Reasons To Become a Physical Therapist for Kids With ASD

Physical therapists help people recover from injuries from sports or accidents and regain movement after suffering strokes. They also help people with disabilities get the maximum range of motion out of their bodies and learn how to improve balance and build strength.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty with balance and coordination. They also have overdeveloped sensory abilities and may overreact to mild stimuli. They run when they should walk, hug or shake hands too hard, or have trouble walking straight or maintaining equilibrium.

Reasons to become a physical therapist for kids with ASD include the gratification of making an observable difference in a child’s life. Physical therapists can help a child learn to walk and play without falling, use both sides of their bodies effectively to climb or dance, or give handshakes and close doors with a socially acceptable force.

For Kids: Gross Motor Skills

Physical therapists help kids develop gross motor skills, or the ability to use the large muscles of their bodies to walk, run, lift objects, or climb. As their pediatric clients develop strength, therapists also help ensure proper balance and spatial awareness. Developing these gross motor skills also helps children participate in play.

Autistic kids benefit from using sensory gym equipment designed to help them build body awareness and improve their vestibular senses (where our bodies are in relation to the ground) and proprioceptive systems (the sense that tells us where we are in relation to other objects and people).

Physical therapists can help kids learn how to “pump” to keep a swing going or even help them develop their balance to learn how to ride a bike.

For Kids: Fine Motor Skills

Many kids with ASD have trouble with fine motor skills, like using scissors, handwriting, and gripping utensils for eating. Physical therapists can devise exercises that help strengthen hands and fingers and give kids practice using tools and implements, such as forks, spoons, scissors, pens, and pencils, and performing tasks like tying their shoes and buttoning their clothing.

For Therapists: Flexibility, Pay, and Regular Hours

The increase in the diagnosis of autism in children has increased the demand for physical, speech, and occupational therapists. The professionals are well paid, with an average starting salary of over $85,000 per year, according to Indeed.com.

In addition to good pay, physical therapists enjoy regular work hours. Many medical professions require long, unpredictable hours, night shifts, or unscheduled overtime. Physical therapists, by contrast, tend to work regular business hours.

Finally, there are many types of positions available for physical therapists. These professionals can work in hospitals, private practices, schools, or professional sports organizations.



Reasons to become a physical therapist for children with ASD can be personal, financial, or simply because the career offers tremendous personal fulfillment.