65. From Sensory to Task-Oriented: Rethinking Movement Activities in Autism Speech Therapy

Not all movement activities are created equal—and the difference can change a child’s life. In this episode, I share a powerful lesson from my upcoming book 32 Lessons That Create Lifelong Change for Children with Autism. For the first decade of my career, I leaned heavily on sensory activities. Then I realized the children who weren’t developing speech also struggled with motor coordination and core strength.

Research in occupational and physical therapy confirms it: sensory activities create small gains, while task-oriented movement activities lead to major breakthroughs in motor and speech development. In this episode, I’ll break down how task-oriented movement therapy works, why it’s essential for children with autism, and how you can use it to treat the whole child—not just a mouth.

👉 Want ready-to-go, evidence-based movement activities that transform therapy sessions? Every week inside the SIS Membership, you’ll get:

• Two fully designed, task-oriented movement activities

• Literacy, speech, language, and AAC support

• A parent, large group, and teletherapy Google Slides deck

Join today at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis.