What is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist (OT)?

… and how can an OT help your child? 

What is Paediatric Occupational Therapy? 

Paediatric Occupational Therapy (OT) supports children, youth, and teens in areas of daily living that are meaningful and important to them. The approach incorporates a sensory rich environment that combines play and motivating activities to develop cognitive, sensory, and motor skills. 

Together, we identify goal areas, which include: 

Self Regulation 

• Does your child have a hard time keeping a calm body when things don’t go their way? Is losing a game against a sibling hard? Do transitions feel like a huge challenge? 

  • OTs can help children and their families, by practicing and implementing strategies, language, and tools to support self-regulation.

Self Care & Productivity Skills

• Does your child struggle to brush their teeth? Do they always need your help to get their clothes on? Does your teen have difficulty organizing and completing school work? 

  • OTs can help support children, youth, and teens with a variety of self-care and productivity tasks. OTs assess the task and introduce sensory, motor, and cognitive strategies and environmental modifications.

Fine Motor 

• Does your child have handwriting you can not read? Does holding a pencil look awkward? 

  • OTs can support children, youth, and teens whether to improve underlying fine motor skills, including hand strength, coordination, or working on skills such as handwriting, zippers, utensil use, scissor skills. 

Gross Motor 

• Does your child look clumsy or awkward? Are they unable to catch a ball? 

  • OTs can support balance, hand eye coordination, bilateral coordination, motor planning skills, core and upper body strength. 

Sensory Processing 

• Does your child or youth frequently cover their ears when there is a loud noise? Does their body get ‘out of control’ when they are excited? 

  • OTs can support children, youth, and teens to process, respond and understand the sensory world around them. OTs understand how the sensory system can impact self-regulation and social skills. 

Occupational Therapists are here to help. We provide a safe space to work together to achieve your desired goals!

To schedule a free consultation with our OT, click the button below!