When a child is diagnosed with Autism, it could be devastating and dumbfounding for the parents. Initially, most physicians would suggest you to concentrate on speech, occupational and behavior therapies. This is because a kid who strives hard to communicate needs immediate appropriate treatment before anything else. But in addition to the psychological, neurological and social repercussions, Autistic children also suffer from poor gross motor skills, gait irregularities, low tone and motor organization. The severity of these issues differs from one child to another and can be remedied by suitable physiotherapy in Perth.

Gross motor skills

They involve larger muscles and require the movement of your entire body. But children suffering from autism would lag behind their regular peers about 6 months when it comes to gross motor skills. Though, motor skills don’t depend on a person’s social factors, they are normally acquired by observing others and modeling oneself on their actions. This is one of the reasons why autistic children experience such delays in mastering motor skills.

Gait irregularities

A number of autistic children suffer from walking abnormalities, most commonly toe walking. It means walking by means of toes without any heel contact with the floor. Toe walking could lead to many problems such as tight calves, pain, calluses, weakness in the front of leg muscles, decreases endurance, poor balance, irregular gait pattern etc.

Low tone

It refers to the amount of tension in your body when it is in a resting position. A person with high tone would have tight muscles which makes it tough to move, while low tone results in floppiness, prone to leaning against something and difficulty to keep oneself upright without proper support. Thus children with autism could have balancing problems, clumsiness, vulnerability to falling accidents, tiredness etc.

Motor organization

It is the ability to devise, plan and perform a skilled, unusual motor activity in a proper sequence from the beginning to end.  Any non-habitual act requires conceiving a plan, coordinating movements and deciding the speed with which the task is carried out. Autistic children struggle to plan and execute such activities.

What can a physiotherapist do?

A physio in Perth can help the kids to acquire skill in a variety of motor skills based on their age like throwing, hopping, catching and riding bikes. In Perth physiotherapy for autistic children also include more serious treatments such as enhancing the posture, addressing issues that could affect motor skills like respiratory control and coordination, treating malfunctions in the musculoskeletal system and devising fitness workshops for older autistic children.

It is highly advised to consult with a physio even before receiving a diagnosis of autism if your children exhibit any impairment in the motor skills appropriate to their age.