Occupational Therapy for Autism?

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Ok somebody told me that I should probably get into some Occupational Therapy to better understand and help with my Autism they also mentioned they I should be doing physiotherapy as well (because of my out look on life)

I don't feel as if I need the services for physiotherapy as I'm not depressed nor am I happy (those are extremes I'm just basically existing I'm content and I know that if I go for physiotherapy they will want to shove a pill down my throat. I've been on many pills as a child I didn't care for it I didn't know who I was, I was either a zombie, strung out or sleeping. These days there's too much for me to lose if they wanted to experiment in such a way.

As for Occupational Therapy for those whom maybe enrolled in such a program could you please share what that entails?

I'm not broken I have my limits and I sometimes stammer when tying to find the right word (under pressure) and more often then not I don't like to be in social situations I like to be a loner maybe with 1 or 2 people whom I can talk to now and then. Right now I know whom I am and for better or worse I'm OK with that person.

Last edited by JoelFan on 07 Oct 2014, 1:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

There a couple of general ways that OT can help people on the spectrum. One is with things such as fine motor skills. This is the more "traditional" approach. Many OT's have also been trained in sensory integration and may be able to help with sensory issues.

So it really depends upon what kind of help you might need. Do realize, however, that not all OTs are well trained in sensory integration. So, unless you can find one who has the right background, it may not be very helpful.

What happens in Occupation Therapy (OT) depends on why you see them and what helps you.

You might do sensory integration therapy (games and exercises designed to improve sensory processing) or be prescribed a sensory diet of activities to do to help keep you regulated and calm... you might do things like swing on swings, stand on wobbly things (maybe while playing a game or throwing something at a target), spin around in circles, wear a weighted vest, crawl under a mattress, jump on a trampoline, do pushups, lift heavy things, listen to altered music through special headphones (I did not tolerate this at all so it was not continued), brush your skin with a plastic brush (I did not tolerate this at all either). They will probably give you advice on calming strategies and coping strategies and ways to minimize your sensory discomfort in everyday life.

You might get help with practical tasks that you currently cannot do. (Self-care, everyday life tasks.)

You might get help with social understanding.

That kinda sounds like stuff they would do with children not a grown adult I dunno what OT would entail nobody fully explained the why I would need to do OT at this stage in my life: I am High Functioning I can cook clean drive and manage my own finances I just can't tolerate being in bright lights and/or loud environments it's just that I am very much to my self and don't have cliquey friends just one whom is bigoted and one from childhood that I hardly talk with due to geographical differences.

Most of that stuff is what I did in OT when I was 24. (I'm 28 now, and haven't had OT since I was, I think, 25 -- largely due to how expensive it is). I went to OT for sensory integration therapy, and was offered help with practical tasks and social things if I needed and wanted that help.