What is Occupational Therapy?
Pediatric occupational therapy helps children reach their potential to fulfill their occupations. Children's occupations are activities that are meaningful to them. This may include play, self care, school participation, participation in leisure activities, and many other areas. Occupational therapists are experts in helping children and families to improve functional skills and increase independence. OT encourages the development of skills that children need to function and thrive.

Who may benefit from OT?
Children with varying needs and diagnoses can benefit from occupational therapy. Occupational therapy does not treat a diagnosis, but rather skill areas that are often impacted by specific diagnoses. 

Diagnoses Include:

Developmental Delay
Autism
ADD/ ADHD
Sensory Processing Disorder
Birth Injury or Defects
Learning Disability
Behavioral Diagnosis
Mental Health Diagnosis
Childhood Injuries
Cancer
Other Chronic illnesses
Skill areas include:

Fine Motor Skills
Motor Coordination & Strength
Sensory Processing
Self Care
Executive Functioning
Feeding
Attention/ Focus
Visual Motor and Perceptual Skills
Body Awareness
Self Regulation
Anxiety
 

Why choose OT?
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A child’s role in life is to play and participate in their daily activities. Pediatric occupational therapists evaluate a child’s current skills in regard to playing, school performance, and daily activities as compared to same age peers. OT clinicians help children perform daily activities that are challenging by addressing sensory, social, emotional, motor, and environmental concerns. 

What can families hope to see accomplished through OT?
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Clinicians work with children to achieve the following results:
  • Improve fine motor skills to grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills during the school years​
  • Address sensory and attention concerns to improve focus and social skills
  • Boost hand-eye coordination to improve play and school skills (hitting a target, batting a ball, copying from a blackboard, etc.)
  • Learn basic life tasks (such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves)
  • Assess a child’s need for specialized equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices, or communication aids