Pediatric occupational therapy helps children develop physical, sensory, and/or cognitive skills needed to grow into functional individuals.
Occupational therapy addresses areas of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, visual motor, and perceptual skills, sensory processing, emotional regulation, social-emotional skills, executive functioning skills, self-care skills, and play exploration.
Many skills that affect daily participation and function can be helped by occupational therapy. Handwriting difficulties may have an impact on school participation. Fine motor skills can have an impact on self-care tasks like feeding, dressing, and grooming. Gross motor skills can influence how a child navigates a space in a safe and purposeful manner. Visual motor and perceptual abilities that can influence learning, reading, writing, and play. Sensory processing issues can interfere with self-regulation and emotional regulation. Transitioning to different environments and activities throughout the day may be hampered by difficulties in these areas. Children may struggle to regulate their emotions and may require additional assistance in learning how to connect the body and mind in order to calm their nervous systems during meltdowns or tantrums. Executive functioning skills can have an impact on a child’s ability to organize thoughts and tasks, making it difficult for them to follow routines and gain independence, as well as impairing their ability to come up with their own ideas and problem solve throughout t
he day. Occupational therapists specialize in using a child’s interests to engage them in learning and developing skills that will help them function as independently as possible while also building confidence.
Occupational therapists are skilled at taking a skill-building activity and grading it to meet your child at the appropriate level of difficulty. They are trained to modify activities and tasks to allow your child to develop a wide range of skills in the most enriching, enjoyable, and gentle manner possible. Occupational therapists genuinely enjoy assisting children in discovering interests, and leisure activities, and connecting with the world in a way that promotes self-esteem, self-love, and happiness.
Schedule a Visit with Our Team
If you’re looking for an occupational therapist to help your child with physical, sensory, or cognitive difficulties, the Crossroads Occupational Therapy team is here to assist. Please reach out to schedule a consultation or visit our Occupational Therapy page to learn more about our team and the services we offer.
