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Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapists (OTs) work with individuals to assist them in completing their ‘occupations’. For children, their primary goals of childhood or ‘occupations’ are to grow, learn and play. Specifically, their occupations include self-care tasks (dressing, toileting, feeding), playing and socialising with others, completing fine and gross activities and going to school, kinder or day-care.

Children may be experiencing difficulties completing their occupations – this is where OT can help.

We work with the child and their family, determining what is impacting on the child’s ability to complete their occupations. We take into account their environments, how they process certain information and the support the child has in place. We then develop and implement therapy that focuses on enabling the child to develop physically and mentally to their optimal ability. We target their goals by focusing on their specific needs, be it sensory, motor, cognitive, neurodevelopment, etc. and determining the effects of their limitations on growth and development.

Why does my child need occupational therapy?

Many children may experience difficulty when completing certain tasks, such as:

Fine Motor Skills

Hand dexterity

School readiness

Scissor skills

Construction skills

Self care skills (shoelaces, opening lunchbox etc.)

Poor pencil grasp

Immature drawing for age

Poor handwriting

Writing on lines

Gross Motor Skills

Coordination

Balance

Organisation

Praxis and motor planning

Social & Play Skills

Peer relationships

Pretend, symbolic, and imaginative play

Socialising with others

Confidence and self esteem

Engaging with others

Self Care Skills

Toileting

Showering

Cutting and brushing hair

Cutting nails

Getting dressed

Grooming

Tying shoes

Eating and using cutlery

Attention & Concentration

Paying attention

Sensory aspects (fidgeting, touching items etc.)

Difficulty sitting still for an extended period of time

Difficulty following instructions

Sensory Processing

Fidgeting

Rocking

Seeking movement

Climbing on and touching items

Emotional responses to sensory input

Excessive licking, touching, or mouthing objects

Clumsiness

Difficulty sleeping

Sensory dysregulation