Autism? Learn to Read Faces Through Play 👩🏻🟣 | Social Referencing | Severe Autism PT #7

🎬 New here? Start with Video #1 in Emily's playlist:    • Pediatric Physical Therapy with Emily, a P...   👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. Meet Emily, my wonderful 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, when she experienced a regression in her communication skills after already beginning to talk. 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, with a history of physical aggression and breath-holding behaviors. Emily participates in several 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, Emily works on social referencing, visual attention, sensory modulation, and cooperation while sitting on a platform swing. 👀🟣 Social referencing—using another person's face for information—is important for learning new tasks, receiving feedback, and participating in cooperative activities. Emily sits independently at the end of a platform swing while I provide a gentle forward-and-back motion. As she swings toward me, I hand her a plastic block and hold two mixing bowls in front of me. Rather than pointing to the correct bowl, I exaggerate my facial expression by turning my head, bringing my face closer to the target bowl, and directing my gaze toward it. Emily must watch my face and eyes to determine where the block belongs. 😊➡️🥣 As Emily improves, these cues can become more subtle until only eye movements are needed. The goal is to teach that another person's face provides useful information. Forward-and-back swinging is generally the most calming vestibular input and helps Emily stay regulated while learning. As her confidence grows, she becomes happier and more engaged. 🌈 This is a great example of: • Teaching social referencing 👩🏿‍🦱🤝👩🏻 • Encouraging functional vision 👀 • Combining sensory input with learning 🧠 • Building confidence 🌟 • Grading cues from obvious to subtle 👩🏽‍🏫 --- 📚 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]](mailto:[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 Meet Emily 0:26 Starting with sensory input 0:39 Why facial cues matter 1:22 The game begins 2:00 Using facial expressions instead of pointing 2:49 Why combine swinging with learning? 3:13 Building confidence through success 3:55 Why this activity works --- ⚠️ Important note: Sensory and motor responses vary widely between individuals. What is effective for one person may not be appropriate for another. 👨🏾‍🦽↔️👩🏼‍🦯 (Please note: It is not ethical for me to provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated.) 👩🏽‍⚕️📌