Our lives are made up of “occupations,” or daily activities. For children, these occupations include playing, learning, and socializing. Occupational therapists work with children and their families to help them succeed in these activities throughout the day by targeting cognitive, physical, and sensory development. They also help with basic challenges faced by most families, from creating morning routines to choosing appropriate toys.
Occupational therapists assess and treat the following skills: self-regulation; sensory discrimination and processing; fine motor skills (including handwriting); age-appropriate self-care skills; self-concept and cognitive functions. Age is a major factor in determining the expectations for the appropriate skill level. It is important to remember that all of these skills are developing concurrently and that impairment of one area is likely to stunt development in other areas.
At Therapy OPS, play is most often used in the occupational therapist's treatment as it is a natural activity for every child. Our clinic offers a large motor room and plenty of treatment space for all different types of play.
Occupational therapy may be able to help your family if your child has a difficult time with:
handwriting
cutting
drawing shapes and letters
playing with others
dressing
following a routine
controlling their emotions
attention/concentration
balance and coordination
feeding
loud noises
touching/eating different textures (from walking in grass to eating peas)
hand-eye coordination (e.g., hitting/catching a ball, copying from the board)
occupational therapy milestones
Check out our OT Resources page for great information, websites, and printables for parents and professionals! OT Resources Page