GUEST BLOG: Three Reasons Why the Physical Therapist is an Essential Part of a Team for Those with Autism or Epilepsy

This blog is written by a former classmate, friend and fellow colleague in the healthcare world. She was kind enough to write about her areas of expertise in reference to skilled PT. Audra Sisak, QASP, BCCS, MSBS is the Founder/Owner of Healthy Wings Therapy, PLLCWriter/Consultant/Life Skills CoachAutism and Epilepsy Advocate!

Autistics and people with epilepsy faces challenges every day of their lives. Sometimes those struggles require the need for therapists to come into the home or clinic to help work through those issues. The usual therapy that most people associate with autism is applied behavior analysis (ABA). This type of therapy is intrusive, strict, and sometimes traumatizing for the client. This leaves a parent or adult questioning where they should go next for help. Physical therapy (PT) is an overlooked area of expertise that is an integral part of any team. Their abilities reach far and beyond into the autism and epilepsy world. Here are three reasons why a having a PT is important for your success.

1. Hypotonia, Dyspraxia, and those co-occurring conditions: Those physical therapists are here to help build muscle tone when hypotonia is part of every day life. Someone who has hypotonia lacks the ability to gain strength at the same rate as a typical person. They also fatigue easily causing them to seem lazy or tired all the time (Boston’s Children’s Hospital, 2020). Regular sessions with the PT can maintain tone along with help build it. Dyspraxia is a developmental disorder which can show up in many ways but a few signs are poor posture, clumsiness, poor eye-hand coordination, lack of midline crossing, and many others (Dyspraxia Foundation, 2020). The PT working on a team with other specialists can interact during activities to assist in a multifaceted situation. An example of this includes having the PT schedule sessions in physical education class (PE) so the therapist can complete goals like midline crossing, jumping, or gait during a game of tag. In one thirty-minute session, a PT can take data on many goals at once. A PT can work with others that have disabilities such as Ehrler’s Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Hypermobility, Lupus, and more. 
2. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD): Physical therapists are trained to help those with sensory issues! They want to provide care that is comfortable. Any session with a PT should not be painful; if you are experiencing pain during a session, tell the therapist. They want to know! Sensory issues can cause discomfort in people and I know this from experience since I am autistic, me the writer. There is technology today available for light-touch massages, different oils/smells, hydrotherapy, etc. These machines or products help us relax enough to allow the provider to come near us or even touch our skin. 
3. Improvement of Cognitive Skills: Our brains are full of neurons that transmit information. These neurons build over time as we learn more information, develop with time, and have a certain amount of plasticity. Plasticity allows the neurons to rebuild new connections over time because of damage, trauma, or disease in the brain. Dr. John Ratey showed that movement or exercise activated parts of the brain associated with learning (2008). It makes sense that if students warm up their muscles by stretching for big activities, then stretching the brain and activating the learning areas would improve memory.

The physical therapist is a great addition to any team working in the disability field. They are a much-needed area for autistic students, children, and adults. Regular sessions should be allowed by insurance companies and the educational system for appropriate care.

References

Boston’s Children’s Hospital. (2020). Muscle Weakness (Hypotonia). Retrieved from http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/m/muscle-weakness-hypotonia 

Dyspraxia Foundation. (2020). Dyspraxia in Adults. Retrieved from https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/dyspraxia-adults/ 

Ratey, J. (2008). Spark! The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Little, Brown, and Company: New York, NY

Love, Momma Employee (Audra) 7/15/2020