Occupational Therapy
OT And Your Child Red Flags For Referral OT Pre-Consultation Questionnaire Occupational Therapy Team
At SPOT for Kids we are fortunate to have a group of Occupational Therapists, or OTs, who bring to the Practice and their work a wide range of experience in working with children in many settings, and with a wide range of diagnoses and needs. Although our primary area of expertise is in working with children and adolescents who have sustained an Acquired Brain Injury, several OTs at SPOT also have extensive experience in working with children with a diagnosis of ASD, in equipment prescription, splinting, developmental delays and play skills.
Occupational Therapy And Your Child
While most children cope well with the various social and learning opportunities of Preschool, some children, for a range of reasons, find it difficult to master the skills required for them to participate in their Preschool program in a successful, confident, independent and productive way. Occupational Therapists can often assist in the process of identifying the particular issues that are interfering with a child’s development, learning and participation through observation and assessment. They will work with the child, their parents, their teachers and other significant people to develop programs and strategies that create opportunities for that child to improve the sensory, physical, pre-academic, social or emotional abilities that they need to enjoy and learn from Preschool.
Paediatric Occupational Therapists are health professionals who focus on the child and the activities and tasks that the child has to, needs to or wants to do but are having difficulty completing at a level that is satisfying to them, effective or age-appropriate.
This could include:
- Personal care skills such as using cutlery, dressing, hand washing or going to the toilet
- Sensory processing skills such as touching or eating various textures, managing different levels of noise, being able to sit still and listen or seeking or avoiding certain movement experiences
- Physical skills such as holding a pencil or scissors, balancing to ride a bike or scooter, skipping, jumping and climbing, using two hands at the same time, building with Lego or following sequences of movements in dancing and songs
- Cognitive (thinking) skills such as following instructions, planning and organizing games and play, problem solving, paying attention/concentrating or remembering information.
- Visual perceptual (looking) skills such as recognising shapes, letters or numbers, finding one thing amongst others, recognising objects when they can only see part or remembering what they have seen
- Social skills such as making eye contact, remembering social rules about touching, people’s space, or sharing and listening.
All of these impact on the child’s ability to play, to interact, to learn and to live in a way that brings satisfaction, success and development. An Occupational Therapist may be involved in working with your child in a number of ways:
1. Assessment
This involves an evaluation of developmental and performance skills and how these relate to home, school and play environments reviewing progress.
2. Treatment
Providing therapy and home programs to maximize the child's skills center or home visits and discussions with care givers/parents.
3. Consultation
This may involve the provision of written information (reports, programs), or collaborating with schools and other health professionals. Specific occupational therapy assistance may include physical rehabilitation, activity programs, use of adapted techniques, provision of aids and assistive devices, developing learning strategies and counseling.
Please refer to our Red Flags For Referral form here.
Occupational Therapy Pre-Consultation Questionnaire
It would be helpful if you were able to make a few notes about your child’s development and abilities in various areas prior to their first occupational therapy consultation.Please click here to fill out and submit the pre-assessment questionnaire.
You may also like to send some examples of any relevant therapy/neurological or orthopedic reports in an email or fax.