I want to go into a career where I can work with children on the autistic spectrum. Which type of therapist would an autistic patient see more often and be most benefited by?
I want to go into a career where I can work with children on the autistic spectrum. Which type of therapist would an autistic patient see more often and be most benefited by?
#1 by sonomano on February 17, 2010 - 11:17 pm
The vast majority of kids with autism do not need or qualify for Physical Therapy services. In my experience, the majority of kids with autism do qualify for Occupational Therapy services. So if your goal is to work with a lot of children on the autism spectrum, OT is a much better bet than PT.
#2 by Lily H on February 17, 2010 - 11:38 pm
Joe, I admire your desire to work with autistic children. I am a special educator and I work with students with a broad range of challenges, including autism. If you have not spent any time; I mean volunteering for more than six weeks, with a wide range of autistic children, you might be heading for a slippery slope of disappointment.
I would advise you to fully understand the difference between PHYSICAL and OCCUPATIONAL therapy. If possible visit the head of the Special Education department at your local university who should be able to explain the ins and outs of your future career.
Also be very aware of the trend towards cuts in education. Special ed is not immune and as it is parents have to strongly advocate for services for their children. Unless you are gearing yourself to working with the very well to do and/or wealthy, the average family of an autistic child would be hard pressed to find the money needed for therapy that would not be included in the IEP.
Finally, your job would not be a piece of cake. The work is hard. You would be dealing with parents who are given a unique gift in their child, the heartbreak and frustration they feel can often be transferred to you. You will be asked questions that will be hard to answer or worse, have no answer.
I wish you luck and I hope this information will help.
#3 by wilson on February 18, 2010 - 3:23 am
Occupational Therapy is far more helpful. Few kids with autism need physical therapy at all. My son has severe autism and is the most agile child I have ever been around in my life, as are his classmates. Fear of nothing and unlimited strength!
Occupational Therapists will help them overcome their sensory problems. They will also take them out of the classroom when they are overwhelmed to redirect them to other activities.
Without a doubt, 100% go for Occupational Therapist if your goal is to work with children with autism. Otherwise, the children you will be working with will mostly be children with different conditions, such as cerebral palsy. Autism can coexist with other conditions, but it is more rare.
Speech therapy will help some as well, but you will see more immediate payoff with OT.
#4 by mcc on February 18, 2010 - 9:44 am
Special education teacher with autism focus
Occupational therapist
Speech therapist
and it would be a toss up between OT and ST – Physical Therapy would only be involved if the child also had a physical issue with mobility or another disorder that was physical in nature and interfered with their ability to function in a classroom.
Psychologist or psychiatrist also can work with ASD students.
#5 by Mary on February 18, 2010 - 3:00 pm
I am a PT who specializes in Pediatrics. I previously worked at an Autism school. As people say, it is extremely difficult. We treated the toe walking, the gross motor delays and the coordination deficits. I am very experience in Sensory and treated that as well. I know work in a public school and 10 percent of my case load has autism. So PT do treat people with autism.
OT on the other hand spend alot more time working with autism.
Hope this helps
http://www.apta.org
http://www.aota.org
#6 by Justmein on February 18, 2010 - 3:22 pm
occupatioanl thrapy
the percentage of children with autism that need physcial tyherapy is low–
but most need occuaptioal tehrapy fro fine motor, sensory processing and self help skills
#7 by suzie_le on February 18, 2010 - 6:14 pm
It depends on the individual.
I’d say it’s probably more likely to be an occupational therapist, as one of the additional things which is sometimes associated with autism is fine motor problems.
#8 by ndcase07 on February 18, 2010 - 7:13 pm
My son is Autistic and I would have to say occupational therapy is number one on my list and than a speech therapist.
#9 by Jose L on February 19, 2010 - 1:40 am
i dont think any of those. A psychologist would be the field i think or psychiatry.
#10 by Lacey Cook on June 28, 2010 - 7:08 pm
there is still no permament solution for autism. we just have to take good care of the kids who are suffering autism.”"~
#11 by Summer Lewis on July 11, 2010 - 4:27 am
there is no permanent cure for autism yet, most autism treatments are experimental”’
#12 by Payton Butler on August 29, 2010 - 9:42 am
there has been no permanent cure for autism yet but i think stem cells could also help,:,
#13 by Jonathan Allen on October 6, 2010 - 11:18 pm
to date, there has been no cure for autism yet and we always hope that stem cell research can cure it’:’