2 yr old with ASD develops eye contact, fine motor, babbling

Submitted by Mary Bessenbacher, Occupational Therapist

2 yr old with ASD develops eye contact, fine motor, babbling

Cash is a 2 year old boy diagnosed with autism that I work with in his home on a weekly basis. He displays very little eye contact, is non-verbal, prefers to play alone, and has trouble getting to sleep. He is delayed in fine motor skills and prefers vestibular activities such as swinging, jumping, and rocking on the exercise ball. Often, he would cry when I arrived and would attempt to run to the other room.

I began introducing the rhythmic movements with Cash because his delays in motor skills could likely be due to retained primitive reflexes. (Testing for them individually was not possible due to non-compliance.) He laid still for the first rhythmic movementE for almost one minute the first time I did it. His mom was in disbelief because he usually does not allow touch unless it is something he seeks out on his own. I also got eye contact during this movement. He did not lie still for the other three during our sessions. I did teach them to mom and told her to use them throughout the day and at bedtime.

Mom has used the rhythmic movements before bed and said that it helps him to lie still and relax. He especially likes the second one, lying on his side. I have noticed more compliance in our sessions since I have started the rhythmic movements. Some days he will not allow me to do them, but I have found that if I roll him on his back on the therapy ball for several minutes and then try to do the movements, he is more compliant. Since we have started, he has begun to babble, place shapes into a shape sorter with minimal assistance, clap his hands in imitation, and look at books with an adult. He was doing none of these skills a few months ago. 

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