What is paediatric Occupational Therapy?
An OT is a trained practitioner who assists people in whatever their daily occupation is; for adults that's their job or living situation.
For a child though, it's things like;
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We can help with...
Sensory Processing is a term used to describe the way our brain responds to sensory information from our body and our environment. OT’s can help compensate and increase tolerances in all 7 areas of sensation; vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, proprioception (body awareness) and vestibular (inner ear sensation and balance).
Cognitive Skillsare our ability to think and apply the cognitive functions of our brains. Problem solving, learning ‘right from wrong’, behaviour management, impulse control, sequencing tasks, puzzles, memory and attention. The main way we help kids develop cognitive skills is through PLAY!
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Motor Skills are functions that need movement of our muscles perform specific acts. Touching your nose, for example. OT’s can improve both gross (big movements like walking and climbing stairs) and fine (small movements like handwriting) using functional tasks (things we need to perform), rather than ‘plain old exercises’.
Balance & Coordinationfits into motor skill and sensory processing, but is very important all on its own. An OT will work very closely with Physiotherapists to help improve children’s ability to participate in their chosen activity the best they can, to ensure that participation and engagement are enjoyable and valuable.
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Self Care Skillsare all the things we need to do on a daily basis to keep us clean and healthy. Not everyone learns these skills at the same time. Self care for children are things such as (not limited to), showering and bathing, dressing, feeding and eating, grooming (hair and teeth brushing), toileting (number ones and twos) and washing hands.
Complex needsinclude physical, cognitive and behavioural developmental delay. We can provide environmental assessment and recommendations, these include home modifications, wheelchair prescription, and other equipment needs that might enable your child to participate more fully.
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