Is your child having difficulty with fine motor and gross motor activities? Is your child having difficulty participating in daily activities due to self-regulation or sensory processing challenges? Do they have difficulty getting dressed, taking a bath, eating, coloring, playing games, transitioning throughout their day, or interacting with others? Occupational therapy may be for you and your family!

 

Occupational therapists collaborate with clients, families, and other caregivers using a client-centered and occupation-based approach to support the client’s skills needed to participate in required and preferred activities. Occupational therapists have experience working with individuals with disabilities, developmental delays, and other special needs. Occupational therapy can help with many skills required for your child to participate in daily activities such as: 

 

Fine motor skills (holding writing utensil or food utensils, fastening buttons or zippers, playing with toys, turning pages of book, cutting with scissors, etc.)  

 

Gross motor skills (balance, strength, coordination, endurance, etc. needed to navigate environments)

 

Self-regulation skills (identifying feelings, utilizing calming strategies, transitions, body awareness, etc.)

 

Sensory processing skills (the way your child’s nervous system receives and interprets tactile (touch), visual (sight), auditory (sound), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), proprioceptive (body position), vestibular (movement), and interceptive (internal body processes) input) 

 

Executive functioning skills (planning, organizing, task initiation, flexibility, attention, self-control, metacognition, working memory, time management, perseverance) 

 

Social skills (understanding body language and facial expressions, problem solving with peers, etc.) 

 

An occupational therapist will perform and initial screening to determine if an evaluation is warranted. Occupational therapists utilize various standardized evaluation tools, parent/caregiver interviews, and observations to evaluate the skills mentioned above and to determine if occupational therapy services are warranted. If services are warranted, individualized goals will be created and monitored as therapeutic interventions proceed.  

 

Therapeutic interventions may look like skill development, modifications, adaptations, education, and more. All interventions are individualized, client-centered, and occupation-based which ensures the greatest success in helping clients to be as functional and independent as possible. Play is kept at the core of our services when working with the pediatric population as that is one of their most meaningful and motivating occupations!