Autism — also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — is a developmental disability that causes problems with social skills and communication. Autism is different for every person and can be mild or severe. ASD is an umbrella description for a group of pervasive developmental disorders, including:
- Autism (Autistic Disorder)
- Asperger's (Asperger's Disorder/Syndrome)
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
- Social interaction
- Communication(verbal and/or non-verbal)
- Behaviour/play (restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests and routines)
The first step is to receive a proper diagnosis for your child. Treatment can include a range of specialists including occupational therapists and speech pathologists.
If you need a qualified, compassionate occupational therapist for autism in Sydney, get in touch with our team. Our therapy practice provides a holistic approach that integrates speech therapy to provide the best possible care for your child.
For support you can rely on, contact our ASD occupational therapists in Sydney today.
How to identify ASD in your child
ASD is different for every person, and not all behaviours will exist in every child. A diagnosis should be made by the child’s doctor or other professionals with experience in working with children with autism.
Many children with ASD experience sensory processing difficulties, such as being under or over-sensitive to touch, pain, taste, smell, sounds or sights. They may also have an intellectual disability or other specific learning disabilities. Some children require a range of support to participate in everyday life activities, which can range from being partially independent to requiring full-time care.
Common difficulties seen in children with ASD might be:
- Difficulty with managing transitions
- Sensory sensitivities
- Fine motor impairments such as handwriting
- Visual-spatial perceptual difficulties
- Difficulty with or absence of pretend/imaginary play
- Stereotyped behaviours
- Narrow and intense interests
- A preference for routines
- Impaired social skills
- Difficulty understanding emotions in self and others
- Difficulty sharing interests with others
Possible Signs and Symptoms of ASD
ASD manifests differently in every child, so it’s important to receive a comprehensive assessment before treatment can begin. Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of ASD.
Communication- Not speaking or very limited speech
- Loss of words the child was previously able to say
- Difficulty expressing basic wants and needs
- Poor vocabulary development
- Problems following directions or finding objects that are named
- Repeating what is said (echolalia)
- Problems answering questions
- Speech that sounds different (e.g. "robotic" speech or speech that is high-pitched)
- Poor eye contact with people or objects
- Poor play skills (pretend or social play)
- Being overly focused on a topic or objects that interest them
- Problems making friends
- Crying, becoming angry, giggling, or laughing for no known reason or at the wrong time
- Disliking being touched or held
- Rocking, hand flapping or other movements (self-stimulating movements)
- Not paying attention to things the child sees or hears
- Problems dealing with changes in routine
- Using objects in unusual ways
- Unusual attachments to objects
- No fear of real dangers
- Being either very sensitive or not sensitive enough to touch, light, or sounds (e.g., disliking loud sounds or only responding when sounds are very loud; also called a sensory integration disorder)
- Feeding difficulties (accepting only select foods, refusing certain food textures)
- Sleep problems
What other disorders are similar to Autism?
Autism is often referred to as autism spectrum disorder. Severity, signs and symptoms vary greatly from person to person. Other terms are used to describe disorders that are similar to or even part of autism spectrum disorders. These disorders are typically included under the term pervasive developmental disorder.
PDD may refer to any of three diagnoses:
Asperger’s Syndrome
Asperger’s Syndrome is characterised by severe and sustained problems with social skills, with repetitive behaviours and restricted interests and activities. In these cases, language skills tend to be good while social communication may be affected.
Rett’s Disorder
Rett’s disorder is a progressive brain disorder that occurs almost only in girls. Children tend to develop normally for a period of time followed by loss of skills, especially hand skills, which are replaced by repetitive hand movements. Symptoms begin between the ages of 1 and 4 years old. Poor eye contact, a lag in brain and head growth, problems walking, language problems, and seizures are also symptoms.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is a rare condition that occurs without a known medical cause. Typically, children have at least 2 years of typical development before the beginning of severe loss of skills in a number of areas, such as language, social skills, play, or motor skills. This disorder is associated with severe cognitive impairment.
About occupational therapy and speech therapy for autism in Sydney
An initial assessment is necessary to understand the child’s strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes and behaviour and to identify goals for intervention developed in conjunction with parents and carers. Our occupational therapists and speech pathologists use their knowledge of children’s play, sensorimotor, cognitive, language and social-emotional development to identify the nature of the child’s difficulties and develop the best intervention plan.
Occupational therapists and speech pathologists can assist children in managing sensory sensitivities such as overreaction to noise, hypersensitivity to touch, and behavioural issues such as distractibility and repetitive play behaviours. Fine motor coordination difficulties, organisation and information processing are other areas that are addressed in treatment sessions.
Occupational therapy can also help children overcome challenges they may have with self care activities such as eating, dressing and toileting to assist them to be as independent as possible. Our occupational therapists and speech pathologists will work collaboratively with your child, parents, other health professionals and teaching staff to ensure the best possible outcomes for your child.
What you can do
If you have concerns regarding your child’s development and you do not have a diagnosis, it is best to meet with your general practitioner or paediatrician as an early diagnosis is preferable.
However, you do not need a doctor’s referral or diagnosis to attend an initial assessment with our team. We can help you determine whether your child would benefit from occupational therapy, speech therapy or both.
We create holistic therapy programs for kids dealing with ASD. Contact us to arrange an appointment with our occupational therapists for autism in Sydney.
Our Services
Intensive Therapy Programs
Intensive Therapy Programs
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Speech Language Pathology
Speech Language Pathology
Exercise Physiology
Exercise Physiology
DMI Therapy
DMI Therapy
Suiting
Suiting
Telehealth
Telehealth
New to Therapies For Kids? Start your journey
Talk to our team now
Request a call back
We are here to help
