What is Occupational Therapy?
Many kids struggle with schooling, social play, or daily routines. There are many reasons why a child can’t succeed in these activities. Common difficulties are attention problems, fine motor difficulties, sensory overload or clumsiness.
Children with diagnoses like Dyspraxia, ADHD, Autism or Sensory Processing Disorder benefit from Occupational Therapy. Kids who were born premature or present some developmental delay benefit from early intervention that includes OT services.
Many kids with some specific struggles, but without a specific diagnose can boost their self confidence and increase their occupational performance when receiving OT services.
What kids benefit from Occupational Therapy?
Pediatrics Occupational Therapists are mental health providers, part of multidisciplinary medical teams, that work with children to promote their best level of development and achievement in school and at home, in their free time and in their social interactions.
Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children to participate fully in school activities, social situations and everyday habits.
Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment and/or task to fit the person, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team. It is an evidence-based practice deeply rooted in science.
For more information about OT, I invite you to visit the website of the American Association of Occupational Therapist (AOTA).
School Based Occupational Therapy
School based occupational therapy is a growing area area of intervention oriented to help kids develop skills aimed primarily to support academic achievement.
Common occupational therapy interventions at school include:
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Classroom skills (handwriting, handling school tools, organization skills, visual perceptual abilities, etc.)
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Self care skills through the day
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Social participation/ social skills training/ play related skills
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Mobility/ gross and fine motor training
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Social emotional learning for self regulation
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Assistive technology needs
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Sensory processing
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Assessment to state the need of accommodations/modifications to perform IB exams
