Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Skills for the Job of Living
21 Jan. 2015
How to Talk with an Autistic Child
Children with autism are unique and interpret the world differently compared to other children. In terms of social and communicative skills, they show highly visible differences. Children with autism seem to be worth of a language by implementing a system that works for them. If your child was diagnosed with autism, it is important that you learn their language in order to communicate properly with him.
Communicating effectively with an autistic child
1. Talk about her interests. It is much easier to talk to an autistic child, once you find some interest her. She may end up opening with you, if you are comfortable talking about the subject at hand. Learn to “speak the language” of the child is essential to achieve good communication.
If your child likes cars, you can use this issue to do so to open up and talk.
2. Shorten your sentences. An autistic child will better process the information in a conversation, if you use short sentences. Note that the child himself communicates through short sentences, and you should imitate it. Also, try to communicate in writing.
You can write, “let’s eat now.” The child may respond in writing or verbally, that is more effectively because of eye contact.
The communication through writing can be a great tool.
3. Draw. visual stimuli can be highly beneficial for children with autism. Try to draw diagrams, instructions or simple images, in order to help communicate their ideas. Visual stimuli can help the child to understand more clearly what you are trying to express verbally; many autistic children respond more effectively to visual communication.
Try using visuals to create a schedule for your child
Draw the daily activities of the child; breakfast, the way to school, back home, the child playing, sleeping, etc.
This allows your child to check their daily activities, adding some structure to his day,
You can use straws puppets to explain the activities, but be sure to add a striking feature each character
For example, if you are redheaded, paint your hair red character for the child can associate it with you.
4. Allow the child to have more time to process information. You may need to use breaks more often, to talk to her. Be patient, and make sure not to rush her, allowing her to take the time necessary to process and respond.
If your child does not respond to a question, do another soon after. This can leave you even more confused.
5. Saddle linguistically consistent. Children with autism may not be able to process certain variations of words; be sure to speak consistently in order not to confuse the child.
Consistency is crucial for these children.
For example, during a dinner, you have a dozen different ways to ask you to pass the peas. When communicating with autistic children, it is best to stick to consistent and uniform sentences.
6. Be sensitive, and do not take the silence of the child personally. Your child may spend long periods without talking to you; do your best to understand it. Address the child sensitively and keep trying, even if this results in a number of difficult interactions. Be persistent and sensitive is the only way to encourage him to trust you.
You may never know the exact reason for the silence of his son. The timing of the talks may not be very suitable, the environment can not be favoring, or the child may be imagining something totally out of context.
If others try to talk to your child may think that he is antisocial or do not like them. This is seldom true. Anyway, make sure others are aware of your child’s situation.
7.Inicie conversations with a statement. When you ask “how are you?” Someone usually expects a quick and simple answer. In the case of autistic children, this can be quite different, as they may feel intimidated or overwhelmed by questions. It is always best to start with a statement, that he feels encouraged to interact.
Praising a child’s toy can be a great way to start a conversation.
Just make a comment and wait to see if she responds
Again, talk about interesting topics for the child.
8. Do not delete it. There will be times when the child will want to get involved, and will have difficulties. Be aware of her presence, and includes the best possible way. Even if there is no response, it is important endeavor. This can mean a lot to the child.
9. Talk to your child at the right times. Choose a time when the child is calmer, and interact with it. If the child is calmer, will be more receptive to what you have to say. In addition, local choice where they are not going on many things at once; excessive stimuli can leave your child uncomfortable.
10. Speak literally. Autistic children can disrupt figuratively. For them, it is difficult to understand idioms, sarcasm and certain types of humor. Be sure to be literal and specific in order to make it easier to understand.
Source: http: //pt.m.wikihow.com/Conversar-com-uma-Crian%C3%A7a-Autista
Posted by Ariela Goldstein on Wednesday, 21 January 2015
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Labels: autism, communication
22 Oct. 2014
Readiness for Literacy
“When it comes to readiness for literacy just thinking about reading and writing.”
School readiness is much more than that. It is to perceive sensory forms, is oriented in space, understand directions, laterality and have balance. It is guided in rhythm, it is to listen, to be aware, have concentration and above all is to know the meaning of what is realized; know the words, their relationships and their symbolism. It is able to control the body, inhibit large movements to use fine motor skills.
But everything has its beginning and is in the womb the child acquires the language spoken at hearing his mother. Once born, the lullabies, the conversation between the parents and the baby collaborate to enrich your vocabulary, and later fairy tales so appreciated by the children help children learn to listen, and listen carefully.
The body of games like rolling on the floor, crawl, crawl, cambalhotar, jump, walk, run, climb stairs, jump rope collaborate for the acquisition of motor coordination and balance and body perception of itself and its relationship with the surrounding space. In this way the child actively experiencing the three dimensions in space preparing for the acquisition of writing and reading.
Fine motor skills that the exercise of writing requires is long after the child has used her whole body in free play and playground (swing, slide, jungle gym, circle dancing, seesaw, earth, sand and water).
We live in a world where letters are seen everywhere as the ads, in advertisements, packaging, clothing, carpets, curtains, toys and even the utensils. However the child will only write, read and understand when neurologically mature for this. The road is very long and requires a maturation also in the emotional part of the child. Entry into the school requires: learn to share the teacher’s attention with more children, understand, understand and accept the rules, dealing with frustrations and obligations, wait their turn, have autonomy in hygiene activities, clothing and food, among many other issues which promotes the maturation. ”
Pilar Tetilla Manzano Borba
Occupational Therapist, Waldorf pedagogue, Postgraduate in anthroposophy in Health by UNISO, Professor in the course of reasoning in Waldorf, Orienta nurseries, kindergartens, nursery schools and kindergartens
– See more at: http://www.antroposofy.com.br/wordpress/prontidao-para-a-alfabetizacao/#sthash.q5mhP2Sa.dpuf
Posted by Ariela Goldstein on Wednesday, October 22, 2014
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Hold the pencil
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Before reaching an adequate hold for the pencil, the child must go through a series of sensory and motor experiences that will enable the development of functional movements with their arms.
These experiences begin during pregnancy, when the fetus takes hand to mouth and has its continuation in other activities after birth. In this process it is important to sensory stimulation of objects, touch, play with both hands, imitation and placement of the child in situations that favor the use of certain hold. The games to assemble / disassemble, fit, stack, push, pull, carry, tear, curl, activities of daily living (food- use cutlery, hold the bottle or glass; Clothing- take half, shoe, shirt and pants and after wear, handle fasteners such as buttons, zippers, etc. higiene- washing parts of the body, brushing teeth) are some examples of activities that assist in the functional development of the hold.
The use of adjustments in the graphic activities function is to promote the child’s performance. Some examples: use pencils, crayons and thick black marker in the early work and in the case of children have greater difficulty motor (the pen has quick effect for the child to motivate to scribble and find the trace function); use pencil type joiner or triangular or common with rubber adapter (or any material that thickens the pencil) to stimulate the tripod; 6B pencil use in case of very slight traces.
Posted by Ariela Goldstein on Wednesday, October 22, 2014
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Pencil and its indications
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Among all writing instruments, the pencil is arguably the most universal, versatile and economical, produced by the millions every year, even in the Internet age. It is with the pencils that children around the world learn to write. It is essential for all kinds of notes, strokes, and drafts – especially for anything that can be written or drawn by hand. Pencil is a product of long durability, which requires little care.
The most used are:
The. Hexagonal: standard format for use in schools and offices. It does not roll on the table.
B. Round: in offices, especially for shorthand. Easy to turn in hand.
c. Triangular: very ergonomic for children who are in preschool. It allows the perfect accommodation finger, correct hold (indicator, thumb and middle finger) and causes less fatigue to hold.
Pencil jumbo trangular:
It has the same advantages trangular pencil (allows proper grip and less fatigue) and offers much thicker and resilient, and larger diameter than the ordinary pencil mine. It is suitable for children in pre-school (3-4 years) and for children with difficulties in fine motor coordination.
Source: http://giselebarbosato.blogspot.com.br/2011/04/lapis-e-suas-indicacoes.html
Posted by Ariela Goldstein on Wednesday, October 22, 2014
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10 Oct. 2014
Sensory Integration and Down Syndrome
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of the extra chromosome 21 (total or partial) and was described in 1862 by John Langdon Down. Children with this diagnosis have physical appearance characteristic of the syndrome, clinical changes as heart disease, respiratory problems, visual, auditory, delays in neuromotor development, sensory and cognitive skills.
The use of Sensory Integration approach can benefit child development processes with Down and contribute positively to the medical and multidisciplinary treatment because they face, in most cases, problems in the processing of sensory stimuli: the vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, visual and auditory.
Changing the processing in these systems can interfere significantly in attention, school learning and developing motor skills. The presence of hypotonia, joint hypermobility and behaviors such as excessive distraction to environmental stimuli and impulsivity are characteristic of these children. Indicate difficulty in recording and sensory modulation processing vestibular information, proprioceptive, tactile, and before that, justifies the need for intervention in Sensory Integration.
 It is observed in children with this diagnosis, behaviors that indicate bad vestibular and proprioceptive processing, such as hypotonia, difficulty in the extension of the body and head against gravity, postural control, delays in automatic postural responses, tend to pursue certain movements. It is difficult to feel the body’s position in space and move around; delayed development of proprioceptive feedback and in general, these children are more abrupt, targeted and clumsy behavior movements. Often they have difficulty understanding satiety or pain.
For the tactile system, there is evidence of problems such as hiporrensponsividade, change in the discrimination of tactile inputs and their integration with other sensory systems. Difficulty in developing the tactile perception of what constitutes a low exploration of objects in the 1st years, stereognosis deficit and shape recognition. The major gap in perceptual experiences contribute in learning difficulties and delay the acquisition of motor skills, such as poor standards of grip and functional skills of hands.
Children with Down syndrome have evidence in delayed development of gross and fine motor skills and the theory of Sensory Integration may help explain certain behaviors and delays. The difficulties these children face when moving the body in space and process sensory information contribute negatively in the development of ideation, planning and motor execution, thereby resulting in a low capacity to organize efficient motor responses.
Sensory integration therapy can benefit children with Down syndrome through an approach that prioritizes the use of sensory systems integrated with vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile experiences to propose functional activities that work record and tactile discrimination, movements that coordinate the body against gravity, favors bilateral integration, reciprocal movements, ideation and motor planning.
In addition to working with motor skills, activities in sensory integration are designed to self regulation and modulation of the optimal alert level. This approach uses a challenging and safe environment, in order to promote wide variety of activities that enhance the repertoire of interaction and processing of sensory information between the body and the environment