Behavioral And Daily Challenges In Children With Autism

This course will describe the behavioral challenges of occupational performance for children with autism. The ways in which children show difficulty with behavior will be explored. Emphasis will be placed on the fact that behavior is a form of communication. The use of strategies and supports that OTs can employ to ease the transition, improve task initiation and completion, and better improve overall engagement in occupation will be presented. Numerous strategies will be discussed to facilitate participation in ADLs of children with autism.

Children often struggle with fidgeting, attention deficits, and immature motor patterns which manifest themselves through frustration, sensory, and behavior issues. The optimal function of our bodies occurs when our sensory and motor systems are strong and able to adapt to the demands of the environment. Lack of movement opportunities and the use of electronic devices at a young age both affect the development of patterns used in the occupation of children. Occupational therapists can easily build-in assessment of body and segmental movement and posture. This session provides strategies for assessment and introduces treatment ideas for using movement to improve performance in occupation.

Children with learning disabilities often struggle in multiple areas of occupational performance. This course helps with understanding the characteristics and treatment of learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD in the pediatric population. Throughout this course, we will focus on practical treatment ideas to improve outcomes. Goal writing while considering the utilization of a strengths-based approach is discussed.

This two-hour virtual course examines executive function through an interoception-informed, state-based lens, emphasizing that access to executive skills depends on nervous system readiness rather than motivation or compliance. Participants will explore how neurological up- and down-regulation influence executive access and how movement serves as a primary pathway for organizing state, supporting attention, and preparing the brain for cognitive demand. Using The Executive Function Express framework and its Move the Train to Build the Brain strategies, the course demonstrates how purposeful, developmentally appropriate movement can stabilize the “tracks” needed for planning, initiation, flexibility, and follow-through. A strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming approach is emphasized throughout, guiding participants to shift from behavior-focused interpretations to interventions that build capacity, access, and self-trust.

Identifying the common childhood disorder of dyslexia and the role of occupational therapy practitioners will be explored in this course.