ASD is a name given to a group of developmental conditions that typically present with developmental delay in multiple areas across gross and fine motor, speech and language, and social emotional abilities. Children with ASD also display varying sensory processing difficulties across varied sensory areas including hearing, vision, touch and movement. Each child’s presentation of ASD is different.
Common difficulties seen in children with ASD that can be assisted with Physiotherapy include:
- Posture concerns (‘W’ sitting, inability to “sit still”)
- Low muscle tone
- Reduced body awareness (proprioception)
- Delay in reaching motor milestones – crawling, walking
- Difficulty with gross motor skills – balance, coordination, ball skills
- Over and under sensitivities to noise, touch, movement
Early intervention therapy has shown to have significant improvement in these areas in children with ASD.
A paediatric physiotherapist can provide one to one therapy and home exercise programs to help develop these areas that a child with ASD is having difficulty with.
School visits can also be organised to observe a child in their educational setting and work with teachers on ways to help a child attend better in the classroom with sensory strategies, improve posture with movement breaks, and develop gross motor skills.
For more information please contact our paediatric trained physiotherapists.