Occupational therapy (OT) uses the word “occupation” to describe all things we do during the day to occupy our time. For children and adolescents, this includes play, social skills, school, work, behavior, and self-care skills. OT helps children to develop the fundamental skills needed for learning and performing these daily tasks.
Pediatric occupational therapy helps children gain independence with life skills such as socialization, self-care skills, healthy behavior, sensory motor skills, fine motor skills, and visual motor skills. These skills are needed for children to participate fully and successfully in school and social situations.
Areas addressed by OT include, but are not limited to: Self-Care Skills
Dressing, eating, using the bathroom, hygiene, and moving around safely
Life Skills
Chores, money skills, cooking, job skills
Fine Motor Skills
Develop/strengthen the proper grasping of objects with hands/fingers
Visual Perception
Develop/strengthen writing, reading, and play skills
Sensory Processing
Developing/strengthening the ability to tolerate information from our senses
Self-Regulation
Develop strategies for healthy behavior
Social Skills
Play skills, interaction with peers, teachers, family
Gross Motor Skills and Coordination
Posture, strength needed to carry out daily tasks
Motor Planning
Brain and body connection
Executive Functioning Skills
Organization skills, planning, memory, impulse control, emotional control
Assistive Technology and Adaptive Equipment Here at Children’s Therapy Solutions, our occupational therapists work with the child and the caregivers. They work to educate and reinforce skills and behaviors to increase carryover outside of the clinic for improved performance and functioning in their daily lives.
The following conditions/diagnoses we treat in OT include, but are not limited to:
Sensory Processing Disorders
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Down Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy
ADHD/ADD
Neurological Impairments
Chromosomal Abnormalities
Fine Motor Delays
Hypotonia (low muscle tone)
Developmental Delays
Torticollis
Feeding Difficulties
Erb’s Palsy
Medically Fragile
Injury, accident rehabilitation
* Please use this list as a guide only; it is not all-inclusive.