Main profession of a kid is to play, as a paediatric Occupational therapist we provide intervention by engaging kids in their Primary Childhood Occupation — PLAY! But paediatric occupational therapists don’t “Just Play”. We play with therapeutic approach to support the child with physical, sensory or cognitive difficulty to be independent as much as possible in all areas of life. With improved play, their self - esteem and sense of accomplishment increases.
With play child discover the opportunity to search for and experiment with alternative solutions to their problems.
OT consists of exercises and activities in manner especially designed for your child to build specific skills that requires attention and therapeutic support for e.g. If a child has messy handwriting his therapy plan may include multisensory technique to help with writing
The earlier a child starts OT the more effective it tends to be. Being able to do basic task can also help “build up kid’s self-esteem and confidence, which can drop when they are struggling especially in front of their peers.
Occupational Therapists Intervene
Help kids work on fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills;
Children with gross motor delays like jumping, hopping,
Children with sensory integration issues;
Delays in play and social interaction skills;
Address hand–eye coordination to improve kids' play and school related skills (hitting a target, batting a ball, copying from a blackboard, etc.)
Help kids with learn basic tasks and to suggest and create adaptive decide (such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves)
Help kids with behavioural disorders maintain positive behaviours in all environments (e.g., instead of hitting others or acting out, using positive ways to deal with anger, such as writing about feelings or participating in a physical activity)
Evaluate a child's need for specialized equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices, or communication aids
Work with kids who have sensory and attention issues to improve focus and social skills