The Parent's Guide to Occupational Therapy for Autism and Other Special Needs: Practical Strategies for Motor Skills, Sensory Integration, Toilet Training, and More — Paperback

Occupational therapy supports a wide range of daily living skills — motor development, sensory processing, self-care routines, toileting, and the ability to navigate changes and transitions — but access to consistent, individualized OT isn’t always available when and how families need it. The Parent’s Guide to Occupational Therapy for Autism and Other Special Needs by Cara Koscinski is a 192-page illustrated paperback that brings OT-informed activities and strategies into the home. It covers motor skills, sensory integration, toilet training, coping with changes in routine, repetitive behaviors, and self-regulation — with simple explanations and practical exercises designed to make daily activities more approachable for children and more manageable for caregivers.

We carry this at EOWD because a resource that translates occupational therapy concepts into caregiver-accessible language — written by a practicing OT who is also a parent of children with autism spectrum and sensory processing differences — offers something that general parenting books and clinical texts don’t. Cara Koscinski holds a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and has 18 years of clinical experience, including in-home services and school district consultations through her practice, The Pocket Occupational Therapist. That dual perspective — clinician and caregiver — shapes a guide grounded in professional practice and written for the realities of family life.

This book supports caregiver learning, sensory-awareness reflection, motor-skill understanding, daily living conversations, and informed discussion with qualified professionals. It is not a substitute for individualized occupational therapy, medical advice, developmental evaluation, or school-based services. Motor skills, sensory needs, toileting readiness, and daily living routines vary widely — consult qualified professionals when concerns affect safety, hygiene, feeding, toileting, sleep, school participation, or quality of life.

Explore the caregiver guide that brings occupational therapy strategies into the home — written by an OT who lives this too.

Product Specs

• Author: Cara Koscinski, MOT, OTR/L
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 192
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• ISBN: 978-1-785927-05-8
• Illustrated: Yes
• Dimensions: 21.3×14.0 cm (8.4×5.5 in)
• Publication Date: February 21, 2016
• Subject: Occupational therapy for autism, motor skills, sensory integration, toilet training, caregiver strategies, daily living support
• Language: English

• Brand: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Model/SKU: 9781785927058
• ISBN: 978-1-785927-05-8
• Vendor/Supplier: Books by splitShops (via Shopify Collective)