Assessment and intervention of perceptual dysfunction

Perception is the mechanism by which the brain interprets sensory information received from the environment. The perceived information is then further processed by the various cognitive functions, and the individual may choose either to respond with a verbal expression or motor act, or to simply perceive and think about the observed stimuli.
 
In early development, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual perception provide an internalized sense of the body scheme, which is basic to all motor function. The process of interpreting visual input is a learned skill, as evidence by blind individual who, when sight is restored later in life, have difficulty making sense of what they see.
Severe perceptual deficits, frequently combined with cognitive impairments, can affect every area of occupation and can serious safety concerns.
 
General Principles of the OT Assessment
 
When assessing perceptual abilities several assessment tools may be required. With a variety of such tests, the therapist can gather information to discriminate between a deficit in the reception of information and a deficit in the verbal or motor output. This, in turn, influences the intervention approach. Observation of occupational performance and analysis of the perceptual-motor demands of functional activities further complement standardized assessment tools and enable the determination of underlying causes of deficits in occupational performance. Assessment methods should be conducted in the specific context of the occupation being performed.
 
General Approaches to OT Intervention
 
An underlying assumption about perceptual-motor function is that perceptual deficits will adversely affect occupational performance. Further, it is assumed that remediation of or compensation for perceptual deficits will improve occupational performance. In her critical analysis of approaches to treatment for perceptual deficits, Neistadt (1990) described two general classifications of approaches: the adaptive and remedial. Adaptive approaches provide training in daily living behaviors to facilitate adaptation to the client’s unique contextual environment. In contrast, the remedial approaches seek to cause some change in central nervous system (CNS) functions. The effectiveness of the various approaches to the remediation of perceptual deficits has not been well documented and requires further scientific investigation. 
 
A therapist may use one approach or a combination of approaches when designing an intervention plan to address the effects of perceptual dysfunction. The remedial and adaptive approaches can used in a continuum, beginning with attempts to improve the basic skills and gradually incorporating compensatory techniques as the deficit persist.
 
Remedial Approach
 
Remedial, or transfer of training, approaches assume that practice in a particular perceptual task carries over to performance of similar activities or tasks requiring the same perceptual skills.
 
Adaptive Approach
 
Adaptive, or function, approaches are characterized by the repetitive practice of particular tasks that help the person become more independent in areas of occupation. The therapist does not retrain specific perceptual skills. Rather, the person is made aware of the problem and taught methods of adapting to or compensating for the deficit dueing occupational performance.
 
Assessment and Intervention of Specific Perceptual Impairments
 
Visual Perception Disorders
 
Agnosia
 
Visual object recognition refers to the ability to identify objects via visual input. An impairment in this area is called agnosia, and is caused by lesions in the right occipital lobe or posterior multimodal area. The individual with agnosia demonstrates normal visual foundation skills, as indicated by the person’s ability to ambulate around furniture through a room; further, the inability to name objects is not caused by a language deficit in naming the object, as noted in aphasic disorders. Rather, the person is unable to recognize and identify an item using only visual means. If the person holds the object, he or she can identify it via tactile input, or by olfactory means if the object has a distinguishable odor.
 
Assessment is performed by asking the individual to identify five common objects by sight. If the client demonstrates word-finding difficulties, offer the client a choice of three answers. Ask the client to indicate the correct choice through a head nod (“yes” or “no”). If the client is unable to name four out of the five objects, visual agnosia may be indicated.
 
OT intervention for visual agnosia will focus on adaptive or compensatory methods of keeping frequently used objects in consitent locations, and teaching the client to rely more heavily on intact sensory modalities to seek and find desired itemsv. Remediation approaches can include having the client practice identifying objects that are needed for occupational performance or using nonverbal, tactile-kinesthetic guiding during occupations. Following the activity, have the client practice naming the items that were used.
 
Color Agnosia and Color Anomia    
 
Color agnosia refers to the client’s inability to remember and recognize the specific colors for common objects in the environment[iii]. Alternatively, color anomia refers to the client’s inability to name the color of the objects. While the client understands the differences between the different of colors of object, they are unable to name the object accurately.
 
To assess color agnosia, present the client with two common objects that are accurately colored and two common objects that are not accurately colored. Ask the client to pick out those common objects that are not accurately colored. If the client is unable to choose the objects that are inaccurately colored, color agnosia may be indicate.
 
To assess color anomia, ask the client to name the color of various objects in their environmen. If the patient has aphasia, ask them to nod their head “yes” or “no” after offering them choices of colors. If the client is unable to correctly name the colors of various objects, color anomia may be indicated.
 
OT intervention for color agnosia and color anomia will focus on providing the client with opportunities to recognize, identify, and name various colors of objects in their environment. Intervention is best provided in a familiar context and can be incorporated functionally during occupational performance.
 
Metamorphosia
 
 Metamorphosia refers to the visual distortion of objects, such as the physical properties of size and weight.
Assessment for metamorphosia includes presenting the client with various objects of different weights and sizes. Ask the client to place each object in order according to size or weight through observation alone. Metamorphosia may be indicated if the client is unable to determine the weight and size of the various objects.
 
OT intervention for metamorphosia includes providing the client with opportunities to practice distinguishing objects in the natural environment through intact sensory modalitise. The functional use of objects during occupational performance will provide feedback to the client about the sizes and shapes of different objects. The therapist should also provide specific verbal descriptors of the object when using this approach.
 
Prosopagnosia
 
 Prosopagnosia refers to an inability to recognize and identify familiar faces caused by lesions of the right posterior hemisphere.  The individual with prosopagnosia may  have difficulty recognizing his or her own face, faces of family members and friends, and/or of famous individuals because they cannot recognize the unique facial expressions that make each face different. When attempting to identify family members and acquaintances, the person tends to compensate by relying on auditory or a distinctive feature.
 
Brain lesions can also impair the ability to interpret facial expressions, which can have significant social consequences.
Informal functional assessments could include having the client identify the names of the people in photographs or by having the client identify his or her own face in a mirror. Photographs of famous people could also be used. If aphasia is present, have the client communicate through gestures. If the client is unable to identify self or family members, prosopagnosia may be indicated.
 
OT interventions for prosopagnosia include remedial approaches such as providing face matching exercisesviii. Adaptive approaches include providing pictures of family members and famous people with names and assisting the client to associate the family member’s face with other characteristics and features.  
 
Simultanogsia
 
Simultagnosia refers to the inability to recognize and interpret a visual array as a whole, and is caused by lesions to the right hemisphere of the brain. Clients with simultanognosia are able to identify the individual components of visual components, but are unable  to recognize and interpret the gestalt of the scene.
 
Assessment includes presenting the client a photograph of a detailed visual array, asking the client to describe the scene in detail, and assessing whether or not the client can describe the scene as a whole. Many clients will be able to identify specific features of the visual array, but cannot desribe the context or meaning of the whole scene. Simultanogsia is indicated when the client cannot recognize and interpret a visual array as a whole.
 
OT intervention will focus on assisting the client to construct meaning of a visual array through verbal cues and therapeutic questions to facilitate abstract reasoning. Intervention is best provided in familiar contexts.
 
Visual-Spatial Perception Disorders
 
Visual-spatial perception refers to capacity to appreciate the spatial arragement of one’s body, objects in relationship to oneself, and relationship between objects in space. It is generally acknowledged that the right hemisphere, which controls spatial abilities, tends to function in the gestalt (whole), whereas the left hemisphere, which is responsible for linguistic operations, tends to focus on discrete details.
 
Visual-spatial perception often occurs instaneously, and it is because of this rapid processing of information. An individual with mild visual-spatial impairment may need addition time to perform a task, but processes the information correctly, possibly by compensating with verbal analysis of the perceptual components. Severe impairment may result in the incorrect response despite additional time used in attempting to solve the problem.
 
Visual-spatial skills are not limited to the visual domain.  Sound can be localized in space, and the mobility and daily occupations of blind individuals are heavily dependent on the tactile appreciation of the spatial arragements of objects.
 
Figure-Ground Discrimination Dysfunction
 
Figure-ground discrimination allows a person to perceive the foreground from the background in a visual array.
 
Figure-ground discrimination can be assessed functionally in a variety of contexts. Figure-ground discrimination dysfunction may be indicated if the client is uanble to discriminate the foreground from the background in a complex visual array.
 
Using a remedial approach, intervention for figure-ground discrimination dysfunction should focus on challenging the client to localize objects of similar color in a disorganized visual array. The task could be incorporated contextually into meaningful occupation.
 
An adaptive approach to intervention would focus on modifyinmg the environment to increase the organization of common functional objects, decreasing the complexity of visual array that the client has to discriminate, or marking common objects with colored tape so that objects are easily distinguished from one another, particularly when the objects are of a similar color.
 
Form-Constancy Dysfunction
 
Form constancy is the recognition of various forms, shapes, and objects, regardless of their position, location, or size.
 
To assess form constancy, ask the client to identify familiar objects in their environment through observation alone when those objects are placed upside down or on their side. Form-constancy dysfunction may be indicated if the client is unable to identify objects in a position that from the norm.
 
Intervention for form-constancy dysfunction would include using tactile cues to feel objects in various positions so that the client learns the constancy of them despite their position, size, or location. Activity can be graded from positioning all objects in an upright position to placing objects in odd position. Intervention is best provided with common object objects that the client utilities in everyday occupational performance.
 
Position in Space
 
Position in space, or spatial relations, refers to the relative orientation of a shape or object to the self.
 
To assess position in space, have the client place common objects in relation to the self or other objects using the following directional terms: top/bottom, up/down, in/out, behind/ in front of, and before/after. Position in space dysfunction may be indicated if the client is unable to discern the relationships of objects to the self or other objects through directional terms.
 
Intervention for position in space includes providing the client with opportunities to experience the organiztion of objects in the environment to the self.
 
Right-Left Discrimination Dysfunction
 
Right-left discrimination is the ability to accurately use the concepts of right and left. An individual with right-left discrimination dysfunction may confuse the right and left side of his or her body or confuse right and left in directional terms when navigating through their environment.
 
To assess right-left discrimination, ask the client to point to various body parts or assess the client’s ability to accurately navigate their environment through verbal commands using right and left. Right-left discrimination dysfunction may be indicated if the client is unable to differentiate between right and left in relation to their body and their environment.
 
Intervention for right-left discrimination will focus on assisting the client to practice reciting right and left as they are interacting with their own body or their environment. Remediation of right-left discrimination can significantly improve topographical orientation as the client learns to navigate in a more dynamic home and community environment.  
 
 
Stereopsis
 
Stereopsis is the inability to perceive depth in relation to the self or in relation to various objects in the environment. Depth perception is critical to function in a three-dimensionaal world and to safety in driving and community mobility.
 
To assess depth perception, place a variety of common objects on a table surface and ask the client to identify which object is closer and farther away. In community context, the client may also be assessed functionally by asking him or her to idenify building or landmarks that are closer or farther away. Stereopsis may be indicated if the client is unable to judge the distance between objects in the environment.
 
Tactile Perception Disorders
 
Astereognosis
 
Stereognosis, also known as tactile gnosis, is the perceptual skill that enables an individual to identify common objects and geometric shapes through tactile perception without the aid of vision. It result from the integration of the sense of touch, pressure, position, motion, texture, weight, and temperature and is dependent on intact parietal cortical function. Stereognosis is essential to occupational performance because the ability “to see with the hands” is critical to many daily activities. Along with proprioception, stereognosis enables the use of all hand tools and performance of hand activities without the need to concentrate visually on the implements being used. A deficit in stereognosis is called astereognosis. Persons who have astereognosis but retain much of their motor function must visually monitor their hands’ activities. Thus, they msut be very slow and purposeful in their movements and tend to be generally less active.
 
The purpose of a stereognosis test is to assess a client’s ability to identify common objects and perceive their tactile properties. Any common objects may be used, but it is important to consider the client’s social and ethnic background to ensure that he or she has had previous experience with the objects. Three-dimensional geometric shapes can also be used to test shape and form perception.
 
The test should be conducted in privacy in an environment with minimal distractions. The client should be seated at a table in a position that accomodates the affected hand and forearm comfortably. The therapist should sit opposite the person being tested. If thw client is unable to manipulate test objects because of motor weakness, the therapist should assist him or her to manipulate them in as near normal s manner as possible. The client’s vision is occluded, with the dorsal surface of the hand resting on the table. Objects are presented in random order. Manipulation of objects is allowed and encouraged. The therapist assist with the manipulation of items if the person’s hand function is impaired. The client should be asked to name the object, to describe its properties. Clients with aphasia may view a duplicate set of test objects after each trial and point to a choice. The person’s response to each of the items presented is scored. The therapist notes if the object is identified quickly and correctly, if there is a long delay before the identification of the object, or if the individual can describe only properties of the object. The therapist also notes if the person cannot identify the object or describe its properties.  
 
Agraphesthesia
 
An additional test of tactile perception that measure parietal lobe function is the test for graphesthesia, the ability to recognize numbers, letters, and forms written on the skin. The loss of this ability is called agraphesthesia. To test agraphesthesia, the examiner occludes the client’s vision and traces letters, numbers, or geometric formson the fingertips or palm with a dull-pointed pencil or similar instrument. The client tells the therapist which symbol was written. If the client has aphasia, pictures of the symbols may be provided for the individual to indicate a response after each test stimulus. Agraphesthesia is indicated if the client unable to state or identify the symbol written on the palm.
 
OT intervention for agraphesthesia will focus on providing the client with opportunities for tactile discrimination through the use of the hands. The therapist can grade the intervention from tracing letters and numbers to words and geometric forms on the palm of the hand. With their vision occluded, the client can also practice writing their name in their opposite palm.
 
Body Schema Perception Disorders
 
Following a CVA or TBI, a person’s sense of his or her body’s shape, position, and capacity frequently is distorted. This is known as a disorder of body schema, or autotopagnosia. This can be noted in attempts to draw a human figure or in a person’s unrealistic expectations of performance abilities. The disorder can affect egocentric perception of one’s own body or allocentric orientation of another person’s body. A person’ may neglect one side of the body or demonstrate generally distorted impressions of the body’s configuration. The person may confuse his or her body with that of another. Finger agnosia, or the inability to discriminate the fingers of the hand, can also be part of the disorder. An impaired body scheme will also affect participation in occupation and performance skills.
 
Body schema perception disorders can be assessed by asking the individual to draw a human figure or point to body parts on command. Finger agnosia is evaluated by occluding the person’s vision and asking him or her to name each finger as it is touched by the therapist. Unilateral body neglect can be observed functionally during occupational performance as the client ignores the affected limb and/or states that a body part is not his or her own. A body schema perception disorder may indicated if the client is unable to correctly identify parts of his or her body.
 
A remedial approach to intervetion for body schema perception disorders should focus on providing the client with opportunities to reinforce body knowledge through tactile and proprioceptive stimulation. As the client incorporates the use of their affected limb into occupational performance, the client will begin to gain perceptual awareness of their body and the relationship of various body parts.
 
Motor Perception Disorders
 
Praxis is the ability to plan and perform purposeful movement. Apraxia has been classically defined as a deficit in the execution of learned movement, which cannot be accounted for by either weakness, incoordination, or sensory loss, or by incomprehension of or inattention of commands. The disorder can result from damage to either side of brain or to corpus callosum but is more frequently noted with left hemisphere damage. Apraxia is often seen in persons with aphasia; however, not all aphasic person are apraxic, nor are all apraxic persons aphasic.
 
Ideational Apraxia
 
Ideational apraxia is a conceptual deficit, seen as an inablity to use real objects appropriately. The individual also may have difficulty sequencing acts in the proper order. The individual may use the wrong tool with for the task or may associate the wrong object  to be acted . This deficit has significant functional implications in a variety of areas occupation.
 
Ideomotor Apraxia
 
Ideomotor apraxia is an inability to carry out a motor act on verbal command or imitation. However, the person with ideomeotor apraxia is able to perform the act correctly when asked to use the actual object. Observation of the person in areas of occupation is critical to the identification of ideomotor apraxia. Impairments are demonstrated only in the testing environment and appear to have little functional impact, ascompared with ideational apraxia.
 
Dressing Apraxia
 
Another category of motor perception disorders seen in the literature is dressing apraxia. The classification of dressing impairment as a form of apraxia has been questioned in recent years because the difficulties in ADLs are considered  to be caused by perceptual or cognitive dysfunction, or are seen as an extension of an ideational or ideomotor apraxic disorder.
 
General Principles in the Assessment and Treatment of Apraxia
 
It is important that assessment of sensory function, muscle strength, and dexterity are completed before the test of praxis because deficits in these areas would complicate any assessment of apraxia. If a person has a hemiplegia, the unaffected hand is used for testing.
A thorough assessment includes items presented and involves both transitive movement (action involving both tool and use) and intransitive movements (movements for communication).
 
Constructional Disorder
 
The term constructional disorder is now favored over the previously used term of two- and three-dimensional constructional apraxia since the deficit does not clearly fall within the definition of apraxia. Many occupations depend on visuoconstructional skills, or the ability to organize visual information into meaningful spatial representations. Constructional deficits refer to the inability to organize or assemble parts into a whole. Constructional deficits can result in significant dysfunction in occupations that require constructional ability. An individual acts on his or her contextual environment based on the information he or she perceives. Therefore, deficits in perception become more apparent when a person interacts with the environment in maladaptive ways.
In daily living, occupations require constructional skills. To perform tasks successfully, an individual must have integrated visual perception, motor planning, and motor execution.
The remedial approach to intervention involves the use of perceptual tasks to improve contructional skills. The adaptive approach would include participation in occupational performance and developing compensatory approaches to the functional performance skill deficits.
 
Behavioral Aspects of Perceptual Dysfunction
 
Some degree of accurate self-awareness and recognition of the effect of the disability on one’s functioning is needed if the person is to invest energy in the therapy process. An individual who is unaware of perceptual deficits may be a serious safety risk and may attempt occupations that are well beyond present physical abilities. A person’s innate trust of accuracy of perceptions often is a basis for unrealistic self-confidence; demonstrating to the individual that his or her perceptions are now distorted and no longer trustworthy can profoundly affect the person’s sense of self. A therapist needs to respect and be sensitive to the individual’s sense of self and be prepared to aid the client in understanding the changes in perceptual capacity and in re-establishing an accurate sense of self-awareness.
An individual who has some degree of awareness of the disability often is depressed, which seems an appropriate response to the gravity of the situation. The therapist needs to recognize and appreciate this emotional response and help the person achieve an emotional balance to re-establish quality of life through celebrating progress in therapy while aknowledging the impact of the disability.
 

informasi seputar autism

Mengembangkan Kelebihan Anak Autis
TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta: Kini Adihutama Wirasatya, 9 tahun, sudah mahir memainkan gamelan. Bahkan ia sudah bisa mencari nada sendiri dari alat musik tradisional itu. Kemudian murid kelas III Sekolah Dasar Negeri I, Ngemplak, Klaten, ini memiliki pemahaman konsep abstrak yang tidak kalah dengan teman sebayanya. Padahal tidak banyak yang bisa dikerjakan Wira--panggilannya--saat usianya beranjak lima tahun. Kala itu bocah laki-laki ini cuma bisa mengamuk dan menangis. Dia tidak bisa duduk tenang, berbicara, bahkan kesulitan untuk buang air besar.

"Yang jelas, saraf motorik kasar dan halusnya tidak bisa berfungsi sebagaimana mestinya," ujar sang bunda, Lucy Catherine Isabella, 38 tahun, kepada Tempo saat dihubungi melalui telepon selulernya kemarin. Menurut Lucy, pada usia 18 bulan, Wira divonis dokter telah mengidap gangguan spektrum autistik.
Nah, pasca-vonis itu, Lucy mencoba beragam pilihan pengobatan demi anaknya. Awalnya, dokter menawari operasi anus buatan di perut Wira sebagai solusi kesulitan buang air besarnya. Padahal semua organ pencernaannya normal dan asupan seratnya pun tinggi. Karena itu, Lucy memutuskan tidak menuruti tindakan medis tersebut. Selain dokter, alumnus Sastra Inggris Universitas Gadjah Mada 1996 ini mencoba terapi psikiater untuk membantu kemampuan bicara dan pengendalian emosi Wira. Tapi hasilnya, si kecil tidak mengalami kemajuan berarti.
Hingga suatu kali, saat Wira berusia 5,5 tahun, Lucy tertarik mendatangi Arogya Mitra Akupuntur, yang terletak di Dukuh Ngemplak, Kalikotes, Klaten, Jawa Tengah. "Ternyata hasilnya luar biasa," Lucy mengungkapkan. Baru dua bulan terapi tusuk jarum oleh Eko Tunggono, anaknya sudah mengeluarkan suara. Kemajuan pun terus diraihnya. Memasuki bulan keenam, Wira bisa bicara layaknya anak normal. "Buang air besarnya juga sudah bisa secara alami," mantan wartawati media harian di Ibu Kota ini memaparkan.
Seiring terapi, Lucy menjelaskan, dia selalu menumbuhkan persepsi positif terhadap anaknya. Ia pun selalu mengembangkan diri agar bisa memahami anaknya dengan baik. Yang terpenting, ia yakin kepada segala kemungkinan terbaik dan tidak pernah menyerah. Walhasil, kini Wira tumbuh menjadi anak sehat secara fisik maupun mental. Dan sebagai apresiasinya terhadap Eko Tunggono, Lucy menulis buku berjudul Dari Pulau Buru Menjadi Penyelamat Anak-anak Autis Hiperaktif pada Maret lalu. Apalagi di Klinik Arogya Mitra, Eko berusaha keras untuk mengembangkan kemampuan anak autis dan hiperaktif.
Sebetulnya, tidak cuma Lucy yang menghadapi problematika seperti ini. Masih banyak orang tua lain yang mencari solusi demi penyembuhan anak mereka sebagai pengidap autistik. Satu di antaranya adalah presenter televisi, Muhammad Farhan, 39 tahun. Anak pertamanya, Muhammad Ridzky Khalid, 10 tahun, divonis dokter mengidap autistik pada usia 18 bulan.
Sejak itu, bagi Farhan, yang terpenting adalah memberi pendidikan mengenai aturan dasar bagi Ridzky. "Paling tidak dia tahu norma dan sopan santun yang sudah berlaku umum," katanya saat ditemui seusai acara peduli autisme sedunia di Graha Sucofindo, Jakarta, Kamis pekan lalu, misalnya, seperti cara membersihkan diri setelah dari kamar mandi, memakai pakaian, dan cara makan yang benar. "Kan tidak mungkin saat usianya 20 tahun, (dia masih) dicebokin bapaknya."
Kemudian suami Nani Rubiyani ini selalu menumbuhkan sifat percaya diri kepada anaknya. Caranya dengan membawa Ridzky ke tempat-tempat umum, seperti pusat perbelanjaan. "Ada beberapa orang tua malu membawa anaknya ke luar rumah. Bahkan sampai ada yang disembunyikan," katanya. Hal itu semakin membuat si anak terasing dari lingkungannya. Selain itu, dia tidak membebani target bagi si kecil harus bisa apa dalam beberapa bulan setelah sekolah. Ridzky sendiri adalah siswa sekolah inklusi di Sekolah Global Mandiri, Jakarta.
Saat ini, Ridzky ahli dalam pengetahuan tentang klasifikasi hewan dan tumbuhan. Tidak itu saja, dia juga hafal letak kota setiap negara yang terpampang di peta dunia. "Sebab itu, kalau ke Singapura atau Bali, kami selalu menyempatkan pergi ke kebun binatangnya," ujar pria kelahiran Bogor ini. Yang jelas, kata Farhan, jika diarahkan ke jalur yang benar, anak autis berpotensi memiliki keahlian yang melebihi orang normal.
Hal itu sudah ada contohnya. Lihat saja kiprah seorang anak autis, Oscar Yura Dompas, 29 tahun, yang mampu menyabet gelar sarjana Sastra Inggris dari Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Katolik Atma Jaya, Jakarta. Oscar berhasil mempertahankan scientific writing berjudul Plot Analyzes of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front. Selain itu, pemuda berkepala plontos ini telah menelurkan buku berjudul Autistic Journey pada 2004.
"Ke depan, saya lagi nulis naskah film mengenai anak autis sedang jatuh cinta," katanya saat ditemui Tempo di Graha Sucofindo, Jakarta, Kamis pekan lalu. Menurut sang ayah, Jeffrey Dompas, 52 tahun, sedari kecil Oscar tidak pernah mendapatkan terapi apa pun. Dia meyakini bahwa yang dibutuhkannya hanya naluri dasar orang tua untuk memahami dirinya. "Jadi, bagaimana memperlakukan dia layaknya anak normal saja," ujarnya dalam kesempatan yang sama.
Profesor Komaruddin Hidayat pun menyebutkan, anak autis bisa berkembang lebih optimal lewat pendidikan. "Pendidikan dapat membangkitkan rasa percaya diri anak autis," katanya pada kesempatan yang sama. Untuk itu, ia menekankan, peranan keluarga sangat dibutuhkan bagi kemajuan kognitif si anak. "Keluarga adalah solusi bagi anak autis," ia menegaskan.


Penulis : HERU TRIYONO
Sumber: www.autism.info.com

JADILAH WANITA YANG BERJIWA CANTIK KARENA ALAM RAYA INI INDAH

'….....bidadari-bidadari yang jelita, putih bersih dipingit dalam rumah”

jangan pernah gelisah peristiwa di malam hari
tidak ada peristiwa di dunia ini yang kekal


Bintang-bintang dilangit sungguh indah dipandang. Ini tidak diragukan. Keindahan yang menawan hati. Keindahan yang seringkali terjadi yang beraneka warna dan waktunya. Keindahan pagi hari berbeda dengan keindahan di sore hari. Keindahan waktu terbit berbeda dengan waktu terbenam. Keindahan malam purnama berbeda dengan keindahan malam tanpa cahaya rembulan. Keindahan langit yang cerah berbeda dengan keindahan langit yang diliputi awan. Bahkan keindahan itu berbeda pada jam tertentu dengan jam yang lain, pandangan tertentu dengan kamar yang lain. Seluruhnya adalah keindahan yang menawan setiap hari.

Bintang tertentu menyendiri disana, seperti mata yang indah dan memancarkan cinta dan sapaan. Nun disana ada dua bintang yang menyendiri yang tersentuh oleh kebisingan. Ada juga bintang-bintang yang berkumpul saling berpelukan dan menyebar di sana-sini. Seolah-olah bintang-bintang itu membentuk forum diskusi di hamparan langit. Ada rembulan yang pemurah dan tenang pada satu malam. Ada rembulan yang berkilau pada satu malam. Ada rembulan yang kecil dan redup pada satu malam. Ada rembulan yang lebih kecil dan membesar pada satu malam. Ada rembulan yang mengecil dan akan hilang pada satu malam.

Ruang angkasa ini, tidak akan pernah bosan manusia memandangnya dan pandangan manusia tidak akan sampai pada ujungnya. Sesungguhnya itulah keindahan. Akan tetapi manusia tidak memiliki kalimat yang cukup untuk menuturkan keindahan itu.



Pencerahan : kenyataan yang tidak bisa dihindari harus diterima. Jika engkaku gelisah sebab kenyataan itu, apa artinya kegelisahan itu?


Menjadi wanita paling bahagia

“Janganlah takut, sesungguhnya kamulah yang paling unggul (menang)”

Nabi Musa pernah mengalami ketakutan dalam jiwanya sebanyak tiga kali. Pertama, ketika dia masuk ke dalam persidangan Fir'aun. Musa bergumam,

“sesungguhnya kami khawatir bahwa ia akan segera menyiksa kami atau akan bertambah melampaui batas” QS.Thaahaa:45

Allah pun menjawab,

“janganlah kamu berdua khawatir, sesungguhnya Aku beserta kalian berdua, Aku mendengar dan melihat” QS. Thaahaa:46

Sungguh, dalam ingatan dan dalam bentuk orang mukmin itu harus tertaman penegasan dari Allah: jangan takut, Aku mendengar dan melihat.

Kedua, pada saat para tukang sihir itu melemparkan tongkat mereka. Maka Allah pun berfirman,

“Janganlah kamu takut, sesungguhnya kamulah yang paling unggul (menang)” QS: Thaaha:68

Ketiga, pada waktu dikejar Fir'aun dan bala tentaranya. Allah berkata kepadanya :

“Pukullah batu itu dengan tongkatmu” QS. Al Baqarah : 60

Musa barkata : Sekali-kali tidak akan tersusul. Sesungguhnya, Rabb-ku bersekutu, kelak Dia akan memberi petunjuk padaku. QS. Asy Syu'araa: 62

Bersama kesulitan ada kemudahan

Setelah lapar ada kennyang, setelah haus ada kepuasan, setelah bergadang ada tidur pu las, dan setelah sakit ada kesembuhan. Setiap yang hilang pastiemu, dan dalam kesesatan akan datang petunjuk, dalam kesulitan ada kemudahan dan setiap kegelapan akan terang benderang.

Mudah-mudahan Allah akan mendatangkan kemenangan (kepada Rasul-Nya) atau sesuatu keputusan dari sisi-Nya. QS. Al Maa'idah :52

Sampaikan kabar gembira kepada malam hari bahwa fajar pasti datang mengusirnya dari puncak-puncak gunung dan dasar-dasar lembah. Kabarkan juga kepada orang-oarang yang dilanda kesusahan bahwa, pertolongan akan datang secepat kelebatan cahaya dan kedipan mata. Kabarkan juga kepada orang yang ditindas bahwa kelembutan dan dekapan hangat akan segera tiba.

Saat anda melihat hamparan padang sahara yang seolah memanjang tanpa batas, ketahuilah bahwa di balik kejauhan itu terdapat kebun yang rimbun penuh hijau dedaunan.

Ketika Anda melihat seutas tali meregang kencang, ketahuilah bahwa, tali itu akan segera putus.

Setiap tangisan akan berujung dengan senyum , kekuatan akan berakhir dengan rasa aman, dan kegelisahan akan sirna dalam kedamaian.

Kobaran api tidak mampu membakar tubuh Nabi Ibrahim a.s. Dan itu, karena pertolongan Ilahi membuka Jendela seraya berkata “ hai api menjadi dinginlah dan menjadi keselamatanlah bagi Ibrahim” QS. Al Anbiyaa:69

Lautan luas tak akan kuasa menenggelamkan Kalimur Rahman (Musa a.s.). itu tak lain karena suara agung laka itu telah bertitah, “Sekali-kali tidak akan tersusul. Sesungguhnya, Rabb-ku, kelak Dia akan memberi petunjuk kepadaku.” QS. Asy Syu'araa: 62

Ketika bersembunyi dari kejaran kaum kafir dalam sebuah gua, Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. Yang ma'shum mengabarkan pada Abu Bakar bahwa Allah Yang Maha Tunggal dan Maha tinggi ada bersama mereka. Sehingga, rasa aman, tentram dan tenang pun datang menyelimuti Abu Bakar.

Mereka yang terpaku pada waktu yang terbatas pada kondisi yang (mungkin) sangat kelam, umumnya hanya akan merasakan kesusahan, kesengsaraan dan keputusan dalam hidup mereka. Itu, karena mereka hanya menatap dinding-dinding kamar dan pintu-pintu rumah mereka. Padahal, mereka seharusnya menembuskan pandangan sampai ke belakang tabir dan berpikir lebih jauh tentang hal-hal yang berada di luar pagar rumahnya.

Maka dari itu, jangan pernah merasa terhimpit sejengkalpun, karena setiap keadaan pasti berubah. Dan sebaik-baiknya ibadah adalah menanti kemudahan dengan sabar. Betapapun, hari demi hari akan terus bergulir, tahun demi tahun akan selalu berganti, malam demi malam pun datang silih berganti. Meski demikian, yang ghoib akan tetap tersembunyi, dan Sang Maha Bijaksana tetap pada keadaan dan segala sifat-Nya. Dan Allah mungkin akan menciptakan sesuatu yang baru setelah itu semua. Tetapi sesungguhnya, setelah kesulitan itu tetap akan muncul kemudahan.

Sensori Integrasi dan Okupasi Terapi

Pada umumnya orang mengetahui tugas OT adalah memberikan aktivitas motorik halus padahal area yang dikerjakan OT sangat luas dan sekarang untuk OT di negara maju seperti Amerika dan Canada sudah menjurus pada bidang sub spesialis, khusus pada bidang sensory integration, memory training, social skills training, dll. OT dapat berperan pada kondisi fisik, mental dan atau sosial dengan menggunakan berbagai macam aktivitas terapeutikperforma anak dalam hal aktivitas yang bersifat produktif baik di rumah maupun di sekolah seperti ketrampilan menulis, membaca, dll, aktivitas bantu diri (self care) seperti mandi, berpakaian, makan, minum, memakai sepatu, dll serta meningkatkan kemampuan bermain (play and leisure) dan interaksi sosial.

Secara umum OT dapat memberikan treatment pada kondisi seperti adanya gangguan neurologis seperti Cerebral Palcy, disabilitas fisik seperti Spina Bifida, Gangguan tumbuh kembang, Gangguan/Kesulitan Belajar (Learning Disability), Gangguan Mental/ Perilaku, kondisi ortopedi dan anak-anak dengan Autistik Spectrum Disorder.

Bermain adalah pekerjaan utama anak, melaui bermain amok belajar tentang dirinya dan dunia sekitarnya. (Sensory Integration International, 1991). Melalui hal tersebut, Okupasi Terapis dapat memberikan aktifitas pada setiap sesi terapi secara relevan. Sehinggga anak akan memiliki dorongan dalam diri untuk bergerak, bereksplorasi dan belajar melalui pengalaman yang menyenangkan. Pembelajaran yang paling baik adalah saat anak mendapat pengalaman yang menyenangkan, memuaskan dan aman. Terapi dilakukan dengan bermain adalah sangat penting pada proses pencapaian dan tujuan terapeutik.

Konsep Sensory Integration merupakan karya yang dikembangkan oleh A. Jean Ayres, PhD. OTR seorang Occupational Therapist. Tujuan A. Jean Ayers, Phd, OTR. FAOTa saat meneliti Sensori Integrassi adalah pengembangan teori yang menjelaskan hubungan antara perilaku sensor-motor, fungsi saraf dan kemampuan pre akademik ( fisher, Murray, Bundy,1991). Otak harus mampu mengatur sensasi agar seseorang dapat bergerak, belajar dan berperilaku secara normal.

Sensory Integration merupakan suatu proses neurologi dalam mengatur dan menterjemahkan input sensori, untuk dapat memberikan respon sesuai dengan input tersebut.

Anak dengan SI Dysfunction karena ada gangguan fungsi otak yang menghambat kemampuan mengatur dan menterjemahkan informasi sensori motor.

SI Dysfunction mungkin menjadi penyebab dari adanya masalah seperti kesulitan bicara, kesulitan konsentrasi, kekacauan sosial-emosional, gangguan perilaku dan masalah-masalah lain.

Keterlibatan aktif anak akan memberikan pengalaman dan pembelajaran yang terbaik untuk menuntun ke arah pertumbuhan proses belajar dan pengaturan tingkah laku yang lebih baik

Kemajuan dalam mengikuti terapi SI tidak bisa dipisahkan dengan peran aktif orang tua.

Peningkatan pada koordinasi gerak dapat dilihat dari kemampuan anak untuk melakukan tugas motorik kasar atau halus dengan keterampilan yang lebih baik dan pada tingkat kesulitan yang lebih tinggi dari yang diharapkan ketika anak belum mengikuti terapi.

Untuk anak yang pada mulanya menunjukkan masalah pada respon yang berlebihan atau kurang terhadap rangsangan, respon yang lebih normal dapat membimbing ke arah penyesuaian emosi yang lebih baik, meningkatkan keterampilan personal sosial, atau percaya diri yang lebih besar.

Beberapa anak akan menunjukkan adanya perkembangan bicara dan bahasa, dll. Sangat sering, orangtua melaporkan bahwa anak mereka kelihatannya lebih tenang, lebih perhatian, lebih memiliki percaya diri, lebih cepat dalam mempelajari sesuatu kemampuan baru, serta sangat menunjang kemajuan di berbagai program terapi lainnya.

Sensory Integration

What is Occupational Theraphy?

Occupational Theraphy is a health profession concerned with how people function in their respective roles and how they perform activities. The profession focuses on the promotion restoration and maintenance of productivity in people with a wide range of abalities and disabilities.

Occupational Theraphists graduate from universities with a baccalaurcate or masters degree. They educated in the behavioural and neuroscienes and learn how to develop sklills and promote independentce through the use of meaningful activities. The Occupational Theraphists ( O.T ) may provide direct service to individual clients and organizations through consultation mediator training, education, program development, case management and advocacy. The OT may provide these services in individual homes, child care centres, schools, hospital, community and private agencies and clinics or industrial or residential facillities.

OT are able to analyze all internal and external factors that are necessary for individuals to perform activities. Consider the grade one student who is learning to print. To learn this task, the student must have good hand skills, good sitting posture and balance, adequate joint stability and muscle strength, good body awareness and motor planning, mature visual perceptual and visual motor skills, good attending abalities and adequate sensory integration.

If sensory integration impaired, the student could have difficulty printing because she may be uncomfortable with the touch of the paper against her arm and may have difficulty attending to the task as she is highly distracted by other activities that are occuring in the classroom. If the student has poor motor planning abalities, she may not be able to direct the movements of the pencil to approariately from the required letter shapes. If the student has immature sitting balance the height of the desk and chair will have to be analyzed and possibly altered to provide maximum stability.

Occupation al therapists are concerned with :

Abalities:
balance and postural reaction
muscle tone and strength
body awareness
fine motor abalities 9pinches and grasp, manipulative skills, pencil and scissors use hand writing)
gross motor abalities (running, jumping, climbing)
motor planning (abality to plan, initiate and execute a motor act)
visual perception (shape recognition, visual memory)
visual motor integration (copying shapes, copying block design)
sensory integration (response to sensory stimuli, discrimination of sensory input)
behaviour (arousal level, attention, problem solving skills)
Skills:
Self care skills ( eating, toileting, bathing)
community living skills( use of public transportation, money knowlage, shopping)
pre-academic skills
play skills (use of toys, types of play)
social skill
pre-vocational and vocational skill

Environmental Factors:
physical environment
family situation
community support

Occupational Therapists provide consultation in the following areas:
early intervention programs
home school and vocational settings
environmental and equipment adaptations
bahavioural strategies

WHAT IS SENSORY INTEGRATION?

Picture yourself at a cottage. You are standing on the dock, about to climb into a canoe. You put your foot down into the canoe and as you begin to step in, the canoe starts to rock. Automatically you adjust your body to keep yourself balanced and slowlly sit down, palacing yourself in the middle of the seat. THIS IS SENSORY INTEGRATION.

Sensory integration is a neurogical process that accurs in all of us. We all take in sensory information from our bodies and the world around us. Our brains are programmed to organize or “integrate” this sensory information to make it meaningful to us. This integration allows us to respond automatically, efficiently and comfortably in response to the specific sensory input we receive.

When stepping into that canoe, you recive information from various sensory channels. Your touch system tells you that your foot is on the bottom of the canoe. Your proprioceptive system tell you the position of your muscles and joint. Your vestibular system may be telling you that your centre of gravity is off and that you are on a moving surface. Your visual system determines that the canoe is lower that the dock.

If you good sensory integration, processing and organizing this information happens automatically. You do not become overly fearful when the boat moves because you are confident that you can maintain your balance. Unconsiously you make fine adjustment and regain your centre of gravity. You can lower self to the seat because you judge the distance of the canoe from the dock and the size of seat. You also have good sense of where to sit and how much to move to centre yourself on the seat.

For the child who does not have good sensory integration, climbing into a canoe can be a disaster. One child may be quite fearful about the prospect of climbing into about because they are uncomfortable with or hypersensitive to the feeling of movement. They are terrified of anything that moves and do not have the confidence to maintein their balance. Another child may be overconfident and may not appreciate what can happen when balancing on a moving object. That child may climb into the canoe quickly, tipping the boat because they have poor body awareness and place all their weight to one side of the canoe.
HOW DID THE THEORY OF SENSORY INTEGRATION DEVELOP?

Occupational therapist Dr A Jean Ayres first proposed the theory of sensory integration. She was practicing in a children's centre during the late fifties and early sixties and she developed a keen interest in how the brain works. Returning to university, Dr. Ayres attained a doctoral degree and pursued postdoctoral work. During her studies she formulated the theory of sensory integration based on established knowlage and theories found within the neuroscience field (Fisher, Muray & Bundy,1991)
In addition to her two books, Dr. Ayres also developed two test batteries to assist in identifying problem with sensory integration (ayers 1979 and Ayres 1985)

her theory discribes normal sensory integrative abilities, defines sensory integrative dysfunction and guides intervention program which use sensory integrative techniques (Fisher et al 1991). This theory continues to evolve and provides a framework for intervention with children and adults with a variety of special needs. The theory of sensory integration is an important frame of reference for the occup ational therapy profession but is also becoming a valuable perspective for other disciplines (Windeck&laurel 1989, Mora & Kasman, 1997)

HOW DOES SENSORY INTEGRATIN OCCURE?
Williamson and Anzelone (1996) identify five interrelated components that help to understand how sensory integration occurs. These components are :
1.Sensory Registration

Sensory integration occurs when we first become aware of a sensory event “ Something is touching me”. We may not be aware of certain types of sensory input untuil it reaches a certain threshold or intensity. your”sensory threshold” varies throughout the day, depending on your previous sensory an emotional experiances, how alert or stressed you are and what you expect.

You may not be aware of mosquito buzzing by the window but when it is flying around your head you hear something. You have experiances that sound before and you expect the mosquito to land, creating a bite that will itch for day.

When you are highly aroused or anxious, your sensory threshold is lower and you may register sensory input that may go ignored any other time. If you are awakened in the night by a loud 'bang” you may become highly aroused and hyper-vigilant. You may notice or “register” the sound of creaking stairs and humming fixtures that you never pay attention to during the day.

Examples of hyper-reactivity :
distress with certain sounds
sensitives to light
discomfort with certain textures
aversion to certain smell and tastes
irritional fear of height and movement
frequent startle reactions

Examples of hypo-reactivity :
disregard of sudden or loud sounds
unaware of painful bumps, bruises cuts, etc
lack of attention to environment, person or things
does not become dizzy with excessive spinning
delayed responses

2.Orientation

Sensory orientation allows you to pay attention to new sensory information being received. “something is touching my arm” or “ I hear something around my head”. We are able to determine what sensory information needs our attentions and what information can ignored. This happens through sensory modulation and the functions of inhibition and facilitation.

Our brains are programmed to modulate or balance incoming sensory information to function efficiently. We can not possible attend to all sensory stimuli in our environments. If all sensory input had equal importance, we could not select the relevant stimuli for the specific situation.



3.Interpretation
4.Organization of a Response
5.Execution of a Response