Autism:
A Novel Approach to Promote Learing
Debra Widmer-Reyes, MSPT
Children with learning differences can be supported at the visual-gross motor level. New research on the visual processing system shows that it is the matching between visual guidance and gross motor skills that develop the automaticity of both spatial relationships and movement for coordination, learning and reading. Students who are not able to sustain visual attention and further skills also show postural and movement difficulties. Children with Autism and Apraxia have focused deficits of language and social communication, emotional regulation and ability to transition from activities. Their relative strengths in the visual and motor systems can be targeted for refinement, then utilized to support deficit training. Using a treadmill can improve motor abilities and fitness for these children in a short time period as compared to other therapies. When visual guidance and developmental visual tasks are added to more challenging motor tasks on the treadmill, children can use this integrated approach to improve visual attention to the face and to tasks. Other outcomes include improved depth perception and breathing regulation which transfer to gains in social play. This presentation discusses a protocol that combines therapeutic gait development with visual spatial training to develop occulomotor visual skills that relate specifically to learning.
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