How do occupational therapists help children

These skills include fine and gross motor skills and motor planning. Therapists also work on coordination, balance, and self-regulation skills. Kids can get OT for free at school. But adults have to find a therapist who works privately.

Doctors can often recommend private occupational therapists. Insurance may or may not cover OT. The need for OT can come up at any age and for a wide range of reasons. But there are lifelong conditions that impact motor skills starting in early childhood. One of them is developmental coordination disorder DCD. And the earlier OT starts, the better. Therapists start by looking at strengths and challenges. Then they create a program of exercises and activities that focus on the motor skills that need improving.

For example, activities to build fine motor skills might include picking things up with tweezers. Exercises to improve gross motor skills might include jumping jacks or running an obstacle course.

For someone who struggles with motor planning, therapists might work on daily routines like getting dressed. They help people learn the initial steps and the sequence of tasks that follow. Many kids who need OT get it for free at school. This service is usually part of a special education plan. Once mastered, this can make those mornings before school much more successful and enjoyable for kids! When children struggle with aspects such as printing or attention this can have a significant impact on how they accomplish all the other learning that they need to do.

OTs can support children to develop printing skills by building strength in their hands and arms and by improving their pencil grasp and coordination. Play Skills: Play, play, play! That is what kids do all day, everyday and there is a reason for that.

Playing is incredibly important to help children develop social, cognitive, motor, and interactive skills. When children have trouble engaging in play it can impact all of these areas. When children struggle with regulation this can have a significant impact on their social and emotional well-being. OTs can help children develop skills to monitor their regulation, develop better ways to regulate, and provide activities to address any sensitivities that may be impacting their regulation.

Such delays, if not addressed, will make academics—turning pages, writing, using a computer—that much harder. They also come into play with regard to self-help skills including buttoning, zipping and using utensils see below. OTs employ many fun techniques to help develop fine motor skills. For instance, a dot dot paint activity helps develop control, dexterity and the thumb-and-finger hold, aka the pincer grasp, key to using a pencil or fork.

Popping bubble-wrap also develops the pincer grasp, along with dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Simple activities like picking up coins with one hand require manipulating small objects. Lacing helps develop fine motor coordination and also provides a visual focus. Preschoolers who play pickup games with larger tweezers graduate to Operation. Varying resistant consistencies of Theraputty increase both hand and finger strength and dexterity. To become proficient in self-help skills, children may need to work on fine motor skills for things like dressing and undressing buttoning, zipping, tying shoes , grooming brushing hair and teeth, using the toilet and eating holding and using utensils.

OTs will model and practice these skills with clients, using many of the techniques noted above. Biel and Peske offer many tips to help children through challenging experiences including teeth brushing desensitize gums; switch toothpastes , bathing cover the face to avoid splashing and shopping avoid peak hours; let your child push the cart to get deep input.

Karla believes feeding therapy has helped Little Miss enormously. Get this as a PDF. Enter email to download and get news and resources in your inbox. Share this on social. When kids show delays in developing skills, OTs are often the first called in Beth Arky. What You'll Learn What do occupational therapists do? Where can you find OTs? What kinds of issues do OTs treat? Quick Read. Full Article. Where do you find OTs?

What are sensory processing issues? How do OTs help kids with sensory issues? Helping with gross motor skills. Helping with fine motor skills. Beth Arky.