My son's OT recommended the pushing, pulling and carrying heavy things and also doing puzzles (not the online kind that he likes). I just don't understand why doing the sensory diet stuff will help when dance with his musical theater class and working out with Dance, Dance Revolution and playing Guitar Hero and piano did not help him that much. They say with therapy he can develop "new neural pathways" and I can't help being a little skeptical. Why didn't the other things he does help him develop new neural pathways. His OT is only once every couple of weeks and she has him doing lots of activities that involve swinging. I don't have all the equipment she has. I don't know if there is any proof that this actually works. If there is, I would love to see it.

My son has always been above grade level in all subjects except handwriting. When the OT tested him she said his handwriting was only low average even with his below average visual motor abilities--visual motor age is two years below his actual age.

He seems to be a mixed visual and auditory learner. I would guess 50/50. He was never much of a kinesthetic learner.

I am not sure how the visual motor problems that cause my son to be slow at putting together 3D puzzles would really hurt him academically. My son does not have any trouble in math or any other academic subject when he is allowed to take breaks throughout the day. I don't know what difference it makes if he has trouble catching a ball. I don't know how any of this helps with "motor planning" and learning his dance routines in musical theater which is the main reason he is in therapy. My son keeps asking me about this also. He doesn't like OT and wants to know how long this will take. He argues about doing everything she asks him to do at home and he points out that he does not have a weight problem and is otherwise healthy and since he is kind of a geeky kid with no interest in sports it doesn't matter if he can catch a ball or put puzzles together or other fine motor tasks a little faster. He would, however like to be able to learn dances a little faster and nobody is telling him how the therapy will help with that. He does like the therapy ball which he uses a lot. He bounces around on it while watching television. But he still thinks I need to just accept his differences and quit trying to change him. I wish I could find a book or article that explains how the sensory integration therapy works and what kind of results we can expect.