“Occupational therapy? But my child doesn’t have a job or go to work?” A child’s main occupation is play. OT helps children succeed in important areas of their lives. This includes helping children build the skills required for essential daily activities such as brushing their teeth, writing their name, or playing with friends.
OT’s try to determine where delays or limitations are coming from, especially in the areas of fine motor skills, cognitive skills, social development, and establishing self-care routines. Together, these skills lead to children being able to grow into healthy, well-functioning adults. Occupational therapist help any age beginning with birth all the way to 18 years of age.
Children see occupational therapists for a variety of reasons including:
· Delays in fine motor skills
· Help developing visual motor skills – tracking an object, hand-eye coordination
· Cognitive delays including problem-solving skills, memory, and attention
· Children with sensory integration issues
· Delays in play and social interaction skills
· Help with learning basic self-care tasks, such as getting dressed
· Gross motor deficits such as jumping, bouncing, running
Diagnosis include: Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy and associated disorders, ADHD, ADD, Apraxia, Spina Bifida, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Arthrogyposis, Cardio-Pulmonary Disorders, Cystic Fibrosis, Cancer, and Traumatic Brain Injury and many more.
Check out my resources page!