PHYSICAL THERAPY
How Does Physical Therapy Help Children on the Autism Spectrum?
Often children on the spectrum have low muscle tone, decreased body awareness, limited balance, decreased coordination, difficulty on playgrounds and/or difficulty learning new motor tasks. These challenges can impact on a child's play skills thereby interfering with a child's peer relationships, learning, sense of mastery of the environment and engagement in sports. A child not only derives much pleasure from play but also learns a tremendous amount from interacting with the environment.
Physical Therapists utilize their expertise and training in neurology, neuroanatomy, motor learning, orthopedics and pediatric development to assist a child with maximizing his / her motor performance. Pediatric Physical Therapists "play" with children to increase each child's strength, balance, coordination and awareness of the environment by providing individualized incremental motor challenges that require a child to perform with a little more skill each time. Children learn motor skills through therapeutic exploration that can be provided in their home, preschool, daycare center or in a therapy clinic. Often times when a child on the spectrum engages in motor challenges his / her goal directed behavior significantly improves so that learning not only occurs in "muscle memory" but this learning can have a great impact on his / her social / emotional development and peer relationships.
Host: Donna Klein
Agency: Donna Klein & Associates
Website: www.donnakleintherapy.com
Email: info@donnakleinassociates.com
Phone: 914-686-3116 x104
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