Occupational therapy helps children who may be challenged by various conditions to participate in their “occupations.” It assists with establishing and maintaining health, wellness, and maximizing quality of life through child and family-centered practices. Pediatric occupational therapy promotes function and remediates disability, provides support and education to families, and integrates well with additional health care providers.

FAQ’s: 

Q: What does Occupational Therapy work on?

A: Occupational therapy works on a variety of skills specific to each child we treat.

Fine motor, gross motor, visual motor/perceptual skills, handwriting, school reading and readiness, self-care skills, oral-motor skills, sensory integration, receptive language, expressive language, auditory processing skills, activities of daily living (ADL’s), and self-regulation/sensory modulation. This list is not all-inclusive, but hopefully you have the idea!

Q: What is my child’s occupation?

A: Grow, explore, learn, and play! Play is the most important childhood occupation. Through play a child develops physical coordination, emotional maturity (including emotional adjustment, stability and self-regulation), social skills to interact with peers, and self-esteem to explore new experiences and environments.

Become independent with ADL’s, i.e. dressing, feeding, bathing, etc.

Participate in school and extra-curricular activities.

Q: What is sensory integration?

A: Sensory integration refers to the process of the nervous system receiving messages from within the body and from the external environment and turns into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. For most of us, this sensory integration process occurs at an unconscious level. For others, this process happens inefficiently causing them to have great difficulty figuring out what is going on inside and outside their bodies.

Sensory Dysfunction may present as defensiveness to the environment or stimuli, i.e. gagging, light sensitivity, tags in clothing are bothersome, covers ears when loud sounds are present, does not accept hugs even when they like someone, irrational fear of heights, etc. Some additional signs of a child being unable to regulate/modulate themselves can be: inability to calm self after exercise or emotional situation, jumping or spinning excessively, flapping of hands when excited, over or under responsive to stimuli, displays excessive emotional or behavioral outbursts, etc.

Q: Who should seek occupational therapy services?

A: Children with or without a specific diagnosis.

Exceptionalities we work with include, but are not limited to Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down Syndrome, genetic disorders, Cerebral Palsy, learning disabilities, developmental delay, and sensory integration disorders.

Q: What ages qualify for services at your facility?

A: 0-18 years old.