Question: I have a nine-year-old who is not using the toilet to open his bowels. He can take himself to the toilet to urinate but is having constipation issues. He has been on a laxative for three weeks, and the continence nurse has encouraged us to put him back in nappies during this time. . […]

Is it better to let a child with autism flap his hands or should you stop it?– Jane Dear Jane, This a good question an one I’ve been asked many times about as an occupational therapist because many people consider it to be “self-stimming” and “sensory” in nature. This is possible, but as with any […]

For the purposes of IEP interventions, what is the best way to find out if your child has short term memory issues? What can cause this? I have read that it is associated with Asperger’s syndrome but what is the cause, i.e., auditory/ sensory processing, hyperfocus, petit mal, ADHD?  My son is highly distractive and has learning difficulties […]

Headbanging may be a scary and upsetting thing to watch your child do. It is considered a self-injurious behavior (SIB),  but SIB’s and/or headbanging are NOT considered a core symptom of autism, although children with autism are at greater risk of SIB’s such as head-banging. It is also important to note that just because your […]

My grandson has mild autism and is doing well after going to therapy. But I wanted to know, do we have to shout at the child and scold him when doesn’t follow our instructions? His doctor said if he is not scolded he will not be corrected. Is it true? Sometimes I feel so sad […]

My son who is nine years old has delayed milestones. He has difficulty with repetitive speech and cannot communicate about what is done or taught in class. He is a very bright student, but due to weakness and his lack of fine motor skills, he is not able to copy from the blackboard. He also lacks […]

Do you have any information on inertia and the best ways to help a young girl diagnosed with autism handle it? –Anne Hi Anne. As an occupational therapist, we specialize in helping people with the motor planning part of inertia (also known as the clinical term “praxis”). Motor planning is a higher-level skill than motor […]