Family-Oriented Physical Therapy Program for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Family-centered physical therapy programs for children with autism involve the child, family members, and professionals working together. They aim to provide support, education, and resources that enable the family to understand and cope with the special needs associated with the rehabilitation of a child with autism. By involving the entire family in the therapy process, such programs help improve communication, enhance the quality of life for the entire family, help the child develop skills to participate in various activities with peers, strengthen family ties and provide a more holistic approach to child care. Aim. To substantiate the structure and program of family-oriented physical therapy for preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Materials and methods. Analysis of literature sources, including clinical guidelines and recommendations, as well as scientific research on the rehabilitation of patients with autism spectrum disorders; systematic analysis and synthesis, methods of analogy, abstraction and generalization. The experience of rehabilitation and physical therapy of children with ASD, gained by the NGO Agape, which is engaged in the rehabilitation and habilitation of children with disabilities in Khmelnytskyi, was also taken into account. Results. A child's atypical development and disabilities affect the entire family. Caregivers and family members may develop feelings of vulnerability and guilt, or they may feel unable to care for their child. In addition, the patient-centered and biopsychosocial approach assumes that decisions about therapy are made by caregivers, as they are the best experts on their needs and abilities. There has also been a shift in emphasis from impairment of body structures and functions to the child's participation in family life and activities with the family, as well as from what the child cannot do to what the child can do. Supporting the child and family through this complex process of rehabilitation and physical therapy with this in mind, and recognizing the family's interests and values, is crucial and helps families feel stronger and more confident as they face daily challenges. Family-centered physical therapy takes all of these approaches into account. Family-centered physical therapy is a set of activities aimed at involving the family and the family environment in the child's physical therapy process to provide support, necessary skills and resources to both the patient and the family at each stage of therapy, ensuring the best possible results. All phases of physical therapy involve the child and family members in the evaluation, goal and objective setting, education, implementation of the planned intervention program, counseling and monitoring, and adjustment of the goal, objectives and physical therapy program. Conclusions. Family-centered service programs encourage therapists to move from focusing on an isolated impairment and the needs of the child alone to understanding disability within the social model of services and the context of the family and community. A family-centered physical therapy program for children with ASD involves close collaboration between physical therapists, the child, and parents and other family members. This ensures an individualized approach to therapy, increased effectiveness of the sessions, and improved quality of life for the child and the entire family. Active involvement of parents and providing them with the knowledge and skills to conduct sessions at home helps to achieve sustainable results in the child's development and strengthens family ties, increasing the overall level of satisfaction.