Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) is a profession that uses goal-directed purposeful activity to promote health and independent functioning in individuals with disabilities. For children, OT is provided to assess and treat adaptive, fine-motor, visual-motor, visual-perceptual, and sensory-processing impairments. In addition, OT supports children’s participation in the home and educational environment. A child might benefit from direct intervention provided over several sessions or from consultation.

How does the Occupational Therapist help my child? Occupational therapists at Milestone use a variety of techniques and methods to develop foundational fine motor skills such as grasping in children with atypical development. Occupational therapists might address hand-eye coordination by working on assembling a puzzle, cutting, completing a maze, or copying words off the board. Sensory strategies that promote self-regulation are facilitated, and children with atypical social skills learn how to interact with others. In addition, home exercise programs and/or activities are provided to teach you how you can help your child at home.

What are some examples of diagnosis that children may have who come to Milestone for OT? A child with the diagnosis of autism who appears frightened when his/her feet are off the ground is a good example of a child who might benefit from occupational therapy. The therapist will gradually provide the child opportunities to participate in movement-based activities to decrease their defensiveness to vestibular input.

A child with the diagnosis of Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy is another example of a child who may benefit from receiving OT services. That child might not be able to independently self-feed due to increased muscle tone from the hemiplegia. The therapist can provide appropriate adaptive feeding equipment and utensils to promote independence with self-feeding.

Toddlers and Preschoolers are sometimes in OT because they have not developed age appropriate fine motor skills for tasks such as cutting with scissors, coloring, handwriting, and securing fasteners. An OT might provide upper extremity strengthening, motor control and manipulation activities to improve success with these activities. Each play scenario is tailored to the child’s strengths and weakness.

I think my child might benefit from coming to Occupational Therapy. How can we get started?
Frequently, a pediatrician and/or a parent initiate the referral to occupational therapy. In some instances, a specialist who interacts closely with the child in school, such as a teacher, may initiate the referral. Either way, an OT can examine and evaluate you child by arranging an evaluation appointment.