Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy for children typically focuses on promoting functional independence, physical development, and providing sensory strategies.
Importance of Play
Children learn and develop through exploring their environment, interacting with others, and physically manipulating objects.
Childhoood Occupations
- Play and Leisure
- Social Participation
- Education
- Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
- Rest and Sleep
Common Childhood Diagnoses
- Developmental Delay
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Learning disabilities (ex. dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia)
- Sensory processing disorder
- Congenital or genetic conditions (ex. cerebral palsy, congenital heart defects, neural tube defects, Down syndrome, etc.)
Does your child experience difficulty with...
Fine Motor Skills
- Handwriting legibility or irregular pencil grasp
- Typing and keyboarding skills
- Manipulating small objects (ex. board games, picking up small items)
- Age-appropriate dressing fasteners (ex. buttons, snaps, ties)
Sensory Processing
- Challenges during ADLs (ex. wet hair, tooth brushing, hair brushing, nail trimming)
- Only eats certain foods, avoids specific foods, hypersensitive to temperature of food and drinks
- Excessive oral seeking or mouthing non-food objects
- Tactile challenges (ex. certain clothing textures, tags, sock seams, sweat)
- Extreme interest or avoidance of sensory experiences (ex. finger painting, water, Play-Doh, sand, dirt, etc.)
- Avoidant of loud or crowded areas (ex. covers ears, cries)
- Plays too rough or often breaks items
- Constantly moving, rocking, jumping, climbing, or crashing
Play and Social Skills
- Typical interactions with same-aged peers (ex. eye contact, sharing, cooperation, and communication)
- Engages with age-appropriate toys (ex. exploring it's properties, constructive play, or pretend play)
- Follows game rules and takes turns
- Handles winning or losing a game without overreacting or discouraging peers
Hand-Eye Coordination
- Tracing or copying letters, numbers, and shapes
- Cutting with scissors
- Throwing an object towards a target
- Stringing beads
Motor Planning and Body Awareness
- Running into objects or tripping ("bull in a China shop")
- Difficulty imitating building activities (ex. copy block structure, Legos, arts and crafts)
- Unable to dress themselves or often reverses clothing and shoes
- Imitating motor actions (ex. jumping jacks, sports, P.E. activities)
Self-Regulation
- Following directions and receptive to redirection
- Pay attention to adults or non-preferred topics
- Becoming overwhelmed by the perceived challenge of a task, or asks for help before attempting independently
- Difficulty with task sequencing (ex. initiating, continuing, or completing a task)
- Emotional dysregulation or physical outbursts
- Appropriate interactions with same-aged peers (ex. sharing, taking turns, loses a game without overreaction)
- Impulse control (ex. keeps hands to self, remains seated)
- Relies on a parent or adult to calm them down (unable to self-soothe)
- Benefits from sensory experiences, but they do not recognize when a break is needed or choose an appropriate strategy