OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES
Is your child having trouble with handwriting, attention, emotional regulation, or coordination? These are important skills every child needs for success at home, in school, and in the community.
Pediatric occupational therapy (OT) helps children and adolescents develop the motor, sensory, cognitive, and social skills they need to participate in their “occupations” of play, school (learning), and self-care.
Occupational therapy may address:
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Fine Motor Skills: Strengthening small hand muscles for tasks like using scissors, writing with a pencil, or manipulating buttons and zippers.
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Sensory Processing: Helping children who are overly sensitive or under-responsive to sights, sounds, textures (like itchy clothing), or movements.
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Daily Living Skills (ADLs): Addressing skills for self-care, including feeding themselves, dressing, and personal hygiene.
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Social & Emotional Skills: Teaching kids how to take turns, interact with peers, and regulate their emotions.
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Cognitive Skills: Addressing areas such as attention and following multi-step directions.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
Reach out for an occupational therapy evaluation if your child:
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Is constantly “on the go”, always fidgeting, unable to keep their bodies still
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Is sluggish much of the time, having difficulty even holding their heads up when sitting
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Is distracted by everything in their environment, even things most of us can easily “tune out”
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Seems clumsy and frequently bumps or crashes into everything around them
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Overreacts to common sensations from everyday activities such as being touched,hearing a loud noise, being in a crowded place, or touching certain textures.
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Seems more bothered than other children by getting dressed, having hair washed, or having teeth brushed.
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Appears overly frightened of climbing on playground equipment, playing on moving toys, going on swings
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Struggles to use both hands together such as when holding a paper to cut with scissors or stringing beads
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Scribbles on the paper when asked to draw a simple picture or shape
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Has difficulty coming up with new play ideas or knowing how to play with toys
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Seems to take longer than other children to learn common things like getting dressed, putting together puzzles, or riding a tricycle
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Has difficulty using utensils or eating a variety of tastes or textures of food
CONDITIONS AND DIAGNOSES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS TREAT
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Developmental delays
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Sensory processing difficulties
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Dyspraxia
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Down Syndrome
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Cerebral Palsy
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Prematurity
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Retained reflexes
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Picky eating
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder