How Do You Body Brush An Autistic Child?
Most autistic children also have a condition called sensory integration disorder. This neurological condition results from the brain’s inability to integrate certain information from the five basic sensory systems in the body. Body brushing replicates movements or stimulus and stimulates the immature primitive reflexes and calms and soothes the nervous system in an autistic child. Seek specific training on body brushing from an occupational therapist. Body brushing should be followed by another technique called joint compression in which gentle pressure is used to squish the shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles, wrists, hips, fingers and feet. The occupational therapist should teach this process as well. Buy a soft surgical brush for the body brushing technique. This type of brush is plastic with many soft bristles and will not scratch the autistic child’s skin. Initially, the child may resist body brushing for the first few days, but will soon begin to look forward to the process. Brush t
