Does My Child Need OT?
First and foremost, let me take a moment to say that ALL human beings could benefit from engaging in the occupations that bring them meaning and value. Every child needs more play, and every child could benefit from occupational therapy!
But when we are investigating clinical need for services, here are some things that we look for:
Sensory Processing Challenges
At Play/Ground, we understand that functional sensory processing skills are essential for our kids to be regulated, connected, and ready to learn. However, some children have difficulty processing sensory information from their environment, which can lead to behaviors like avoiding certain textures, being overly sensitive to sounds, or seeking out excessive movement, crashing, or touch. If our nervous systems are not processing sensory information effectively, it can also impact our coordination, balance, ability to interact successfully with others, and calm our bodies . . . basically everything we do! Though we use multiple tools and frames of reference at Play/Ground, understanding a child’s foundational sensory processing skills is always our first step. Check out this brief sensory checklist to see if it resonates with your experience of your child.
Difficulty with Social Skills, Play, or Emotion Regulation
Children who struggle with social interactions, have trouble taking turns, or have challenges regulating big feelings may benefit from occupational therapy. At Play/Ground, we use strategies like breaking down social interactions into teachable steps and provide tons of opportunities to practice in a fun and safe environment. We facilitate social skills groups, role-playing, video modeling, and games that target skills like emotion regulation, winning/losing, and teamwork. Through play-based and FUN activities, we equip children with the social-emotional tools needed for successful interactions with all the people in their lives.
Attention and Focus Issues
Attention is the ability to stay focused on a task from the beginning until completion and allows us to “tune out” information that isn’t important to the task at hand. Our modern world is full of distractions, and many children struggle with this essential executive function skill. Play-based occupational therapy provides your child with multiple opportunities to practice and expand their abilities in ways that make them better learners at school and better regulated at home.
Struggles with Self-Care Tasks
So many foundational skills underpin our ability to care for ourselves! Just the act of brushing our teeth requires core strength, fine motor control, sensory tolerance, and sequencing. If your child has difficulty with any self-care: dressing, bathing, brushing their teeth, or toileting, occupational therapy can help pinpoint why and provide a plan for your kiddo to become more independent with these tasks.
Poor Coordination and Balance
If your child frequently trips, bumps into things, falls out of their chair, or has trouble with activities that require balance and coordination, occupational therapy can help! Through obstacle courses, trampolines, swings, and scooter boards, we work on improving gross motor skills, body awareness, and motor planning.
Difficulty with Fine Motor Skills
When a child has difficulty with tasks that require precise hand movements, such as buttoning clothes, using utensils, or grasping a pencil correctly, it really impacts their ability to be independent in day-to-day life. At Play/Ground, we use a whole-child approach to address any fine motor concerns starting with investigations of core strength, shoulder stability, hand strength, and dexterity. This is all done through play with ZERO boring drills or worksheets!
If you've noticed any of these signs, it is absolutely worth investigating if occupational therapy is right for your child.
Contact us to set up a complimentary consultation, and we can talk about how to meet your child’s specific needs.
Come play!
