Identifying a Need for Occupational Therapy
Check out our checklists below for some guidance on your child’s development. If your child has not yet hit the suggested milestones for his or her age, contact our office. We can help identify if your child may benefit from occupational therapy.
What is occupational therapy?
The term “occupation” likely makes you think of a job or work, and, in a sense, this therapy addresses a similar aspect. Chidlren have occupations or small "jobs" built into their daily routines. For example, some daily occupations could be: engaging in play with a sibling, washing up and finger feeding some cereal, or taking a nap after a long day at school. The list goes on and on.
Occupational therapists help children develop the skills to participate in these meaningful daily activities or occupations; the activities that give life purpose.
If your child is struggling to develop these skills on his or her own, one of our occupational therapists can help your child through the process. An evaluation of your child’s performance of these occupations will determine which areas might need a boost. A few common ways they help children include:
Teaching the child how to properly hold a writing instrument or toy
Suggesting environmental adaptations or environmental supports, such as a reduction in stimulation if a child easily loses focus
Teaching the proper way to perform basic hygiene skills, like washing hands or brushing teeth
Improving coordination skills
Gaining increased independence with these activities can give your child the confidence to engage with their environment and to continue to grow. This can lead to improved participation, increased wellbeing, and the ability to keep up with their peers.
Occupational therapists address the following skill areas:
Fine Motor Skills & Visual Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are the small movement skills of our hands, fingers, and wrists that develop throughout our growing years. These include writing, cutting, keyboarding, eating, holding small items, buttoning, and turning pages. Proper development of fine motor skills requires strength, postural control, and coordination. It also requires appropriate function of our eyes.
Gross Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills are the large movement skills our body develops throughout our growing years. These include rolling, sitting, crawling, walking, jumping, riding bikes, and climbing. Proper development of gross motor skills requires strength, balance, postural control, and coordination. It also requires appropriate function of our joints and muscles.
Sensory Integration Skills
Sensory integration is our ability to take in information from our senses and organize it so we can function in our world. Sensory Integration Skills develop throughout our growing years and involve our ability to touch, taste, smell, feel movement, hear, and have an awareness of our body. Proper development of sensory integration skills requires children to experience senses in the world around them.
Sensory Integration skills are very important to a child’s overall development, health, learning, behavior, and self-esteem. Developing sensory integration skills at an early age impacts a child’s behavior, social skills, and play skills. The human body follows a step by step process, where one area often relies on another to achieve full function. Sensory integration develops with fine and gross motor skills – they are all dependent on one another.
If your child is showing signs of challenges with their sensory Integration skills, it is important to seek out help right away before behaviors become more severe. The earlier intervention is provided, the more effective it can be. You want you and your child to experience less stress as quickly as possible.