Kid’s Work participated in the 7th Annual Walk for Autism and Awareness Fair on Saturday, April 19th. This event was sponsored by the Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center. Raising $41,461 to support activities like Camp Expedition, a summer camp for children with autism, the proceeds directly benefit families living with autism in the greater San Luis Obispo area. Dr. Foster hosted a booth to highlight the benefits of Occupational Therapy. Teaming up with her staff, Jamie Riker and Lindsey Hightower, she designed a kid-focused, interactive play area which included several sensory activities such as Kinetic Sand, Squigletts, and large bins of rice containing hidden objects. In addition, the Kid’s Work booth boasted a challenging obstacle course which encouraged both vestibular activity (balance and coordination) and proprioception (body awareness). Kids of all ages were eager to engage with the activities which gave parents some free time to voice their concerns about their children’s behaviors and seek advice regarding treatment.
Did you know?
According to the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation:
- More than 75% of all children on the autism spectrum display symptoms of SPD
- Between 40% and 60% of children with ADHD also show symptoms of SPD
- SPD affects 5% to 16% of all school-aged children
How does occupational therapy help?
According the American Occupational Therapy Association:
- Occupational therapy assists children with their activities of daily living (ADL) such as dressing, feeding and hygiene
- Occupational therapy helps children with school-based skills such as organization, focus and working both independently and with peers
- Occupational therapy provides children with self-regulation skills such as emotional control, awareness of others and the use of language to communicate their needs
Kid’s Work is committed to giving back to the community and providing services to help families living with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorders, sensory processing disorders and developmental delays. For more information about the types of therapy we offer, please see our website at www.kidswork.biz for a full listing of Play Groups for the upcoming summer session. Feel free to contact Dr. Foster at (805) 264-1553 with any questions.