#1 Autism: Start Sessions Better with Choice & Sensory Input 👩🏻🟣 | Pediatric PT

Meet Emily, my new co-instructor for this series. Emily is 23 years old and has autism. She was a typically developing child until about 2½ years of age. At that time, she experienced a regression in her communication skills after having already begun talking, and she was diagnosed with autism shortly thereafter. Emily presents with a complex clinical picture, including a seizure disorder, aphasia, significant motor planning challenges, and a processing delay. She is nonverbal and demonstrates postural insecurity, along with anxiety. She has difficulty with mood regulation and can be very emotionally labile. She also has a history of physical aggression and breath-holding behaviors. Emily currently participates in a variety of therapies and activities to support her development and regulation, including physical therapy, speech therapy, and applied behavior analysis (ABA). She also engages in therapeutic horseback riding and adaptive cheerleading. In this video, I demonstrate a simple way to begin a session with sensory input while honoring choice and communication. Emily first uses her communication device to select an activity. Then she is given a choice between a ball and a balloon and indicates her preference. We then move to whole body vibration (WBV) at a low intensity while incorporating a ball activity. This type of sensory input can help with regulation and preparation for more challenging tasks later in a session. I also model counting and short repetitions to support engagement and success. 👉🏾 If you want to see more with Emily, watch the full playlist here:    • Pediatric Physical Therapy with Emily, a P...   📚 My Books for Kids & Therapists Children’s Books "P is for Poop and Pee Accidents" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 "A is for Anxiety" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V "A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR "C is for Cerebral Palsy" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP "D is for Down Syndrome" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 "A is for Autism" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB Professional Books "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD 📧 Contact [email protected] 🌍 Captions Help Everyone 🌍 I carefully review captions so more people can follow along, even if English isn’t your first language 🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏼👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏻 To turn on captions: Click CC To change the language: Settings (⚙️) → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate 🌐 ⏱️ Video Chapters 0:00 Intro & meet Emily 0:15 Choosing with communication device 0:32 Choosing between ball or balloon 0:48 Standing on whole body vibration (WBV) 1:05 Using ball during WBV 1:30 Counting repetitions together 1:50 Sensory prep before harder work 2:05 Closing message ⚠️ Important note: Sensory and motor responses vary widely between individuals. What is effective for one person may not be appropriate for another 🧑🏾‍🦽↔️👩🏼‍🦯 (Please note: I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated.) 👩🏽‍⚕️📌