Occupational Therapy (OT)

2. Occupational Therapy (OT) Practical Everyday Strategies

3. Overview of Talk • Role of Parent • Sensory Checklist • Practical strategies/games that you can carry out at home.

5. Role of Parent • Parents play the biggest role in a child’s life (not just with OT) • Parent’s own knowledge

6. 3 areas that are assessed. • Gross motor activities • Fine motor activities • Sensory Processing How a child’s performance of these 3 factors influences their ability to learn and play.

7. Sensory Checklist What are your sensory preferences? What calms you? What energises you?

8. Sensory processing touch vision taste sound smell Balance Body awareness

9. Affect of sensory processing on alertness High Just right Low

10. visuals My just right toolbox

11. Our Senses • Information from the 7 senses goes to the brain, where it is organised and interpreted. As a result, an adaptive plan of action can be carried out in response e.g., a feather tickles your hand, so you brush it off.

12. Tactile System • The tactile system is responsible for our sense of touch. There are two types of touch, protective and discriminative touch. • The protective touch system responds to light or unexpected touch and alerts us of any danger. The discriminative touch tells you where and what is being touched. The two systems must be balanced to protect us and adapt to different sensations from the skin.

13. Activities that provide enhanced tactile sensation • Sensory walks • Tactile mats/cards • Feel bag/box, Feel book • Sensory box • Massage/squishes (deep pressure). • Different textured fabrics, e.g velvet, corduroy, feathers etc • Electric toothbrush

14. Proprioception • Proprioception is the sense that gives us awareness of body position. Messages from the proprioceptors in the muscles and tendons let us know about our body position and force of movement. • Use activities that encourage child to push, pull, or carry heavy loads i.e., heavy work for the muscles.

15. Activities that provide enhanced proprioception • Stretchy scooby • Theraband • Animal walks • Playground equipment: e.g. climbing apparatus, monkey bars • Tug of War • Row your boat • Heavy Jobs at home or at preschool • - carrying and giving out books • - carrying and giving out art materials • - opening doors for others • - carrying toys • -organising classroom space e.g. moving furniture • Alternate positions for activities e.g. kneeling, standing and lying.

17. Vestibular System • The vestibular system is our balance and movement sense. It tells us where our body is in relation to gravity, whether it is moving and how fast. The movement receptors are in the inner ear and are important for body posture, muscle tone and bilateral integration.

18. Activities that provide enhanced Vestibular sensation • Therapy ball, Ball chair • Peanut ball: bouncing, slow rocking • N.B. frequent movement breaks • - jumping • - hopping • - skipping on spots • - hopscotch • Rocking chairs • Jumping on the spot, wriggling • Playground equipment e.g. swing, merry go round. • Under prescription of O.T. = balance board, scooter board, air cushion.

19. Practical

20. Role of an Occupational Therapist working with children with an ASD • Enables a child to do what they want to do or need to do. • Aims to maximise the child’s participation in age related occupations. Occupation- Play/ Academic/ Self- care • Parent training • Training of teaching staff • Assess and adapt the environment • Individual sensory diet/OT programme • Just right group • Individual therapy

21. Any activity suggestions that you have found useful? • Any Questions??