What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy addresses any barriers that affect someone’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. More specifically, occupational therapy for kids and teens addresses concerns with things such as self-care skills, including feeding, bathing, and dressing; fine motor skills, including writing, tying shoes, and picking up small objects; neuromotor development; and sensory integration. A child’s occupation is to play. Children learn, explore and participate with others every day. Occupational therapists provide three basic areas of support for children: motor, cognitive, and sensory. An occupational therapist can help a child attain greater independence in daily routines and activities.
Our occupational therapists will complete an initial evaluation to become familiar with your child’s strengths, weaknesses and daily routine. Following the evaluation, they will create an individualized treatment plan and goals to address any concerns with development. We take pride in making therapy enjoyable and fun for your child, so that they can be motivated to live their life to their greatest potential.
Through demonstrated excellence in clinical, school, and home-based practice, our Occupational therapists provide screening, assessment, consultation, and treatment in the following areas:
- Sensory Integration
- Interactive Metronome ®
- Therapeutic Listening®
- Handwriting Without Tears®
- SOS Feeding Therapy ®
- School-Related Skills
- Gross and Fine Motor Development
- Early Intervention Services
- Feeding and Oral Motor Development
- Balance and Coordination Skills
- Age-Appropriate Daily Living Skills/ Self-Help Skills
- Handwriting Skills
- Adaptive Equipment Purchasing and Modification
- Articulation and Language Development
- Augmentative Communication
We offer Occupational Therapy services to children birth through adolescence, with a wide variety of needs and diagnoses:
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD & ADHD)
- Sensory Processing Disorder
- Learning Disability
- Developmental Delay
- Downs Syndrome
- Feeding Disorders
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Behavioral and Emotional Disorders
- Orthopedic Impairments
We also provide Family Support Services such as:
- Development of Home Programs and Sensory Diets
- Home Sensory Gym Design
- Preschool and School Consultations
- Parent Consultations
View our OT Screening Checklist here!
Occupational Therapy (OT) promotes health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful occupations. A pediatric occupational therapist and child work together to develop and/or improve the necessary skills for daily living through activity and play, which is a child’s main occupation. Some other occupations a child may have are: learning, going to school, performing self-care skills, etc. Occupational Therapy focuses on developmental skills that are required for fine and gross motor coordination, school readiness, and self-care. OT’s also provide treatment to help improve focus and attention, play and social interactions, eye-hand coordination, regulatory behaviors, and more. Occupational Therapists use play, toys, music, and games to motivate children to achieve the goals of therapy.
Take a look at our Occupational Therapy Referral Checklist to help you determine if an Occupational Therapy referral is needed. If you are concerned about your child’s development of feeding skills, motor skills, handwriting/school skills, self-help skills or their ability to handle a variety of sensory input, please contact us to schedule an appointment. A developmental screening is free and will help you determine if an evaluation is necessary.