ASD and visual psychomotor rehabilitation
Our COP9 practice provides support for visual psychomotor rehabilitation of children with ASD. Our ophthalmic surgeon, Dr Stéphanie Zwillinger, noted the need to offer a multidisciplinary space for children with ASD, where they can undergo visual rehabilitation in both psychomotricity and orthoptics. Read on to learn more about the objectives of these sessions.
What is the purpose of
visual psychomotor rehabilitation of children with ASD ?
Psychomotor vision rehabilitation for children with ASD is intended to support psychomotor disorders : these can be related to cognitive, emotional or relational difficulties, requiring a comprehensive and complementary approach.
They are used in psychomotor development disorders such as:
- autism spectrum (ASD, here, our topic);
- developmental coordination disorder;
- attention deficit disorder with or without ADHD hyperactivity
It can also help to deal with :
- learning disabilities;
- delayed mental development;
- intellectual disabilities.
A child with ASD may be affected by one or more of these disorders, but also visual disorders such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and strabismus. To prevent them from altering psychomotor skills, a psychomotor visual rehabilitation is highly recommended!
Visual psychomotor rehabilitation of ASD children in detail
Psychomotor visual rehabilitation is a therapeutic approach aiming to help ASD children suffering from psychomotor disorders related to vision.
Understanding visual psychomotor disorder
Psychomotor visual rehabilitation is primarily intended for children with ASD having vision and motor coordination disorders.
It combines motor rehabilitation techniques and visual exercises in order to improve motor and visual abilities. The initial step is a complete psychomotor profile of the young patient.
The psychomotor profile
The psychomotor profile, carried out by our psychomotor therapist, allows us to determine the motor and visual difficulties specific to the child with ASD that require rehabilitation. This assessment is often prescribed by a doctor or specialist (such as Dr Stéphanie Zwillinger), following a diagnosis of psychomotor disorders.
Once the diagnosis is established, the psychomotor therapist sets up an adapted visual rehabilitation program.
Visual psychomotor rehabilitation
Visual psychomotor rehabilitation sessions for ASD children may include psychomotor exercises, in order to improve the general and fine motor skills of the body.
It may also include specific exercises to work on visual functions such as:
- visuomotor coordination ;
- visual perception
- laterality;
- visual concentration.
Visual psychomotor rehabilitation can also be based on relaxation techniques, body structuring and sensory stimulation. These approaches aim to help children with ASD to have a better understanding of their body, develop their inner body image and improve their muscle tone.
The sessions take place at COP9: it is important to underline that visual psychomotor rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary approach. It can be supplemented by other therapies such as occupational and speech therapy, orthoptics or psychotherapy.
In conclusion
Our psychomotor team uses motor rehabilitation techniques and visual exercises, in a caring and adapted setting. Our COP9 space offers a multidisciplinary approach, adapted to the needs of each individual. This approach can be supplemented by other therapies, such as orthoptic rehabilitation of children with ASD. We will soon have a further opportunity to develop this matter.
We open this article on the following point : psychomotor rehabilitation can improve motor and visual abilities of anyone, from the youngest to the elderly !