What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapists help people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Pediatric occupational therapy focuses on helping children develop skills needed to engage in their occupations such as play, education and social participation.
Finger strength and dexterity for essential activities such as writing, buttoning or using utensils to eat.
Using our whole bodies, especially core stability muscles to accomplish crucial functions such as walking, jumping, sitting with good posture or dressing.
Integrating eyes and hands for fine and gross motor skills.
Coordinating lips, cheeks, tongue and jaw for meal time using sensory tools
Incorporating touch, vision, auditory, smell, taste, awareness of body and coordinating body for balance for optimal arousal
Personal activities that aim to take care of mental, emotional or hygienic health such as: dressing, toothbrushing, don/doff shoes or eating.
Ability to sustain attention while keeping emotions and body organized and regulated to participate in essential activities such as meal times, school and social interactions.
Ability to have an idea, plan and execute physical tasks by sequencing the movement desired, coordinating all parts of the body as well as using both sides of the body.
Being able to organize, emotionally regulate self and body in order to problem solve, plan, make decisions and recall things such as words, shapes and letters.