Section 6: Therapies, Medical Navigation, and Home Advocacy

Therapies should build access, not compliance.

The goal of therapy isn’t to make your child “less autistic.” It’s to expand their access to tools, people, and environments — while respecting their wiring and language needs.

You are not seeking services to fix your child. You are assembling a team to support their system.

Common Therapies and What They Actually Do

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)

💬 Often misunderstood as “learning to talk.”

SLPs can help with:

• Language development (signed, spoken, or AAC)

• Understanding and using symbols and gestures

• Feeding programs (chewing, swallowing, safe textures)

• Tongue posture and oral motor function

• Building internal language for thinking and planning

✅ Ask your SLP:

• Are you trained in supporting sign language development?

• Do you include visual and tactile supports in your sessions?

If your child is Deaf, SLPs must respect and support ASL — not just spoken outcomes.

Occupational Therapy (OT)

🖐 OT is more than fine motor skills.

OT supports:

• Sensory integration (body awareness, movement needs)

• Activities of daily living (dressing, brushing, toileting)

• Hand strength, grip, and motor planning

• Feeding routines, utensil use, texture tolerance

• Self-regulation through body-based strategies

✅ Ask your OT:

• Can we create a sensory diet for home?

• What visual supports can we use for daily routines?

• Do you use hand-under-hand modeling for Deaf+ learners?

Physical Therapy (PT)

🏃 PT supports mobility and strength for independence.

PT helps with:

• Core strength (essential for posture, writing, toileting)

• Gait training, orthotic use, walker or chair integration

• Navigating stairs, uneven surfaces, playgrounds

• Endurance building through playful movement

✅ Ask your PT:

• What core exercises can we safely do at home?

• How can I support transitions from sitting to standing?

• Can you show me signs or cues to help guide movement?

Feeding Therapy

🍽 May be offered through SLP, OT, or a separate clinic.

Feeding programs support:

• Tolerating smells and textures

• Teaching safe chewing and swallowing

• Reducing oral aversion

• Expanding accepted food groups without force

✅ Red flag: Any program that uses force feeding or withholding food as punishment is trauma-inducing. Opt for sensory-informed, child-led feeding support.

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)

⚠️ This therapy is widely used, but highly debated in Deaf+ communities.

Why?

• Often focuses on compliance over communication

• Historically discouraged sign language

• May prioritize “quiet hands” and eye contact over regulation

If considering ABA:

• Demand sign-fluent staff

• Require trauma-informed, consent-based methods

• Reject any plan that discourages safe stimming or natural communication

Navigating the Medical System for Deaf+ Kids

Doctors are used to hearing kids. They may not understand how to adapt exams, appointments, or even consent for Deaf autistic patients.

Your job is to teach the system:

✅ Bring visual supports:

• “My child is Deaf and autistic. Please face them, use visuals, and give processing time.”

• “This is their communication book.”

• “We need to sign or show before touching.”

✅ Use interpreters:

• You have the right to a qualified medical interpreter under the ADA.

• The doctor’s office must provide and pay for this, not you.

• This includes speech therapy, audiology, OT/PT, and specialists.

✅ Advocate for sensory needs:

• Request dim rooms or breaks between procedures.

• Use ear protection in noisy imaging machines.

• Bring weighted items, chewy tools, or visual timers.

✅ Bring a printed communication profile and sensory tips.

Understanding Equipment & What It’s For

Some Deaf+ children may benefit from tools provided by the state.

Oklahoma ABLE Tech and the Oklahoma School for the Deaf (OSD) run equipment distribution programs.

Tool	What It Supports
Amplified phone/visual ringer	Hearing access, attention
Flashers (storm, alert, phone)	Environmental awareness
Visual timers	Routine, independence
Captioned phones	Real-time text for calls
Vibrotactile alarms	Waking, emergency notification
FM Systems	Improved classroom hearing device signal
iPad with AAC	Language output for non-speaking children

🆓 Many of these tools are free to eligible families.

✅ Learn more:

• Oklahoma ABLE Tech

• Oklahoma School for the Deaf

Care Team Management Tips

• Create a care binder with IEPs, therapy notes, medical letters, and visual profiles.

• Keep a shared calendar of appointments.

• Use a visual at home so your child knows what therapy is coming next.

• Set boundaries with providers who dismiss your child’s language needs.

What to Watch For: When to Ask for Services

Signs your child may need more support:

• Can’t follow routines even with visual cues

• Shows distress with textures, lights, or noise

• Falls, stumbles, avoids playgrounds

• Eats fewer than 10 foods

• Can’t express pain or illness

• Bites, hits, or runs after transitions

Start with your pediatrician and request referrals. If you’re met with resistance, ask for:

• A developmental pediatrician

• A Deaf mentor

• A multidisciplinary team like the OU Child Study Center