Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy

A child’s “occupations” are PLAY and SCHOOL; therefore Occupational Therapists enrich a child’s occupational career by helping them access and be successful with play, fine motor and self-help skills. OTs use PLAY as the motivator for intervention by making children’s “work” fun and are trained to evaluate the underlying sub-skills related to fine motor, visual motor, sensory processing and self-help skills. Good fine motor skills lay the foundation for success with many of life’s tasks, and those skills are developed through milestones including: crawling, learning to feed oneself, tool and utensil use, stacking blocks, stringing beads, coloring, cutting, touching and playing with a variety of textures, learning to hold a writing utensil.

Occupational Therapy Intake Forms
Occupational Therapy

Fine Motor Skills are the coordination of small muscle movements in the hands and fingers. dexterity, strength, grasp use of both hands in coordination.

Self Care Skills are the everyday tasks undertaken to be ready to participate in life activities such as dressing, grooming, feeding, and daily routines.

Sensory Processing refers to the way the nervous system receives, organizes and interprets sensory input. These include how a child processes what they hear, feel, see, taste, smell and how that impacts their participation in daily life. 

  • Sensory Modulation Disorder 
    • Over responsivity
    • Under responsivity
    • Sensory seeking/craving
  • Sensory Discrimination Disorder
  • Sensory-Based Motor Disorder

Self Regulation Skills allow kids to manage their energy states, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in response to a situation that’s tough to handle. Having these skills allows them to succeed while still staying focused and paying attention.

Handwriting Skills are a complex skill of using language and fine motor skills during handwriting. 

  • Pencil grasp
  • Writing quality and efficiency
  • Posture
  • Body control
  • Letter formation
  • Eye-hand coordination
  • Muscle memory

Play Skills are a child’s occupation in life and school. This is the motivation for intervention while making work fun. Play helps to facilitate positive growth and development.

  • Physical health
  • Social & emotional well-being
  • Imaginative play and creativity
  • Positive mental health

Executive Functioning Abilities refers to organization, planning and execution of tasks.

  • Educational & Enrichment Tutoring
  • Music Therapy
  • Social Skills Groups
  • Behavioral Therapy identifies and helps change potentially self-destructive or unhealthy behaviors. It functions on the idea that all behaviors are learned and that unhealthy behaviors can be changed.

Visual Motor and Visual Perceptual Skills are the ability to interpret visual information and respond with a motor action.

  • Catching objects
  • Tying shoes
  • Writing
  • Perceiving and copying shapes and letters
  • Matching similar objects
  • Figure-ground activities
  • Learning sight words
  • Finding information on a page