like using scissors
- Handwriting and coloring
- Socialization and emotional development
In addition, they will learn how to engage with peers and adults, how focus on tasks at hand and express feelings in appropriate ways.
Family education and training are other important parts of the therapy. Kids with autism who have the right occupational therapy early will live a productive and happy life.
Contact Us Today for Professional Occupational Therapy
Contact TLC Pediatric Therapies for occupational therapy if your child has been diagnosed with autism, or if you suspect they may have it.
As always, if you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call (407) 905-9300 today!