Research: Evidence-Based Review of Interventions for Autism Used in or of Relevance to Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) for autism may include: sensory integration therapy, relationship-based therapy, and skill-based therapy.

This review article describes the evidence behind the most common therapeutic approaches offered by an occupational therapist to children with autism. Occupational therapists often choose a therapeutic approach based upon scientific evidence, parent input, and setting of the therapy (school versus home). The authors found that the best therapeutic approaches involved careful and continued watching of the child for growth and progress. Children show the most growth with social skills if the therapist is positive, uses eye contact, and response to the child's attempts to talk. The authors call for more research and more published papers on the ability of OT to improve symptoms of autism.