The Basics on Occupational Therapy

An occupational therapist is a medical professional who evaluates and treats children and adults who have difficulty participating in “occupations” or meaningful activities relevant to their daily lives.  A common misconception is that occupational therapy is specifically for adults as children do not have “occupations,” but a child’s main job is playing and learning.  An occupational therapist evaluates a child’s skills for playing, school performance, and daily activities and compares them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.

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Occupational therapy focuses on helping people with their day-to-day tasks that “occupy” their time, enabling them to contribute to the wider community.  It equips children and adolescents with the necessary tools to improve their fine and gross motor skills, resulting in the ability to participate as fully as possible in school and extracurricular activities.  Occupational therapy promotes independent living and a fulfilling life to follow.

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), kids with these medical problems might benefit from occupational therapy:

• Birth injuries or birth defects
• Sensory processing disorders
• Traumatic injuries (brain or spinal cord)
• Learning problems
• Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorders
• Mental health or behavioral problems
• Developmental delays
• Post-surgical conditions
• Spina Bifida
• Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, chronic illnesses, and other developmental abnormalities

Occupational therapists might address some of the following:

• Decreased range of motion (head, neck, and body movements)
• Decreased strength (activities like: bear walking, wheelbarrow walking, or holding positions like superman)
• Fine motor skills (increase speed and legibility of handwriting, cutting skills, using a pincer grasp, grasping and releasing toys or buttoning a shirt)
• Self-care (dressing, grooming, brushing teeth, and feeding skills, evaluate a child’s need for specialized equipment such as bathing equipment or dressing devices)
• Bilateral coordination (using both hands, like tying shoes or catching a ball)
• Visual perception (organizing visual information like a puzzle)
• Sensory processing skills (responding to sensory experiences such as through touch, taste, sound, and movement)
• Hand-eye coordination (hitting a target, batting a ball, copying from a blackboard)