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    Boston Making Big Strides with Autism

    Boston Making Big Strides with Autism

    boston-autism

    Boston struggled with being in the store. He would yell, run away, and go to strangers. He struggled with loud noises and being in crowds. He would often have some form of behavioral outburst.

    Boston received early intervention with occupational, speech and physical therapy that was very helpful. For the first time Wendy and her family were starting to get an understanding of what bothered Boston. They learned how to interact with him at his level.

    Shortly after his third birthday, Boston was diagnosed with autism. Boston is like many children that have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In Utah, 1 in 47 kids will be diagnosed with autism.

    Since being diagnosed with autism, Boston has received speech and occupational therapy at Orem Pediatric Rehabilitation. Boston has made great strides in his expressive and receptive language skills and he can now communicate with others without hurting them when others do not understand him.

    He has also progressed in occupational therapy by working on transitions that are difficult for him at home and in the community. He is eating food that he would not previously eat. He is also doing better socially, though he is still awkward in his interactions with others.

    Boston and other children with autism struggle with:
    • understanding their environment and how to make sense of it
    • social interactions
    • expressive/receptive language (see how parents can help improve language skills)
    • difficulty with food
    • behavioral problems
    • anxiety
    • repetitive behaviors
    • gastrointestinal issues
    • difficulty with tolerating sensory environment (clothing, sounds, visual environment, motor planning, self-care skills, lack of body awareness)
    • sleep difficulties
    • and possible seizure disorder to name a few.

    While the autism spectrum is broad, and individual children will face different challenges, there are many treatment options available. Pediatric rehabilitation offers a number of services to help autistic children progress and to assist families in working with their children.

    Additional Resources

    Here are some resources to help loved ones with autism in Utah: