Tips For Helping Children On The Spectrum Overcome Low Muscle Tone
Muscle tone problems are common for kids with developmental disorders like autism and autism spectrum disorders. Some of the most common issues include things like loose muscles, poor gross motor skills and a lack of resistance in the muscles. This makes daily tasks hard, increasing fatigue and struggles. Here are a few things that you can do to help your child improve his or her muscle tone and reinforce the skills that will be taught through physical therapy.
Work With a Physical Therapist
The best tool for helping your child develop better muscle tone is to work with a physical therapist who can develop a solid treatment plan to help gradually strengthen the muscles and develop greater coordination and control. The therapist will work on an exercise and toning regimen in the office and then another plan for you to do at home. It is important that you not miss an appointment, though. One of the key factors of physical therapy is consistent treatment with routine appointments.
Establish Physical Activity Spaces
Create a couple of areas in your home that offer activities and tasks for your child to reinforce their muscle strength and tone building. Consider what kinds of tasks your child struggles with specifically and offer things that will help build those skills. For example, if your child struggles with gross motor movement, offer things like balance balls, ladders, rock walls and similar items.
In addition to those things that are needed for developing skills, include some features that reinforce skills your child already has. This gives him or her a chance for some successes to help encourage positive results. Things like resistance bands and hand weights are also beneficial for this type of training and muscle toning.
Spend Time On The Playground
If you've been avoiding the playground because of concerns about your child's muscle tone issues, you may be surprised to hear that it is just the place to help encourage strength-building. The playground includes a lot of equipment to foster gross muscle movements and exercise for the large muscle groups. In addition, with things like swings, climbing tools and similar parts, there are lots of opportunities for movement and general exercise.
Your child doesn't have to be resigned to a life of poor muscle control. With the help of a physical therapist like those at DeSoto Memorial Hospital and some considerations on your part, you can help your child to strengthen muscles and develop greater physical control.