Mother of child with autism talks about her experience with occupational therapy…

A friend of mine has a nephew with autism. I asked her if she would ask her sister-in-law to write a little blurb about her perspective of OT as the mother of a young boy with autism. Here is word for word what she wrote. Thanks so much!!

Ethan only had OT  once a week for a month for an hour each session.  I had hoped it would have gotten started quicker but it was through the state and they had to do all the paper work to get it going.  Anyhow he really enjoyed going there…when we got there he wanted to go back immediately.  We liked the therapist real well and she seemed to know what to do and how to do it.  Ethan usually has to warm up to people but with her he was fine. 

She had him swing a lot in an airplane swing and on a flatform swing (I hope that is what it is called)  She would put in the airplane swing and do things like make the swing hit the wall to see what kind of reaction she would get from him and he liked it,  he thought it was fun.  She said some kids get scared and want out soon after.  On the flatform swing she would get on with him and there was a mirror that he could see his self in and she would sing to him and he loved it,  he just watched him self and laughed.  She would have him stand holding on to a bar and then sit holding on to the side ropes and then sit on his legs and then even put him on his belly some which he was nervous about but got used to it after awhile.  He also crawled through tunnels and went down a slide and she had him crawl back up the slide to make sure he could.  She helped him alternate this legs as he climbed.  She also got into a ball pit with him and it was deep and he couldn't touch the bottom…he hated it.  He wanted out every time they got in…he screamed with this activity.  She made him get out on his own which was hard but he got out.  She did lots of puzzles with him, which he loved and had no problems doing them.  She tested his hand/eye coordination and had him play with different things like blocks, shaving cream, scissors, markers/crayons ect.  She wanted to make sure he could stack so many blocks and she worked on him drawing horizontal and vertical lines.  She worked on using scissors and other activities like clothes pins to get him to use that sort of hand motion  She usually put him in those chairs (forget the name) that was like a highchair.  He did ok with the chairs but when he was done he was done.  She had him use this thing (again not sure what it was called) but it was to have him rotate his feet like he was riding a tricycle but he was standing while he did it and he had bars at the top to hold on to.  He really liked this and could do it just fine after he realized how to do it.
I always stayed with Ethan as she worked with him but I did see other Mother's leave but I was never given the option to do either or but I wouldn't have left him for anything because I am a worry wort and he has somewhat of an attachment to me (I have been told) That is about it unless I have forgotten something.  I was really impressed with the facility,  it was very professional yet comfortable.  Ethan really enjoyed going which also made it enjoyable for me.  I hope in some way this helps you.  I hope that you enjoy what you will be doing and I am so glad to hear that there are people who really want to help these kids.
Jan 22, 2008 | Category: Occupational Therapy | Comments: none