Priya-the-OT

Parent-Teacher Meetings came by twice a year at the Centre I worked in. There was one right after the IEPs for the year were made and another towards the close of the year. When most parents were happy with their child's progress and eager to know what the next steps were, there was one particular couple that had something very different to say. 'S' was a little girl, 5 years of age. She was on the Autism spectrum and was non-verbal. When she first joined the Centre, S had poor eye contact, a decreased attention span, poor recognition of common objects, and poor comprehension of facial expressions & environmental cues. By the end of one academic year, S was by then able to identify her school bag, could point to the picture of a glass to ask for water, and signal for 'toilet'. She would recognize the names of the most common things she carried in her snack box, like banana and sandwich. S could also eye-point to the identify her teacher and the class helper, whe

Z was one of my clients when I worked in Dubai. He was a smart and sweet little 7 year old on the spectrum. He had a lot of sensory seeking and self stimulatory behaviours, of which chewing on his shirt and anything else he found within reach, was the most predominant  one. Z had amazing and very supportive parents. The mom would regularly contact me for tips and remedies at each stage for Z.  One holiday period, mom mailed me regarding Z's chewing behaviour which seemed to have increased due to the break in his therapy. Sharing here, the reply I sent to her. (Names hidden to protect identity) Picture courtesy: Google Hi Mrs. F, Just thought I’ll put the things I wanted to suggest into a mail so you can read over in your free time and try out with  Z . I have used these tips for few of my children with oral sensory issues and they have helped them reduce their mouthing behaviors. So, nothing to worry. It’s going to be fine. Always remember “ DO NOT ” force  Z  to stop. It’s not tha