OT for sensory needs — what changed at home that surprised you?
Posted May 10, 2026
Occupational therapy gets less attention than ABA or speech in the parenting conversations, but it's quietly been the most life-changing thing for our family.
A few things I didn't expect:
- Most of the work happens at home, not in the clinic. The clinic gives us tools. The repetition that builds the skill happens at the kitchen table.
- "Sensory diet" sounded like nonsense and turned out to be real. Heavy work before transitions, proprioceptive input before homework, calming input before bed — it's not magic, it's regulation.
- Stimming is not the enemy. Our OT was the first professional to explicitly tell us this, and the relief on my kid's face when we stopped redirecting his hand-flapping was immediate.
- The handwriting/utensil/dressing piece is downstream of regulation. We thought we needed help with fine motor; what we actually needed was a regulated kid who then could practice fine motor.
For parents and autistic adults who've worked with a good OT: what's the at-home practice that surprised you? And what did you have to push back on? (For example, I had to push back on the idea that my kid "needs" eye contact during meals.)