Parent's Guide to Occupational Therapy for Autism and Other Special Needs

Cara Koscinski has been an occupational therapist for 18 years and has a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy. She owns The Pocket Occupational Therapist, a company that provides in-home services and consultations to school districts. Her company also creates and produces CDs for children with auditory sensitivity, and designs awareness products. Cara lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and is a homeschooling mother to two children with autism spectrum and sensory processing disorders. Her website can be viewed at www.pocketot.com.

As an OT with over 20 years experience, I was amazed how much info is packed into this small book. It is so thorough, you would think it was a text book but it is just written concisely and is easy to read. For parents it is a great gift for those with a child just diagnosed with developmental concerns as it explains many terms used in therapy, gives suggestions on everyday activities to IEPS for school aged children. It is a great resource not just for parents but for therapists too, to help explain terms, give home suggestions and treatment planning. Thanks Cara for putting this together.

• Preface. 1. What is Occupational Therapy? My Child Doesn't Work!. 2. What are Core Muscles and Reflexes, and Why Are They Important to my Child's Function?. 3. Feeding and Oral-Motor (Muscles of the Mouth). 4. Handwriting and the Upper Extremity (Arm). 5. What Do You Mean, We Have More Than Five Senses?. 6. Behaviour and Transition During Daily Activities. 7. Toilet Training. 8. Social Skills and Relationships. 9. OT in School vs. OT in an Outpatient Setting/Clinic. Pocket Occupational Therapist Developmental Checklists. Resource Area. Index.