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pgd
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23 Aug 2010, 6:42 pm

neshamaruach wrote:
I've just been diagnosed with AS, and I have some significant sensory integration difficulties. I've read that Occupational Therapists (OTs) can help me work on these, but I don't know what the therapy consists of or how/if it works. Has anyone worked with an OT on this? What were the results?


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buryuntime
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23 Aug 2010, 7:18 pm

Good luck seeing an OT at the age of fifty one. They typically only work with children, but you CAN do things at home-- I'd suggest you buy a book on it.



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23 Aug 2010, 8:10 pm

They do various things.

Mostly, it's games/play aimed at improving motor function (through practice), sensory integration (through safe exposure that's not too much) or something like that. OTs can make everything fun. It can be hard to tell the difference between what they're doing and ordinary playing, which can be a very good thing for little kids who are too clumsy and socially inept to have real childhoods, you know? But my experience is only with pediatric OTs.

I don't even know what all the equipment my OT had was for!

I did a lot of vestibular stuff, which didn't seem to actually help (my vestibular sense was incredibly hyposensitive until recently; I didn't really notice, though. because I'd never felt it any other way, I just happened to seek a lot of vestibular input). I borrowed the techniques when I was acting as an SLP (ah, for the days when teens got money just babysitting the kids, rather than acting as amateur therapists; the family still credits to me his sudden minor improvement in speech) and they were... kindasorta effective.

What it aims to do is generally to satisfy any sensory cravings (making you less distracted so you function better) and slowly work on improving skills. I always heard my OT talk about how important it is that you challenge the kid with something difficult enough to improve but easy enough not to be discouraging or damaging. They'll pull you out of your comfort zone if you let them, but slowly and not very far. Tell your OT if something's too much.

But I don't know what it could do for you at 51. If you've gotten this far, well... and besides, your brain's not nearly as plastic as they usually work with.

It's worth it for kids if their difficulties are causing them problems functioning and are based in the way their brain deals with sensory or motor stuff. I dunno if it's worth it for an adult; your brain's likely to resist any attempt to change these things and I don't know any OTs who work with adults with sensory processing issues. (I know some OTs work with people with problems like an achilles tendon that's too tight, or stroke victims. I have no personal experience with them or with anyone who's worked with them.)


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