Occupational Therapy
Children are naturally curious and want to explore and learn about their environment. They want to be involved in many of the activities that happen in their home. Pediatric Occupational Therapists (OTs) can evaluate how children use their upper body, hands, hand-eye coordination, self-help skills including dressing, feeding, helping with household chores. Occupational Therapists also help children with sensory issues and difficulties that may include: attention issues, aversion of certain activities and textures, increased attention to specific activities and objects, sleep difficulties, eating difficulties, etc.
At Assential Therapies our Occupational Therapists offer parent education about each child's challenges and diagnosis. We then help the families to learn new strategies to help support their child's fine motor, self-help and sensory development. We help guide families to learn and use specific strategies and techniques to help their child learn and participate in all activities. Our Occupational Therapists have access to our multi-disciplinary team to help to coordinate care and to treat the whole child and family. We work with a variety of medical professionals and specialists including pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons, orthotists, school district staff, etc.
Many parents and families have questions about how their children play, move and achieve their milestones. Some of the children who may benefit from an evaluation and treatment may include:
- Children who are difficult to calm or extreme in their reactions
- Children born with a known genetic condition or syndrome
- Children with high, low or fluctuating muscle tone (hypertonicity or hypotonicity)
- Children who have difficulties participating in daily activities such as dressing, brushing teeth, eating, etc.
- Children who have difficulties with play
- Children with attention issues
- Children who use one side of their body better or more than the other or have difficulties with coordination
- Children who have difficulties with handwriting
Difficulties with motor coordinator, fine motor skills, activities of daily living (ADLs) and sensory concerns may be addressed through evaluation and treatment as needed in individual or group Occupational Therapy.
