Autism is a whole-body condition! While sensory challenges have long been recognized, current research sheds light to the presence and impact of fine and gross motor difficulties in autistic children and youth.

OT and PT practitioners can make a difference! In this interactive course, you will learn the brain, movement, and motor learning differences in autistic individuals. Karen will walk you through conducting assessments the right way to yield the child’s motor challenges. You will learn to provide evidence-informed interventions to promote motivation, motor skills & participation. Case studies of children (from those requiring minimal, to those requiring substantial support) will highlight the application of these concepts. Finally, you will hear the dual perspective of a therapist and parent as it relates to experience with motor skills acquisition, inclusion, and participation, as well as the selection of goals and intervention strategies. As a parent of an autistic son, Karen is acutely aware of the challenges families face in dealing with chronic stress, and how collaboration with medical and educational teams can be very rewarding, though, at times, frustrating.

Leave the course with multiple tools and strategies to promote motor skills the very next day!

Karen Tartick, PT has been practicing for over 30 years in a variety of settings, including outpatient, early intervention, acute care, NICU, & schools. She currently practices as a physical therapy consultant for autistic adults. Karen served as a member of the Autism subcommittee of the APTA School-based Special Interest Group & co-authored the Autism Spectrum Guide for parents on Move Forward PT. She is an APTA Advanced Clinical Instructor & an adjunct faculty member at UNC, Chapel Hill. As a mother of an autistic adult, she provides a unique perspective into meaningful services for autistic children and youth.

“Excellent presentation of EBP evaluation and treatment tools. Well-organized. Knowledgeable. Presented great treatment ideas. Thank you!” – PT with 37 years experience

“I like that the course provided real experience and offered insight which was practical & useful.” – OT with 2 years experience

“Perfect blend of evidence and practice. Extremely well-balanced use of personal experience to support actual practice.” – PT with 40+ years experience

“Her experience as a mother of a son with autism made the course genuinely informative and interesting. It was inspiring to hear perspective of a skilled professional who also happens to be a parent of a child with autism.” – OT with 2 years experience

• Links to Assessment Tools
• Karen’s Assessment Strategies Cheat Sheet
• Links to Karen’s Favorite Resources
• Karen’s Clinical Reasoning Cheat Sheet