What Does Occupational Therapy (OT) Look Like for Autistic or High Support Kids?
Occupational therapy helps autistic kids take part in everyday life with more comfort and confidence. Sessions feel playful and calm. The therapist follows your child’s interests and teaches skills in small, steady steps. The focus is on regulation, motor skills, independence, and real life routines.
What sessions look like
Therapy uses movement, sensory play, and simple routines to help your child stay regulated and organized. Research shows many autistic children benefit from structured sensory activities that support attention and participation (Schaaf et al., 2014). Sessions also build fine motor and coordination skills for play, feeding, writing, and dressing. Play is the main teaching tool.
Building independence
Therapists teach self care skills in clear steps. Kids practice dressing, feeding, toileting, and cleaning up inside simple routines. Studies report that OT can improve daily living skills and overall participation at home and school (Ashburner et al., 2020).
Sensory support
Some kids show big reactions to sound, touch, light, or movement. OT helps them understand these signals and respond in a calmer way. Reviews show that sensory based OT can increase regulation and engagement when used with clear goals and strong parent involvement (Case-Smith et al., 2015).
Parent coaching
Parents learn simple strategies to use during play and daily routines. This helps new skills show up at home and school. Family involvement improves outcomes across studies.
Where to learn more
• American Occupational Therapy Association overview: https://www.aota.org
• CDC autism treatment page: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/treatment.html
• Research summary on sensory based OT: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24367975/
References (APA)
Ashburner, J., Rodger, S., Ziviani, J., & Jones, J. (2020). Occupational therapy services for young autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04438-5
Case-Smith, J., Weaver, L. L., & Fristad, M. A. (2015). A systematic review of sensory processing interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders. Autism, 19(2), 133–148. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24367975/
Schaaf, R. C., Benevides, T., Kelly, D., & Mailloux, Z. (2014). Occupational therapy using sensory integration for children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(7), 1493–1506. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24104414/
