What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy uses functional activity based treatment to promote the greatest independence for the child who has disorders in sensory and motor development. The goal is to promote the greatest possible motor development, to improve the child's independence and to develop functional skills, regardless of the child's diagnosis.
Occupational therapy can help infants and children achieve, to the greatest extent possible, the sensory motor, the fine motor, gross motor, visual perception, play skills and activities of daily living, and self-care tasks that are appropriate for their age.
How do I know if a child needs occupational therapy?
Many children are referred for therapy because they have difficulty due to developmental disorders. Sometimes, however, a problem may be more subtle, or may not seem to "fit" into a specific diagnostic category. For example, parents may have waited for a child to "outgrow" his difficulty, but skills develop later than expected, or the quality of the child's movement remains a concern. A child may seem to be good at some skills, yet perform quite poorly on others, or the child may require a great deal of effort and practice in order to master skills that other children learn readily. Generally, if an infant or child is evidencing a difficulty, delay, or decreased quality of motor skill such that it interferes in some way with function, then that infant or child may benefit from a consultation or evaluation.
What child or infant might need occupational therapy?
- An infant or child who is displaying developmental delays
- An infant or child who is displaying sensory integrative dysfunction
- A child with learning disorders or attention deficit disorders
- A child who displays incoordination in fine or gross motor skills
- A child who has poor visual perceptual skills
- An infant or child who displays sensory defensiveness (negative responses to touch, movement, or other sensory stimuli)
- An infant or child who has difficulty with self-regulation (difficulty calming, excessive crying, disorganization)
- An infant who is born prematurely or has a low birth weight
- An infant or child with birth defects or genetic disorders
- An infant or child who has sustained neurological damage before, during or after birth
- An infant or child who neuromuscular disease
- A child with orthopedic or traumatic injuries
Starting Occupational Therapy
Upon referral, a telephone intake interview is conducted with the child's parents. This interview covers the problems that the child is having that prompted the referral, the child's developmental history, and the child's sensory and motor history. The parents also complete a written developmental and sensory intake form. Following this intake, an evaluation plan is developed for the child. Depending on the child's age and abilities, the evaluation will include standardized assessments and clinical observations of his motor skills, sensory processing abilities, functional skills, and self care skills. Each Occupational Therapist is certified in the administration and interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT). We evaluate and treat children primarily from birth to age twelve.
Following the evaluation of developmental and sensory motor skills, specific occupational therapy goals are developed for each child. The primary goal is always to maximize the child's functional skills and independence. This may be achieved through facilitating more normal movement patterns, decreasing sensory defensiveness, improving processing of sensory input, expanding fine or gross motor skills, increasing independence in self-care (feeding, dressing, etc.) and providing consultation to parents, caregivers, teachers, or other therapists.
A conference is held with the child's parents to discuss the evaluation results and outline the goals for therapy. The therapist also provides the parents with information and resources about sensory integration disorders, and discusses the impact that the child's sensory processing problems may have on all areas of his or her life, including self care, play and recreation, school, social interactions, and language development.
What happens during a therapy session?
Each child is seen in a one-to-one therapy session in an individual treatment or gym area. Each therapy session is designed to help the child progress in the goals that the therapist and parents have developed. Activities are specifically selected to improve the child's ability to interpret and adapt to the sensory and motor experiences in his life. Depending on the age and abilities of the child, this may involve jumping into a pile of pillows to work on decreasing sensory defensiveness, throwing balls to a target while sitting on a large carpet covered platform swing to improve balance and eye hand coordination, or working on specific skills the child needs in everyday life, such as dressing skills, cutting, drawing, or printing. Improvement in sensory processing forms the foundation for developing complex functional skills.
The individual clinic areas reduce distractions and allow for the optimal interaction between the therapist and the child. Opportunities also exist for social interaction with other children where indicated. The focus of therapy is not only to master the developmental functional goals set for each child, but to work with the parents as well. Parents have the opportunity to talk with the therapist after each therapy session, and are able to observe therapy, or sit in on therapy sessions, where appropriate. Information and education is provided to the family, and home programs are developed where indicated. The therapists are also available to consult with the teacher or other individuals working with the child.