Pediatrics > Austism
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Facts and Physical Therapy
Definition: Severe communication disorder accompanied by apparent
lack of social interaction and varied play skills. Frequently associated
with self-stimulatory behaviors such as hand flapping, rocking, or spinning.
Onset is during infancy or childhood.
Impairments:
- Neurological: Generalized hypotonia (low muscle tone); motor delays
- Musculoskeletal: May have joint laxity/hypermobility or muscle tightness/hypomobility
- Cognitive: Varies individually
- Auditory and Visual: Hearing and visual deficits vary individually
Indicators that your child would benefit from Physical Therapy:
- Increased muscle tightness
- Delay in obtaining motor skills/milestones
- Poor balance and/or coordination
- Difficulty moving through the environment
- Postural abnormalities
- Muscle weakness
- Pain
What can Physical Therapy do to help my child?
- Provide interventions to minimize motor delays and/or improve balance/coordination
- Provide hands-on techniques to improve joint alignment with movement
- Use handling-techniques to facilitate age appropriate motor skills
- Facilitate active movement or provide stability to increase motor skills
- Provide a home program to assure carryover
- Provide orthotic assessment/training if prescribed by a physician
