The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Need a sensory pick me up? Join us to get your “SUCCESS” golden ticket candy bar and learn how rapid and significant progress can be made across all developmental areas by first addressing the fundamental sensory dysfunctions common in ASD. This session will include powerful case study video examples. New research is demonstrating what occupational therapists have seen clinically for decades, namely the efficacy of intervention designed to address difficulties processing and integrating sensory information for children with autism spectrum disorders.  After undergoing sensory integration intervention, children show improvement in goal attainment and self-care and social activities reflected by decreased caregiver assistance (Schaaf et. al, 2014).  The content of this session will include a review of the original work of Dr. A. Jean Ayres,  as well as other theorists and practitioners well-published in the field of occupational therapy and sensory integration practice. Included will be information on the neurological underpinnings of normal sensory processing and its vital role in adaptive learning and overall functional performance. The content will then build on this original work by highlighting the present-day application of the literature to various sensory dysfunctions common among individuals on the autism spectrum. In addition to laying the theoretical foundation, specific sensory integration methods will be shared, particularly those used to successfully treat the vestibular system, peri and intraoral systems, and the tactile system.  The lecture will also feature a discussion of the challenges teams encounter when creating and implementing individualized sensory plans. The presenters will offer correlating strategies to overcome identified challenges.

Unique to this session will be the use of hands-on lab experiences for those interested in exploring how their own personal sensory preferences impact their attention and performance in their role as an audience participant. These sensory experiences will be strategically interspersed throughout the lecture and will stimulate the participant’s visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. In addition, the presenters will make use of diverse case study examples of patients served at Integrations Treatment Center.  These case studies will highlight data demonstrative of improved sensory processing and the meaningful and brisk progress in each child’s functional performance. Video analysis will serve as a tool to guide the audience in understanding OT-prescribed methods, and how to best transfer these tactics to non-OT team members, multidisciplinary settings, and the home environment.  

This presentation is appropriate for parents, as well as professionals and paraprofessionals in the area of special education, speech language pathology, occupational therapy, psychology, administration, and other related medical and educational professionals. 

The learning objectives are as follows:

1) Participants will be able to articulate the foundational sensory processes necessary for higher-level learning and functioning.

2. Participants will identify three challenges to creating and implementing individualized sensory plans as well as correlating strategies to overcome identified challenges.

3. Participants will be able to identify four effective treatment methods used to treat underlying sensory processing dysfunction.

Learning Objectives: