April isn’t just about Easter eggs, school holidays and cooler weather finally arriving here in Brisbane. It’s also Autism Awareness Month, a time when we celebrate the strengths of individuals on the spectrum.
At Engage Care Services, our goal is to provide compassionate support that makes a real difference to our clients. So this Autism Awareness Month, we’re highlighting some of the latest developments that can help individuals and their families navigate daily challenges more easily.
Vision and Behaviour
Vision and eyesight are a concern for many children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with studies showing that 71% have significant eye problems. These range from blurred vision to difficulty tracking moving objects, lack of eye contact, light sensitivity and lazy eye.
Research shows that vision therapy, consisting of specific exercises prescribed by a behavioural optometrist, helps with eye alignment, focusing, and visual processing.
However, there’s a bonus! Vision therapy has been found to be useful in reducing repetitive behaviours and improving gross motor skills in those with Autism as well.
Evidence for Early Intervention
Being a spectrum disorder, some people with ASD are non-verbal or have very limited speech – yet others have rich vocabularies and capacities for speaking.
For those with speech difficulties, there is now good evidence that early intervention with speech therapy improves communication and social skills, which in turn leads to improved quality of life.
Minimising Mealtime Challenges
Many individuals with ASD experience sensory, behavioural and/or physical difficulties around food. Certain textures may be overwhelming, some foods may trigger gagging, or they may have a very limited range of preferred foods.
This is where a speech or occupational therapist can assist. Treatment may include desensitisation – where the individual is gradually introduced to new textures and flavours – or oral exercises to improve muscle strength and coordination for eating and swallowing.
At Engage Care Services, we are all about helping our clients to thrive, which as this article shows may include assistance to attend appointments with health care professionals like optometrists and speech therapists. We pride ourselves on respectfully delivering support and care to people living with disability so that they can achieve their goals – all year round, not just during Autism Awareness month