Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how children perceive the world, communicate (verbal and nonverbal), and their social skills and behaviour.
Every child that is autistic is special, unique and has different needs. At the Kids Place together with the family/ whanau, we seek to understand both the child’s neurodevelopmental differences and their strengths. We aim to help them reach their potential, while concurrently supporting the difficulties that are more challenging for them.
A child that is autistic interprets the world and what is happening around them differently than other children and can have unique and positive traits that may be rare or even nonexistent among neurotypical people. It is important to note that these positive traits are present in every child that is autistic.
At The Kids Place:
we provide individualised services to children who are autistic supporting them in the following ways:
- Play and engagement
- Encouraging children to explore and expand their play repertoire in our kids’ gym and therapy rooms.
- Building connection and interaction through play and child-led activities.
- Sessions may be guided by principles from the DIRFloortime™ model which takes into account each child’s developmental skills, individual differences and building relationships with the child.
- Sensory processing and regulation
- Understanding unique sensory needs and developing strategies to support these.
- Finding ways to adaptively respond to transitions, changes in routine, big emotions, sensory overload, etc.
- School readiness and participation
- Developing underpinning learning skills to help prepare for school.
- Addressing the underlying concerns that hinder success in handwriting, spelling, reading or mathematics.
- Teaching social skills and “hidden” rules in school.
- Self-care
- Assisting with developing skills or making adaptations for dressing, grooming, toileting, etc.
- Motor skills
- Developing balance, coordination, strength and ball skills to help with participation in play and sports.
At The Kids Place a collaborative therapy approach is important to us. We are able to link in with other healthcare providers, including the childs speech therapist and the public therapy team, as well as kindy and school to ensure carry over of goals and treatment advice.