Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the work occupational therapists do with children with autism. It utilizes aspects of the occupational therapy process, encompassing the stages of referral, information gathering, goal setting, and intervention as a framework to outline how occupational therapists work with children and their families. The chapter provides an overview of approaches used by occupational therapists focusing on contributions to diagnosis, parent support, and the occupational therapy process acknowledging that most often therapists work as part of multidisciplinary teams whose members collaborate to optimize child and family outcomes. The chapter describes how occupational therapists might work with children and families to address issues in such areas of occupational performance as self-care (dressing, eating, toileting, grooming/hygiene, sleeping), play, and learning at preschool or school. The chapter also addresses some of the components of occupational performance that particularly affect children with autism including transitions, sensory differences, motor difficulties, and social skills issues and highlights occupational therapy approaches to these.

Citation

Rodger, S., & Polatajko, H. (2014). Occupational therapy for children with autism. In V.B. Patel, V.R. Preedy & C.R. Martin (eds.), Comprehensive Guide to Autism, 2297-2314. Spinger e-books. ISBN 978-1-4614-4789-4 doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4788-7_57