Services

Occupational Therapy

Some people may think that occupational therapy is only for adults; children, after all, do not have occupations. But a child's main job is playing and learning, and an occupational therapist can evaluate a child's skills for play activities, school performance and activities of daily living and compare them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.

So who might use an occupational therapy practitioner? According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), kids with the following medical problems may benefit from OT:

  • Developmental delays
  • Sensory processing
  • Developmental disorders
  • Autism
  • Fine motor deficits like handwriting
  • Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Orthopedic injuries

One of the activities that occupational therapists can address to meet children's needs is working on fine motor skills so that kids can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills. Occupational therapists also address hand–eye coordination to improve play skills, such as hitting a target, batting a ball or copying from a blackboard.

An occupational therapist can also:

  • Help kids with severe developmental delays learn some basic tasks, such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth and feeding themselves
  • Teach kids with physical disabilities the coordination skills required to feed themselves or use a computer
  • Evaluate each child's needs for specialized equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices or communication aids
  • Work with kids who have sensory and attention issues to improve focus and social skills.

Additional Information

Download these helpful papers for more information:


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