Occupational Therapy Ideas

Tips from Katherine Stutterheim BSc (OT)

Many parents and caregivers of children with ASD ask the question “what can I do at home to

assist my child in their development?” This is not always an easy task and often involves a lot

of research, hard work and effort. Comprehensive therapeutic intervention may not always be

possible.

This brief article attempts to offer you as parents a few basic ideas of what activities may be

implemented at home to assist your child in their development toward becoming a functional

and capable individual. It is recommended that you consult an Occupational Therapist (OT) for

an initial assessment and potentially for period of therapy. Remember to always keep these

activities FUN, ensure that family members and yourself are INVOLVED and allow your child

the space to be CREATIVE!

A word of caution: be sensitive and observant towards your child responses, do not force your

child into an activity and stop the activity should you observe an aversive response.

Gross Motor

The following activities should be done often and can be done repetitively (repetition of a

skill results in mastery). These activities will encourage one or more of the following: motor

planning, eye hand coordination, influence tone, shoulder stability, midline crossing and

bilateral integration(using the two hands together).

• Wheelbarrow and animal walks (crab walk, dog walk, frog jumps etc) – Animal walks will be most effective if performed with peers (mom, dad or siblings can also make this into a fun game). For wheelbarrow walks hold your child’s legs whilst he/she walks on their hands towards a desired object ie: sweet/favourite toy
• Tug of war with a rope or sheet/towel. Attempt to pull each other over a marked line.
• Play on a jungle gym – particularly using monkey bars or anything that involves climbing. This will require both motor planning, bilateral integration (reciprocal movement of arms and legs) and will activate the use of muscles around the shoulder girdle.
• Jumping on a trampoline – Perform basic jump sequences that your child has to copy. Begin with a basic sequence such as 5 jumps on both legs, 5 jumps on left leg and 5 jumps on right leg. As your child beings to master the basic sequences, progress to more complex ones, such as: 5 jumps on both legs with a clap in the air, bounce on bum, jump on left leg, jump on right leg.
• Suspend a ball in a sheet/towel above your child as they lie on their back. Assist him/ her to kick the ball with one leg at a time. He/she can then also hit the ball with one arm at time alternating arms on every hit.
• Ball Play –Throwing and catching a ball over-hand and under-hand. Also throwing various sized balls through a hoop or basket ball net. You may progress to balloon volleyball; where your child will stand opposite you and the balloon is hit between the two of you, without catching it and making sure the balloon stays up in the air.

Fine Motor

The following will assist with developing a sufficient pincer grip, in hand manipulation and finger strength. NB: Try not to allow swopping of hands, rather allow a short rest if the hand tires.

• Encourage your child to open and close various size jars that require screwing on and off. If they manages this easily, make the lid tighter, requiring more grip strength. Hide sweets or favorite toys in the jars which act as a reward.
• Pulling playdough, marshmallows or jelly baby’s apart into tiny pieces. These small pieces can then be glued to a page with a picture drawn on it.
• Allow your child to open their own sweets in the wrapper – this encourages finger strength and teaches them to accurately judge how much power is needed for the task
• Sticker book – Your child can remove the sticker, match it to the correct shape or picture and stick it down accurately
• Opening and closing clothes pegs - onto a line, bucket or cut out an animal shape. This is also a great opportunity to get your child involved in hanging up the washing! Pay attention to the grip they use, you will need to encourage a prehension grip (using the thumb and index finger only).

Involving the Senses

"YOUNG CHILDREN NEED TO ABSORB SENSORY KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THEIR SKIN, MUSCLES

AND JOINTS BEFORE THEY GRADUATE TO A DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL WHERE THEY CAN GATHER

INFORMATION THROUGH THEIR EYES AND EARS."

Please be aware that should you notice your child to have sensory difficulties, it is important

to contact an occupational therapist for assessment and further treatment. These suggested

activities are merely a form of sensory stimulation for your child.

Touch

• Play in bubble bath and cover body to look like a polar bear.
• Swaddling - Roll your child up tightly in a blanket. Being wrapped up provides deep pressure which is usually pleasurable and calming. This will assist to calm your child before bed time.
• Play with Goop - Mix maizena (corn flour) with a little water to make a paste. Add food colour for fun.
• Play in flour on a baking tray. Draw pictures in the flour with fingers
• Roll in the grass.
• Roll in sand or bury in sand (beach)
• Drawing on Skin - Draw a design on your child’s arm/back using various instruments (paint brush, pencil, finger).
• Play with dry sensory materials ie: sand, rice, lentils, beans etc. (hide objects or toys in these materials and allow your child to explore and identify the objects)
• Encourage play with clay and play dough.
• Face painting

Movement

The parts of vestibular sense which "take in" information to be sent to our brain are located in

the inner ear. The information about head movement and head position that comes in through

these structures is sent to many different parts of the brain. This information allows one to:

Coordinate eye movements with head movements; helps to develop and maintain normal

muscle tone; it allows one to hold a body position and keep the head up; it allows one to

balance and coordinate both sides of the body.

• Rolling down a grassy hill.
• Airplanes – Mom, dad or sibling lies on their back and places feet on your childs lower tummy area. Your child is lifted up by their feet and suspended above. Crash landings onto something soft or falling gently.
• Piggy backs whilst mom/dad/sibling runs and hops.
• Park activities - swings, slides, jumping, climbing.
• Swinging in a blanket - Hold opposite corners of a blanket with dad/sibling, lift the blanket from the ground and your child gets an exciting ride inside the blanket.
• Jumping on a Trampoline
• Rough and tumble play games
• Jumping from the bed into mom or dads arms; Jumping off a chair into a crash pad.

Proprioception

These activities develop body awareness, joint position sense and body position in space.

• Pouring water from big containers into smaller ones ie: pouring water from a 2 liter container into mugs
• After bath, give a good firm toweling rub down, wrap your child tightly in the towel, and later cream body as if giving a massage
• Mashing potatoes in preparation for a meal
• Garden work such as raking the leaves, pushing the wheelbarrow, digging
• Climbing ladders, ramps, trees
• Push a friend in a wheelbarrow
• Hanging from monkey bars or branches - Suspending weight from hands sends sensory information about the muscles and joints to the brain
• Carry heavy items (e.g. baskets of blocks, groceries for Mom)
• Push or pull boxes with toys or a few books in it (more resistance is provided if boxes are pushed/pulled across a carpeted floor)
• Use the cushions from the sofa/couch for climbing, jumping and crashing into
• Help with household chores such as: carry laundry basket, wipe table, help wash the car, carry buckets of water or watering can, clean windows using a spray bottle
• Have pillow fights with mom and dad