Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy is a vital and growing field that helps children with physical, mental, and/or developmental disabilities to participate fully in school and daily activities. Occupational Therapists work with children who have developmental delays, sensory processing disorders, physical disabilities, and cognitive impairments. They use a variety of techniques to help children improve their fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory processing, cognition, and social-emotional skills.
Pediatric Occupational Therapists help infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents grow, develop, and participate in all aspects of their lives. They work with children who have a wide range of conditions that affect their ability to play, learn, and socialize.
How does OT help?
Occupational Therapists work with children to improve their skills in self-care, play, and social situations to help them overcome challenges and reach their full potential. They also help families and caregivers understand how to support the child’s therapy goals.
Occupational therapists working with children focus on helping them develop the skills needed for daily living and school performance. Areas of focus may include fine motor skills, visual motor skills, sensory processing, and social skills.
Targeted Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are the coordination of small muscle movements, typically in the fingers, that allow us to do things like write, pick up small objects, and use tools. They’re important for kids because they help them with tasks like self-care (brushing teeth, dressing themselves), academics (holding a pencil, writing their name), and play (building with blocks, using crayons).
Visual Motor Skills
Visual motor skills are the ability to use our eyes and hands together to complete a task. These skills are important for kids because they help with daily activities such as writing, cutting with scissors, and buttoning a shirt. They also help with more complicated tasks such playing sports and driving a car. Poor visual motor skills can lead to academic problems and difficulty completing everyday tasks.
Sensory Integration
Sensory integration is the process of combining information from different senses to form a coherent picture of the world. It is important for kids because it allows them to make sense of the world around them and helps them learn new skills.
Self-Care
Self care skills are important for kids for a variety of reasons. For one, they help kids to develop a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. In addition, self care skills allow kids to better manage their own physical and emotional needs, which can lead to improved mental health and well-being. Finally, self care skills can help kids to build resilience in the face of stress and adversity.
Occupational therapy is a vital and beneficial treatment for many children. It can help with a wide range of issues, from fine motor skills to mental health. The positive outcomes of occupational therapy are numerous and well-documented.
Some of the benefits of pediatric occupational therapy include improved cognitive function, increased social skills, better self-esteem, and enhanced fine motor skills. In addition, occupational therapy can also help to reduce anxiety and depression in children.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 6 children in the United States have a developmental disability. These disabilities can make everyday tasks difficult, and can impede a child's ability to socialize and learn. However, there is hope - studies have shown that pediatric occupational therapy can help improve the lives of children with developmental disabilities.