Occupational Therapy

What is pediatric occupational therapy?

The goal of pediatric occupational therapy is to help children be able to successfully participate in age-appropriate play, social interactions, learning and activities of daily living. Pediatric occupational therapy can address many fine motor, gross motor and sensory based challenges as well as pediatric anxiety. To identify the child’s strengths and weaknesses, a comprehensive assessment is performed to determine how a child’s level of function is impacting them in the school, home and community environments. Pediatric OT intervention is individualized for each child and aims to build skills for improved performance in the classroom, home, and other social settings. Our occupational therapists collaborate with children’s families, medical teams, daycare providers, and schools to provide a client-centered approach to therapeutic intervention. When appropriate, occupational therapists can perform preschool or elementary school observations to help implement sensory strategies and fine motor adaptations for optimal classroom participation. Our occupational therapists have advanced training in various areas such as: Sensory Integration approach to sensory processing disorder, Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) Approach to

Feeding, handwriting performance, motor planning for dyspraxia (coordination disorder), and neurodevelopmental treatment approach (NDT). At Can Do Kids, occupational therapists work in close collaboration with physical and speech therapy professionals to ensure continuity of care when children are receiving more than one therapy service.

Does my child need occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy is appropriate for children who exhibit any of the following difficulties:

Gross motor challenges
Low muscle tone/floppy
Decreased upper body strength
Poor eye-hand coordination
Fine motor challenges
Visual motor challenges
Trouble cutting with scissors
Difficulty coloring in the lines
Poor handwriting
Difficulty drawing
Trouble assembling puzzles
Reversals of their letters or numbers
Decreased play skills
Poor sensory processing
Difficulty focusing/paying attention
Decreased movement tolerance
Over-reaction to light touch
Poor balance or appear clumsy
Hyperactivity
Poor organizational skills
Decreased oral motor skills
Trouble calming down