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Play Therapy for Younger Children with ASD

"What would be the best therapeutic approach to assist preschool children with ASD?"

All things considered, I would have to say "play therapy." Through play therapy, younger children with ASD or High-Functioning Autism are able to learn and practice new skills in safe environments:
  • Sensory motor play teaches children how to interact with their environment.
  • Through the use of physical play, including rough and tumble play, children are able to learn gross motor skills.
  • Social play provides the opportunity to learn about social relationships.

Play therapy provides a learning opportunity that cannot be matched in other circumstances. Young children with ASD need play therapy, because they do not normally interact with their environment - or others - the way they need to in order to learn. Improving play skills increases their pleasure and their motivation to play, increasing their sociability and interaction with others.

Play therapy can provide the child with an opportunity to express himself with words and actions, which can be difficult for some ASD kids age 5 and below. Sensory motor play allows the child to learn more than his verbal capacity allows, and it provides an opportunity to work through social roles, fears, and relationships.

Play therapy is used to help children manipulate the world on a smaller scale, which cannot normally be done in their environment. It can be used as a form of behavior modification, and can be used to improve emotional development, improving social skills and learning.

Social stories can also be used as part of play therapy to help improve social skills. Stories should be designed to help autistic children understand the feelings, ideas, and points of view of others, or to suggest an alternate response to a particular situation.


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Marriage Difficulties and Raising Aspergers Children

Having a child with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism has the potential to place a great deal of strain on a family -- and particularly on a couple. Some couples may struggle with issues of blame, how the child should be disciplined, guilt, etc.

Daily routines are a constant challenge. A special needs child often comes with additional financial costs to the family. Dealing with the school can seem like a full-time job. The time that it takes to care for a special needs child can leave other family relationships with no attention. All of this can add up to a number of problems that need to be looked at.

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Occupational Therapy for Younger Aspergers Children

One of the best resources for younger children with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism is occupational therapy. Of the different types of therapy, occupational therapy is one of the more practical and easy to understand therapies a child can benefit from. Some Aspergers children lack basic skills, such as self-care, dressing themselves, eating skills and other life skills that occupational therapy can address. Often, occupational therapy uses play therapy and other kinds of skills to address areas involving fine motor and gross motor skills.

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Music Therapy for Aspergers Children

Music therapy is a great fit for ASD children because it's non-verbal (and non-threatening). It improves the child’s ability to be successful at things that are more social, such as tossing a ball to music or using sticks or cymbals to help the child modulate his or her interpretation of sound. Also, therapists can use the child’s preferred music as a reward or as a way to soothe him or her.

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The Best Method for Teaching Asperger's Students

Children with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism can learn and excel, and if certain teaching methods are used, their progress can be nothing short of fantastic. One of the most important things to realize in making learning fun for Aspergers kids is the fact that they learn in different ways than children without this disorder.
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