Occupational Therapy Activities in Autism
- sharad367
- Aug 26, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: May 10
Occupational Therapy (OT) for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) plays a vital role in helping children build functional skills. A certified occupational therapist for autism assesses a child’s sensory and motor needs to design purposeful activities. These activities improve daily functioning, enhance motor coordination, and support sensory integration therapy in a structured environment.
How Occupational Therapy Helps Children with Autism
Children with Autism may exhibit a range of challenges such as sensory processing difficulties, motor delays, difficulty with routines, or restricted and repetitive behaviors. Occupational therapy activities aim to either calm or activate specific sensory systems, depending on each child’s unique needs.
Let’s explore how various sensory systems and occupational therapy interventions support children with autism.
Presentation of a child with Autism:
According to DSM V, Autism symptoms vary from one end of the spectrum to another. Thus a child can look withdrawn or on the go. Also, sensory processing difficulties contribute to the stereotypical behaviors displayed by the child. A child prefers the sameness of routine and gets upset when routines are disturbed. A child can exhibit restricted or fixated interests that vary in intensity. Also, a child with Autism may be hypo or hypersensitive to sensory inputs. Clinical observations help a therapist to plan activities in Autism. Let us look at how sensory systems appear in Autism:
Proprioceptive Sense:
Some children struggle with posture, low muscle tone, or judging force and direction. These challenges affect tasks like handwriting, catching a ball, or moving confidently in space. OT activities like steamroller exercises, obstacle mazes, and pressure-based games can support body awareness.
Proprioceptive Seeking:
A child who appears to seek Proprioceptive inputs appears to intentionally fall or push other children. He/She prefers tight clothes and appears to be fidgety or unable to sit still.
Selected activities include proprioceptive inputs in form of pressure or deep touch.
Weight-bearing activities like wheelbarrow walk and using a weighted jacket are suggested. So are bar hanging, wall climbing, crawling activities under a tunnel, animal walks. All these activities provide excellent proprioceptive inputs.
Resistive games of clay, rubber bands, provide inputs to small muscles of the hands.
Proprioceptive difficulties:
Some children present with poor standing or sitting posture. They appear weaker than other children their age. Some children also appear to have low tone. Proprioceptive difficulties interfere with the ability to gauge the speed and direction of the ball. It affects prompt body movements needed to catch the ball.
They also contribute to an inability to gauging pressure while writing. Children may write with too much or too little pressure. Proprioceptive difficulties also contribute to moving cautiously in space. There is certain clumsiness in the handling of objects.
Again, proprioceptive inputs are given through:
Pressure on shoulders and knees.
Using weighted jackets or backpacks during sit-down activities to calm the child.
Steamrollers help provide necessary inputs.
Mazes or games that help children move through space and provide different heights and surfaces.
2. Vestibular Sense – Balance & Movement
Vestibular Seeking Behaviour:
This is a child who enjoys a variety of movements. He/she can spin or rotate for prolonged durations. This child shows an inability to sit still. He/she can assume various body positions, and enjoy inversions.
For vestibular seeking, calming activities help. The selection of activity includes a proprioceptive element, in form of weight-bearing. Calming vestibular therapy for autism includes:
Wheelbarrow walking and animal walks.
Vestibular inputs like linear swinging to calm an overstimulated vestibular system.
Hanging also provides great proprioceptive input, thus trapeze swinging helps.
Wall climbing is another calming activity that provides ample proprioceptive inputs. A Rope Ladder works similarly.
Hyperresponsive to Vestibular Stimulus:
A child who is hyperresponsive to vestibular stimulus avoids vestibular inputs derived through movements. Fast spinning movements or fast swinging and amusement rides are largely off-limits. This child benefits from the following activities:
Gentle rocking on a therapy ball.
Slow bouncing, Jumping on a trampoline,
Linear swinging with a weighted vest on and also swinging with a large base of support.
Playing in a lycra swing will also calm the child.
Adding on a target game on a swing also helps. Thus, a hi -5 to the therapist or beans throw on a mat helps.
3. Tactile Sense – Touch Sensitivity
Tactile Hypersensitivity:
This child is uncomfortable with a variety of tactile inputs. Clothe labels, elastic binds around arms or legs affects the child. The roughness of cloth texture or the stitches also bothers a child by causing discomfort. This reduces attention and focuses on the activity at hand.
For increasing tolerance to a variety of tactile stimuli, the therapist selects:
Object search games in a ball pool.
Experiencing textures like soft, rough, wet, dry, grainy, or smooth. Textures are selected gradually without overwhelming the child.
Art and craft activities also help.
Proprioceptive inputs-based games are continued as calming strategies.
These sensory integration therapy techniques calm the child and improve focus.
4. Visual Perceptual Activities
Visual perceptual skills are crucial for tasks like reading, writing, and spatial orientation. Activities for visual development in autism include:
Spotting activities and word searches.
Completing the picture or finding the other half of the picture.
Tracing and colouring.
Identifying the shape various forms, like the round of sun and round of orange is still a round shape.
Design copying.
Large letter formations in air or wall or on a board are advised before notebook writing.
Sorting and arranging shapes also help with visual skills like scanning, visual focus.
These help improve visual scanning, attention, and coordination.
Pointers for Occupational Therapy Activities in Autism:
Say a child attends an art-based activity and seeks movement. He is allowed to sit on a wobbly chair or a therapy ball at the table. This provides ample movement thus increasing focus on performance.
An overstimulated child is overwhelmed, giggly, cranky, or yawning.
Flapping or stimming may be signs of calming an overstimulated system.
Use flexible seating like therapy balls for movement-seeking children during table-top tasks
Recognize overstimulation signs like yawning, giggling, or stimming
Introduce multi-step activities like swinging followed by a game (e.g., beanbag toss)
Ensure safety during climbing or jumping activities
The therapist modifies activity in Autism Intervention:
The therapist adds to the activity when the child achieves a level of ease. Standalone swinging gets a target element. Crawling changes to crawling with rings to put in a stand. Climbing and jumping on crash pillows and moving from different suspension elements. It is essential to follow all safety protocols when a child engages in them.
Incorporating Sensory Breaks in Daily Routine
Sensory breaks are essential for children with autism to self-regulate and stay focused. Examples include:
Jumping in place or on a trampoline
Musical breaks or singing
Water breaks or fidget play
Popping bubble wrap or squeezing stress balls
These short, structured breaks boost attention and reduce sensory overload.
Occupational Therapy Activities in Autism also discusses Sensory Breaks:
Activity breaks enhance a child’s performance. These form the sensory breaks and they are an integral part of a child’s schedule. Sensory breaks include jumping in the corner for a certain count. Singing a song, or playing a musical instrument for some time is another example. Water break, toilet break, bursting a bubble wrap also contribute to sensory breaks.
With teletherapy gaining popularity, online occupational therapy activities are now accessible and effective. Virtual OT sessions at platforms like 1SpecialPlace provide personalized sensory-based interventions guided by certified occupational therapists. These sessions include interactive games, parent training, and real-time support to help your child succeed. This is how the therapist selects Online Occupational Therapy activities in Autism intervention.
Other Useful resources:
Occupational therapy activities for autistic children are essential tools for developing independence, focus, and emotional regulation. Through a structured and individualized plan, autism occupational therapy helps children thrive both at home and in school. Looking for the best occupational therapist for autism? Connect with 1SpecialPlace today for expert guidance, both in-person and through online therapy.
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