Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?

Occupational therapists work with children and the adults in their lives, including their families, caregivers, and teachers to promote active participation in activities or roles and routines that are meaningful to the child and family. Occupational therapy helps children develop the skills they need to be successful during play, socialization, activities of daily living, and other learning experiences. By using purposeful and motivating activities, occupational therapists can promote skills needed to perform important day-to-day activities at home, in school, and in other social environments so children can learn, play, and thrive.

How does an OT help a child?

The primary occupations of children are to play, learn, and interact with caregivers and peers. Occupational therapists can help children master age-appropriate skills, such as:

  • meeting developmental milestones

  • learning to pay attention and follow simple instructions

  • developing the ability to eat, drink, wash, and dress independently

  • learning to cope with disappointment or failure

  • reducing extraneous environmental stimuli

  • building skills for sharing, taking turns, playing with peers

  • using toys in traditional and creative ways

  • participating in age appropriate daily routines

In order to master age-appropriate skills, OT helps children to develop underlying skills that are required to perform high-level skills. OT helps children develop basic sensory awareness and motor skills needed for motor development, learning, and healthy behavior. These interventions can lead to the improvement of:

  • body awareness

  • coordination between the two sides of the body

  • fine motor control

  • visual motor skills

  • motor planning (praxis)

  • sensory processing

  • self regulation

  • ocular motor skills

  • oral motor skills

  • retained reflex integration

Who may benefit from OT?

Children of any age, throughout their formative years, may benefit from an OT evaluation to determine if the child’s current skills support participation and engagement in appropriate daily routines and environments.

OT can help children who have a known medical diagnosis, such as:

  • autism

  • ADHD

  • developmental delay

  • cognitive delays

  • sensory processing disorder

  • coordination disorders

  • dyslexia

  • dyspraxia

  • other learning disabilities

  • Down syndrome

  • spina bifida

  • preterm infants

  • birth injuries and/or birth defects

  • cortical visual impairment (CVI)

  • anxiety

  • other mental health disorders

OT can also help children who do not have a diagnosis but present with the following difficulties:

  • difficulty tolerating touch, such as brushing hair or brushing teeth

  • difficulties in sports, such as catching or throwing a ball

  • poor organizational skills

  • difficulty regulating their activity levels

  • frequent behavioral outbursts or “meltdowns”

  • lack of age-appropriate play skills

  • weak, stiff, or uncoordinated movement

  • awkward grasp, clumsy use, or poor endurance when using crayons, pencils, scissors, or other tools

  • poor handwriting legibility or poor endurance when writing

  • excessive seeking of sensory input or avoidance of sensory input

  • absence of hand dominance by 6 years old

  • difficulty with age-appropriate self-help skills, such as dressing and toileting

  • attention and organizational problems at home or school

  • difficulties in social interactions

  • difficulties with feeding, food aversions, or a limited diet

  • poor balance skills