Occupational Therapy helps individuals achieve independence in their day-to-day “occupations” – work, leisure and basic daily activities. In paediatric cases, an occupational therapist focusses on enabling and enhancing the skills of children who are experiencing conditions that limit their potential and ability to complete everyday tasks. The occupation of a child includes playing, performing their self-care tasks like brushing or feeding, reading and writing and attending social or family gatherings.
How do Occupational Therapists (OTs) aid in enabling and/or enhancing skills?
OTs work on performance components including muscle strength, the range of motion, grip and grasp strength, posture, balance, bilateral coordination, integrated use of the whole body as one and individually. These are required so that an individual can efficiently plan movements, ambulate and successfully complete his/her activities.
OTs break down the skills required by your child for a particular task and help achieve them through child-directed play. In addition to this, recommendations will be made for the use of modifications (when necessary) and/or adaptations for your child with physical limitations, to perform his/her daily self-care tasks such as feeding self, brushing, bathing, dressing, toileting, etc. For children with physical limitations, OTs work towards achieving the highest functional level in order to make them as independent as possible.
How do Occupational Therapists (OTs) aid in enabling and/or enhancing skills?
OTs work on performance components including muscle strength, the range of motion, grip and grasp strength, posture, balance, bilateral coordination, integrated use of the whole body as one and individually. These are required so that an individual can efficiently plan movements, ambulate and successfully complete his/her activities.
OTs break down the skills required by your child for a particular task and help achieve them through child-directed play. In addition to this, recommendations will be made for the use of modifications (when necessary) and/or adaptations for your child with physical limitations, to perform his/her daily self-care tasks such as feeding self, brushing, bathing, dressing, toileting, etc. For children with physical limitations, OTs work towards achieving the highest functional level in order to make them as independent as possible.
Your child might need Occupational therapy if
- They have delayed milestones.
- They have trouble with engaging in social situations.
- They struggle with play skills.
- They have trouble with writing neatly, or completing the written work.
- They apply too much pressure on pencil or complain of pain while writing.
- They have difficulty developing and maintaining an appropriate pencil grasp.
- While writing from a book or a board, they tend to skip words or lines.
- They have trouble with appropriate spacing and sizing of letters, while writing.
- They are bothered by ordinary household sounds.
- They cry or hold hands over their ears when exposed to loud sounds.
- They avoid playing with textured surfaces/objects.
- They gag at the thought of unappealing foods.
- They seem afraid of riding elevators or escalators.
- They pull away when touched lightly or distressed by the feel of new clothes.
- They show distress with hair/nail cutting.
- They have emotional responses or frequent behavioral meltdowns to sensory stimuli like touch, textures, sounds, vision, tastes, smell, and movements.
- They have trouble performing and planning basic day-to-day tasks independently.
- They need help with dressing, cleaning the potty, brushing their teeth, donning and doffing the school bag, tying shoe laces or buttoning, etc.
- They have difficulty learning activities that require gross motor skills.
- They have weak grasp while holding objects.
- They tend to drop things frequently and appear to be clumsy.
- They have poor posture and balance.
- They tend to trip and fall frequently even when visual obstacles aren’t present.
- They tend to lean on nearby objects/walls/people who are in close vicinity.
They get easily tired while performing either gross motor or fine motor activities.
Your child might need Occupational therapy if
- They have delayed milestones.
- They have trouble with engaging in social situations.
- They struggle with play skills.
- They have trouble with writing neatly, or completing the written work.
- They apply too much pressure on pencil or complain of pain while writing.
- They have difficulty developing and maintaining an appropriate pencil grasp.
- While writing from a book or a board, they tend to skip words or lines.
- They have trouble with appropriate spacing and sizing of letters, while writing.
- They are bothered by ordinary household sounds.
- They cry or hold hands over their ears when exposed to loud sounds.
- They avoid playing with textured surfaces/objects.
- They gag at the thought of unappealing foods.
- They seem afraid of riding elevators or escalators.
- They pull away when touched lightly or distressed by the feel of new clothes.
- They show distress with hair/nail cutting.
- They have emotional responses or frequent behavioral meltdowns to sensory stimuli like touch, textures, sounds, vision, tastes, smell, and movements.
- They have trouble performing and planning basic day-to-day tasks independently.
- They need help with dressing, cleaning the potty, brushing their teeth, donning and doffing the school bag, tying shoe laces or buttoning, etc.
- They have difficulty learning activities that require gross motor skills.
- They have weak grasp while holding objects.
- They tend to drop things frequently and appear to be clumsy.
- They have poor posture and balance.
- They tend to trip and fall frequently even when visual obstacles aren’t present.
- They tend to lean on nearby objects/walls/people who are in close vicinity.
They get easily tired while performing either gross motor or fine motor activities.
If you are looking for Occupational Therapy services for your child or a young adult, get in touch with us at 9769611844 or email us at reachtcfc@gmail.com