Occupational Therapy and the Benefits for Those with Autism and ADHD
How each individual sees and interacts with the world is unique to them. This couldn't be more true for those who are autistic or those who deal with ADHD.
Everyone on this planet uses their senses to navigate the world around them. Sometimes, the stimuli that are received can be overwhelming and cause great distress to individuals who are neurodivergent. Learning to navigate the many challenges that come with life is a crucial step to ensuring that those who are neurodivergent feel better equipped to handle the challenges that they may face throughout their lifetime.
Occupational therapy, whether it is for someone on the spectrum or with ADHD, can be highly beneficial.
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy helps someone maintain or develop the skills they will need to navigate school, work, and life. Generally, it can help with the following areas:
Self-care
Productivity
Emotional Regulation
Leisure activities
How Does OT Help Those with Autism?
In OT, children with autism work with the therapist to develop various skills depending on their needs. For example, they may work on developing their handwriting skills. Or, they may work on developing other fine motor skills that they will need as they grow up and become adults.
There is no one-size-fits-all about what will happen in an occupational therapy session. They are entirely tailored to the needs of the individual person. In all likelihood, someone who is autistic deals with different types of sensory overwhelms. A therapist will work with them to pinpoint what sensory overloads create the most distress. From there, coping mechanisms and skills are taught to help these stimuli become not as overwhelming.
One key way that occupational therapy can help those on the spectrum is by helping them or their caregivers develop a sensory diet, so to speak. A sensory diet provides activities throughout the day that are proven to help with emotional regulation. A game plan will be in place to help them deal with not feeling stimulated at all or being too stimulated.
Activities that might help someone with under-stimulation include dancing, singing, or doing a physical activity they like. Activities that might help someone with overstimulation include going for a walk, listening to music, drawing, or reading.
How Does OT Help Those with ADHD?
It's not uncommon for those who have ADHD to deal with sensory overwhelm as well. They commonly struggle with noise sensitivity or feelings of overwhelm when there is too much going on.
Again, occupational therapy for ADHD is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It will just depend largely upon the individual and what their goals and needs are.
Those who have ADHD often struggle with issues such as:
Difficulty focusing
Time management
Hyperactivity
Impulsiveness
Working with an occupational therapist can provide significant benefits for someone with ADHD. For example, one person may struggle with focusing during school hours because they are inattentive or can't sit still. A therapist will work with them on skills that can help them retain their focus.
It helps those with ADHD, whether they are a child or adult, find ways to manage their time better to succeed at school, work, or even in their relationships.
The Bottom Line of Occupational Therapy
Starting any type of therapy does not mean anything is wrong with someone. In fact, reaching out for support is not a sign of weakness, but of great strength. We are all born with our unique strengths and weaknesses. Occupational therapy does not dismiss one or the other, but uses each as an advantage for self-growth and discovery.
If you are interested in learning more about pediatric occupational therapy or therapy for autism or ADHD, don't hesitate to reach out to us to learn more for yourself or your child.
