Rosa is a 13-year-old girl with high-functioning autism. She is a beautiful artist, but has been extremely sensory sensitive, particularly to touch and movement. She did not like to engage with her environment much at all, and put her fingers up to her ears when asked to move around in any way or to do any task that is at all challenging, which was most tasks, as she also had very poor motor planning and visual motor skills.  

"She would not touch things with much texture, like yarn, or things that were slimy or sticky.  She had a lot of phobias including germs and sharp things—so wouldn’t handle scissors or knives, for example." 

She wouldn’t lie down on the floor or let me touch her to do rhythmic movements, so I showed her mom by giving mom the movements, and then she was able to work with Rosa at home over the summer. 

"Rosa is now asking her mom for the movements, and has asked to start cooking in OT.  We are cutting vegetables, cooking grilled cheese sandwiches and making pizza."

Her handwriting, which was so light that it was barely readable, is still light but quite readable, and she is just finishing up writing and illustrating a children’s book which she plans to have published. I seldom see her fingers at her ears any more.

(Emphasis added)