Article: Questions every parent should ask their OT

OT’s are university qualified health professionals who are specifically interested in helping people to independently undertake those activities that matter to them most. For children, this quite often means helping them to play. We look at all of those things that can impact on a child’s ability to play – like physical injuries, intellectual impairment or developmental delay. We find out what kids love to do, need to do, and want to do, and help them to do it. This may include giving them special equipment or tools, modifying their environment to better support them, or engaging them in therapy aimed at improving their ability to play.

Children with autism can benefit from Occupational Therapy in many different ways. We can help to develop fine motor skills (handwriting, using cutlery, stacking blocks) as well as improve social skills (turn taking, joint attention, making friends). We can help establish alternate methods of communication where speech is limited (PECS, key word signing) or provide strategies to help overcome sensory dysfunction (such as hypersensitivity to noises and smells). OT’s can also help with self-care skills such as toileting and dressing.

Many OT’s will undergo ongoing professional development or seek further education to become specialized in different fields. To work with children on the autism spectrum, you will usually find that your therapist has undergone specific training in interventions tailored towards helping children with autism. 

If you are a parent of a child with autism, there are questions that you should always ask your therapist, before deciding if they are the right person for you. The following questions are adapted from the Early Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: “Guidelines for Good Practice”  (Roberts & Prior, 2012). 

Questions to ask your OT

• What are the specific aims of the program or service you offer?
• Are there any medical or physical risks?
• What assessments are carried out prior to the intervention?
• What is the evidence base for this intervention? (i.e. what proof is there that this works?)
• What evaluation methods have been used to assess the outcome of intervention? (i.e. how good are the studies that have tested this treatment option?)
• Do you make money out of the intervention you are promoting?
• What is known about the long-term effects of this treatment?
•  How much does it cost?
•  How much time will be involved?

All ESA clinics in Qld have Occupational Therapists on their teams who have undergone additional professional development activities and training to work specifically with children with Autism. Contact our clinics to find out more.