Occupational therapists will often recommend starting the day with a sensory circuit: a sensory–motor activity programme which helps children achieve a “ready to learn” state
Implementing a schedule of sensory circuits is a great way to help children with ASD become more efficient/ready to learn.
The effects of a sensory diet can be immediate AND cumulative.
You can see an a clear change in how a child who is regulated behaves compared to a child who is overstimulated.
A sensory diet/lifestyle is a specifically designed daily activity plan. It aims to include sensory activities throughout the child’s waking day in order to improve focus, attention and ensure the child is feeling “just right” (regulated) throughout the day.
Sensory diets are specifically designed to help children with ASD regulate themselves throughout the day in order to improve their attention and focus. Things such as dancing, music, and jumping are great ways for children to self-regulate.
This is beneficial to remove barriers to learning and help the students become calmer and more focused.
Children will learn to excel in activities that used to be a struggle through the use of occupational therapy.
Every child will have a unique set of sensory needs and these needs will alter depending on mood, environment and therapeutic intervention.
Evaluations are done in order to create a specifically designed plan for individuals with autism.
self-care (e.g. dressing, eating a meal, managing toileting needs and managing personal hygiene) productivity (e.g. emotional regulation, levels of alertness, participation, hand writing and organisational skills) leisure (e.g. socialising with friends, belonging to a group, participating in hobbies/play and motor skills for PE).
All of these life skills are taught and expanded on with occupational therapist. They help children with ASD with self care, productivity and forming better relationships.
Occupational therapists are key.
Occupational therapist help children with ASD adapt to the outside world and live more independently.
Making sure a student with sensory processing differences has the right sensory opportunities and environmental adaptations throughout their day, will remove barriers to learning and go some way to improve their wellbeing.
Finding ways to help children self-regulate themselves allows for more participation in activities and improve their well being.
When we lack the “filters” to screen out irrelevant information, this can cause sensory overload and lead to a meltdown.
Children may experience what's known as overstimulation causing them to not be able to effectively participate in conversations or activities.
On the flip side, some autistic people actively seek sensory sensations to calm themselves, relieve anxiety and often just for pleasure and relaxation.
Occupational therapist can use sensory play to calm children with autism and relieve their anxiety.
We combine our senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, balance and the sense of our body in space) in order to make sense of our environment. However, some autistic children and young people may have difficulty filtering sensory information, and it can become overwhelming, uncomfortable and/or painful.
Our sense are important to have a better understanding of our surrounding environment. Individuals that don't deal with sensory processing issues are better able to make sense of their environment. Children with autism may feel overwhelmed, uncomfortable, or experience pain when attempting to use their senses.
Corinna Laurie, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist National Autistic Society and Director of Evolve Children's Therapy Services Ltd, explains what occupational therapy is and how it can help autistic children. Corinna gives examples of therapeutic interventions to target sensory processing differences.
A brief overview of who Corinna Laurie is and her qualifications on autism and sensory processing.
Autistic people are often confronted with little empathy when it comes to sensory processing issues
It's important to understand that these sensory issues are an everyday struggle with those with ASD. They don't chose to feel this way and a little bit of empathy can show your support. It's not as simple as many believe.
“As a child, I could not be around my sister crying. I was always getting into trouble because I’d start screaming to try and drown her out. I feel horrendous now, as a dad, but crying has the same effect on me. I have to leave the room and let my wife take over or I feel like I’m going to collapse.”
The same sensory issues Daniel suffered with as a child are still prevalent in his life as an adult. He has been better equipped at recognizing his discomfort and finding a way to ease his discomfort. Leaving the room allows him to regroup in order to not become overstimulated and experience a breakdown.
Research shows that autistic people consistently experience physical discomfort and anxiety as a result of sensory issues.3
Anxiety and discomfort is a result of someone's sensory issues.
This is what can be hard for many people to understand about autism and sensory issues. It’s not that the lights are a bit too bright, or the noise is a bit loud. It’s that it’s causing a horrific, painful, worrying, sickening sensation throughout my entire body that is completely overwhelming and unbearable.
Sensory processing disorders are more complex than what many may think. These disorders can feel overwhelming and be physically exhausting.
My mind keeps getting pulled back to the noise for the rest of the day.
One wrong sensory input and it can affect their entire day. Almost as if the feelings or sound has been engraved in their mind.
When I hear someone scraping their plate, I don’t just hear it; I feel it with every fibre in my body. I feel it in my gut and my chest. My teeth feel as if someone’s filing them with a rasp. My head goes temporarily blank and I can’t think of anything to say. Anxiety wells up inside of me and I need to get myself away from the plate scraper.
This is a common experience that individuals with autism experience with a variety of different sensory inputs. The sensory doesn't simply just bother them, but can physically make them feel unwell and lead them having sever anxiety/shutting down.
the way in which autistic people experience negative sensory input is at a level that can be hard to describe to non-autistic people.
Autistic people experience sensory inputs in a much more complex way than others. These issues aren't minor inconveniences to them and can alter the way they live their lives.
When I was little, there were so many things I couldn’t tolerate: high-pitched noises; the sight of certain fruits or of wet socks (which made me think of how horrible they felt); sunlight; fluorescent lighting in shopping malls; the smell of peanut butter and other foods.
Claire provides personal experience she had growing up deal with sensory processing issues. She gives examples of certain sensory issues she simply couldn't tolerate like the feeling of wet socks or the sight of certain fruits.
Research shows that autistic people often experience physical discomfort and anxiety as a result of sensory processing issues. The intensity of sensory issues can be hard for people with autism to explain or for others to understand. School children may struggle to maintain composure or focus in learning environments. Sensory issues often continue into adulthood, and may interfere with work or interpersonal relationships.
Overview of the key points Claire covers i her article on the sensory struggles that many people with ASD experience. Many may find that their sensory issues can physically be painful or cause issues in their daily lives. I love that she provides key points because it allows the reader be on the lookout.
Claire Jack Ph.D. Women with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Claire Jack works with women with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Focusing on sensory integration and sensory-based strategies. Emphasizing mental health and wellness. Implementing emotional development and self-regulation strategies and programs. Organizing peer groups, social participation, and play activities. Improving self-care routines to help with daily activities such as bathing, feeding, and grooming. Working on motor development. Supporting an adolescent’s transition into adulthood and helping them build skills to enter the workforce. Using cognitive behavioral approaches to support positive behaviors.
All of these examples are great ways for occupational therapist to guide children with autism to meet their personal goals and transition them throughout their lives.
can be recognized as early as age two but is typically detected after age four.
Earliest age that autism can be detected is age two but typically is detected after age four.
To evaluate a patient with autism, the OT may use screening tools such as an autism checklist, a sensory profile, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), or diagnosis criteria set forth in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V).
Evaluations help occupational therapist create a plan specifically designed to each patients needs and goals.
Occupational therapists evaluate the current developmental levels of children and adults with autism, aiming to improve their ability to self-regulate emotions and participate in social interactions.
Focuses on the role occupational therapist play when working with children who have autism. They aim to help children reach their personal goals by social interactions, and teaching them how to self-regulate their emotions.
The OT then works with the patient for several sessions or longer term, helping them make progress toward their goals.
Getting children to work with occupational therapist early helps them to make exceptional progress towards their goals.
Occupational therapy is a field of healthcare that holistically treats people who have injuries, disabilities, or other conditions, including autism. In this practice, occupational therapists (OTs) help patients develop, recover, or maintain their ability to engage in meaningful daily activities, including communicating appropriately with others.
Explains what occupational therapy is and how therapist help their patient to live and engage in more meaningful activities.
Early diagnosis and intervention can greatly improve outcomes for people with autism.
It's important to understand what ASD is and the the characteristics in order to implement early intervention. Hiring a early interventionist is the first step to creating a treatment plan and implementing occupational therapy.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social communication skills, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and isolated areas of interest.
Provides a brief explanation on what ASD is and the characteristics associated with the disorder.
The data in this blog is for general informational purposes only and information presented was accurate as of the publication date.
Provides general knowledge to occupational therapy for kids with autism for general informational purposes.
Social media has supplanted comments sections as a meeting site for like-minded enthusiasts.
Social media allows for everyone to be able to go online and share their opinions. We judge almost if not everything we see on the internet.
he streaming model, with its seasons designed to be binged on one’s own schedule rather than watched live as a collective, has made the recap less essential as a place to process a show’s events until the next installment airs.
For me I'll watch the recap and not the episode even if I'm able to watch on my own time. I've only ever skipped recaps on shows that I absolutely love and have seen numerous times.
The recap, as it’s now known, starts from a simple, user-friendly premise: What if, instead of simply telling viewers whether or not they should spend their time on a show before it even airs,
I agree that recaps can offer more insight into the show with attention grabbers may make people more inclined to keep watching. However, as someone who struggles to sit down and continue watching a show, I'll sometimes skip episodes and think that just because I watched the recap, I know everything that happened.
“What I was seeing online was that there were a number of fans out there that were building these websites that were devoted to these amazing theories,”
I really enjoy going on forums such as Reddit and being able to see and look at others perspective about shows or movies we love. On these forums you can share your favorite moments, opinions, or theories on the topic.
the internet was still more of an eccentric hobby than an all-consuming entity.
Crazy to think the internet didn't always play a big role in our lives.