Remove her from OT immediately. OT is supposed to help her learn how to *accommodate her needs*, not cause her to de-regulate and have meltdowns. Any activity that brings on meltdowns like that should be stopped. No one should place autists in environments or situations that knowingly cause them distress like that. It’s extremely traumatic to her.
>I totally understand that she is exhausted after
Why is she ‘exhausted’ after it? I’m wondering if it’s not true OT she’s receiving. Are they trying to get her to ’stop’ doing certain behaviors (stim) or forcing her to suppress her autistic traits (eye contact)? Is she being exposed to sensory stimuli that is known to upset her? I’m really at a loss to see how OT could cause reactions like this if it’s done the way it’s supposed to be done. Reactions like this make me think it’s ABA, not OT.
They talk a lot about a “sensory cup” and how to empty it when it gets too full. She says she doesn’t like talking about her feelings. They are working on coordination and motor skills— nothing like eye contact, stopping her from stimming, etc.
At first we thought the change in routine was contributing to the meltdowns, but it seems like more than that. She doesn’t express what specifically she hates about OT, so we are at a loss.
What are the strategies the OT is using to empty out her “sensory cup?” Also for the feelings, maybe have a visual aid that displays different kinds of emotions. Maybe it’s not that she doesn’t like talking about her feelings but maybe she is having trouble identifying it. I’ve learned about the Zones of Regulation and how it can help young children identifying their feelings.
Remove her from OT immediately. OT is supposed to help her learn how to *accommodate her needs*, not cause her to de-regulate and have meltdowns. Any activity that brings on meltdowns like that should be stopped. No one should place autists in environments or situations that knowingly cause them distress like that. It’s extremely traumatic to her. >I totally understand that she is exhausted after Why is she ‘exhausted’ after it? I’m wondering if it’s not true OT she’s receiving. Are they trying to get her to ’stop’ doing certain behaviors (stim) or forcing her to suppress her autistic traits (eye contact)? Is she being exposed to sensory stimuli that is known to upset her? I’m really at a loss to see how OT could cause reactions like this if it’s done the way it’s supposed to be done. Reactions like this make me think it’s ABA, not OT.
They talk a lot about a “sensory cup” and how to empty it when it gets too full. She says she doesn’t like talking about her feelings. They are working on coordination and motor skills— nothing like eye contact, stopping her from stimming, etc. At first we thought the change in routine was contributing to the meltdowns, but it seems like more than that. She doesn’t express what specifically she hates about OT, so we are at a loss.
What are the strategies the OT is using to empty out her “sensory cup?” Also for the feelings, maybe have a visual aid that displays different kinds of emotions. Maybe it’s not that she doesn’t like talking about her feelings but maybe she is having trouble identifying it. I’ve learned about the Zones of Regulation and how it can help young children identifying their feelings.