What is Occupational Therapy? 

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Occupational therapy focuses on developing the skills needed for an individual to participate in daily activities or “occupations.” For children, these occupations include playing, learning, socializing, and essential self-care tasks such as eating and dressing. Occupational therapy aims to address developmental delays and challenges that impact a child’s ability to participate in these everyday tasks. During virtual therapy sessions, occupational therapists will tailor therapeutic activities to your child's specific needs and collaborate with parents on strategies to support their development. 

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How Do I Know If My Child Needs Occupational Therapy? 

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Several indicators that your child may benefit from occupational therapy include concerns with:

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• Delayed Developmental Milestones: Not meeting expected developmental milestones in areas such as gross motor skills (rolling over, crawling, walking), fine motor skills (grasping objects, stacking blocks), or self-care skills (feeding, dressing).

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• Sensory Processing: Over-reactivity or under-reactivity to sensory stimuli (lights, sounds, movement, textures) or exhibiting avoidance behaviors in response to sensory input. 

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• Self-Regulation: Persistent behaviors such as frequent tantrums, difficulty transitioning between activities, rigidity with routines, or difficulty sustaining attention that impact daily functioning.

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• Fine Motor Skills: Difficulty grasping objects, holding utensils, scribbling with crayons, pencil grasp, using scissors, forming shapes/letters, or performing tasks that require hand-eye coordination. 

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• Feeding: Difficulty with breastfeeding/bottle feeding, transition to solids, refusal of certain food tastes or textures, difficulty with chewing/swallowing, eating a limited diet, or difficulty self-feeding. 

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• Self-Care Skills: Difficulty with activities of daily living including feeding, dressing, grooming, or toileting independently.

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• Gross Motor Coordination: Frequent clumsiness, difficulty with balance, and challenges in coordinating movements such as jumping, climbing, or catching a ball. 

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It is important to recognize that every child develops at their own pace, and occasional difficulties with certain skills are common! However, if these challenges persist or significantly impact your child's ability to participate in daily activities, occupational therapy may be warranted. Depending on your child’s individual needs, virtual occupational therapy can effectively address challenges, enhance skills, and promote independence using a collaborative approach. To see if occupational therapy could help your family, take the Ladder Health Intake Screener here!