What is Occupational Therapy (O.T.)?

O.T. is a  program concerned with an individual's ability to function in everyday life activities and occupations that provide meaning to the individual's life. O.T. is important when an individual's ability to participate in and / or perform these tasks (e.g., self-care, play, social interaction and living independently), is affected or compromised by Autism.

How Our Occupational Therapy Helps the Autistic Child

Children are assessed in terms of age-appropriate life tasks. Occupational Therapy addresses areas that interfere with the child's ability to function in such life tasks. O.T. may be provided by our therapist to children in the form of play activities which are used to enhance or maintain play, self-help and school-readiness skills. O.T. consultation is warranted when functioning in these areas is significantly compromised.

Occupational Therapy benefits a child with autism by attempting to improve the quality of life for the individual through successful and meaningful experiences. This may be accomplished through the maintenance, improvement, or introduction of skills necessary for the child to participate as independently as possible in meaningful life activities. Such skills include coping skills, fine motor skills, self-help skills, socialization and play skills.

Our therapists use a variety of theories and treatment approaches when providing services. Such approaches may include: developmental theories, learning theory, model of occupational performance, sensory integration, play theories and others. The choice of therapeutic methods depends upon the specific needs of the individual child. Our Therapists thus choose to employ a combination of approaches to meet those specific needs.