Occupational Therapy for Kids

Occupational Therapy Services

Occupational therapists (OT’s) work with infants, children and youth, with varying diagnoses, to improve their physical, cognitive, emotional, sensory and motor skills. OT’s use various functional activities to promote a child’s growth in order to meet developmental milestones, be successful in a school environment, improve social and play skills, and daily activities. OT’s seek to help children become the best they can be in their interactions with their family, their peers, their environment and how to feel great about who they are.

OT’s focus on promoting;

• Self-care skills(i.e. feeding, dressing, toileting, bathing)
• School environment (i.e. classroom needs, fine motor skills, visual motor coordination, visual perceptual skills, printing skills, pencil grasp, cutting skills, sensory processing skills, organizational skills, executive functioning skills).
• Play/leisure activities (i.e. gross motor skills, play skills, socialization)

How do I know if my child needs occupational therapy services?

If you have concerns with your child’s progression through developmental milestones it is best to initially discuss your concerns with your family doctor, or pediatrician. You may also contact an occupational therapist to further discuss your concerns.

Occupational therapists use various techniques based on neurodevelopmental, sensory, and/or behavioral approaches to evaluate the strengths and areas of concerns of a child. Occupational therapists work with the child’s family to identify specific areas for intervention and develop a treatment plan.

Your child may display one or more of the following:

• My child seems weak or floppy
• My child seems to have weak hands and/or tires easily when completing fine motor tasks.
• My child has difficulty manipulating smaller objects
• My child has difficulty with printing tasks (i.e letter formation, sizing and spacing).
• My child uses a poor pencil grasp
• My child shows poor visual motor coordination skills
• My child shows poor visual perceptual skills
• My child shows poor organizational skills
• My child has difficulty with executive functioning tasks
• My child has difficulty learning and/or coordinating gross motor tasks (i.e. riding a bike, skipping, hopping, sports games)
• My child has difficulty with self-care tasks (i.e. trouble using utensils for eating, difficulty manipulating buttons and zippers to get dressed, toileting, bathing).
• My child appears to have difficulty with sensory processing skills
• My child appears clumsy, bumps into walls or furniture
• My child has difficulty with feeding and textures (i.e. is a fussy/picky eater)
• My child refuses to walk barefoot on grass or dislikes playing in sand
• My child appears overly active and has a difficult time calming down
• My child overreacts to touch, smell, movement, sound, odor, light
• My child seems to be the quiet one that is easily forgotten, more under responsive
• My child has difficulty playing and socializing with other children their age
• My child appears to have difficulty with transitions and/or changes to their routine
• My child has difficulty making eye contact
• My child has difficulty following multiple step directions.

Workshops:

1. Fine Motor Skills on a shoestring Budget
2. Pre-Academic skills: From scribbling to cutting.
3. Tummy time play for early years
4. Facing Handwriting challenges today for a more successful tomorrow
5. Making mealtime fun

**Any of the above workshops would be beneficial to parents, caregivers, daycare providers, teachers, school support staff and other healthcare providers.