Learn More About Occupational Therapy Services

Wednesday, June 19th, 2024

Occupational therapy (OT) provides essential support for children facing challenges in their daily activities and skills. By addressing various areas of development, OT helps children build the abilities they need to succeed at home, in school, and in the community. Here’s a closer look at the positive impact occupational therapy services can have on your child.

Mastering Daily Living Skills

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) encompass self-care tasks such as:
- Toileting
- Hygiene
- Feeding and Eating
- Dressing
- Functional Mobility

nstrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) involve more complex tasks that facilitate independent living, including:
- Safety
- Community Participation
- Performance Skills
- Meal Preparation

If your child struggles with basic self-care tasks or safety and social skills, occupational therapy can help. Our therapist provides adaptations, modifications, and education to caregivers, ensuring children develop the necessary skills for independence and participation.

Improving Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are crucial for tasks that require precision and coordination, such as:
- Holding Scissors Upright
- Coloring
- Grasping Small Toys

Children with difficulty stabilizing crayons, forming proper grasp patterns, or manipulating classroom tools may benefit significantly from occupational therapy. Improving fine motor control not only aids in daily activities but also enhances handwriting and academic performance.

Building Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills involve large muscle movements essential for activities like:
- Running
- Navigating Stairs
- Skipping
- Playing on Playground Equipment

Our occupational therapist helps children develop endurance, strength, and postural control. These foundational skills are necessary for higher-level movements and physical activities, contributing to overall physical development and confidence.

Developing Visual Perceptual Skills

Visual perceptual skills allow children to process and understand visual information from their environment. Key areas include:

- Visual Memory: Recalling sequences of pictures, words, or items, which is crucial for academic tasks like copying information or remembering letters and numbers.
- Visual Discrimination: Differentiating between similarities and differences among toys, pictures, and books.
- Form Constancy: Recognizing objects, letters, and numbers in various fonts, sizes, and conditions.
- Visual Closure: Identifying incomplete letters or numbers, aiding in reading speed.
- Figure Ground: Locating specific objects in cluttered spaces, helping with tasks like finding items in a junk drawer.
- Visual Scanning: Scanning from top to bottom or left to right, essential for reading.
- Spatial Relations: Understanding directions and body placement, critical for tasks like lining up math problems.

Working on Executive Functioning Skills

Executive functioning skills are vital for managing daily tasks and problem-solving. These skills include:
- Emotional Self-Control
- Memory During Routines

Children struggling with these areas often face challenges in school and community settings. Our occupational therapist works on executive functioning, helping children think, act, and solve problems effectively. Improved self-regulation allows children to control responses to overwhelming impulses, fostering better participation in various activities.

Navigating Sensory Processing Challenges

Sensory processing involves the brain's ability to receive and organize sensory messages. Children with sensory processing issues may exhibit behaviors like crashing into the floor or covering their eyes and ears frequently. These behaviors can indicate struggles with:
- Motor Planning
- Tactile Discrimination
- Gravitational Insecurity
- Vestibular-Proprioceptive Difficulties
- Poor Body Awareness
- Auditory Discrimination Delays

Our occupational therapist specialize in helping children navigate sensory processing challenges, ensuring their nervous system correctly processes sensory messages. This support helps children respond appropriately to sensory input and improves their overall functioning.

Contact Us!

Occupational therapy offers comprehensive support for children, addressing a wide range of developmental challenges. If you want to learn more about how OT can help your child thrive, reach out and contact us today for a free, 15 minute phone consultation!