Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy incorporates meaningful & purposeful activity that can allow individuals with limitations or impairments to achieve their full potential. The primary goal of Occupational Therapy is to enable people to participate as fully and independently as possible in their activities of daily life. Pediatric Occupational Therapists help children develop skills in the areas of self-care, school and play, which are a child’s main areas of occupation. By supporting children and enabling them to achieve their maximum potential, Pediatric Occupational Therapists indirectly work on developing confidence, self-esteem, social skills, play skills and general well-being. Based on a holistic vision of the human being the aim of therapy is to promote wellbeing and improve integration of the physical, cognitive and emotional aspects of an individual’s life.

Practices Used

Every person has different needs therefore various methods of practice are available and carefully selected to best suit each individual:

  • Sensory Integration Therapy
  • Use of both child-led and directed play
  • Astronaut Training Protocol (to facilitate in integration of the vestibular-visual-auditory systems)
  • Therapeutic Listening Program (to improve auditory processing)
  • Use of Yoga techniques

Who would benefit?

The Occupational Therapist works with people of all ages, from birth to adulthood, with various challenges including; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Delays, Sensory Processing Disorder, Down’s Syndrome, Learning Disability, Dyspraxia & Handwriting difficulties. Occupational Therapy can help children to over challenges in the following areas;

  • Fine motor skills

Fine motor skill (or dexterity) is the coordination of small muscles, in movements usually involving the synchronization of hands and fingers with the eyes.

  • Gross motor skills

Gross motor skills are involved in movement and coordination of the arms, legs, and other large body parts and movements. They participate in actions such as running, crawling, swimming, etc.

  • Attention

Many children these days are challenged with the ability to focus attention on what is happening in the class-room or even to what parents are requesting for even a few minutes, occupational therapy particularly Sensory Integration therapy addresses these issues extensively.

  • Coordination

Coordination is the ability to use all resources, physical, mental and emotional in order to achieve something.

  • Social skills

Social skills are the skills we use to communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language and our personal appearance.

  • Sensory integration

Sensory integration is the process by which we receive information through our senses, organize this information, and use it to participate in everyday activities.