The main occupation of kids is playing. It allows them to explore their immediate environment, learn how to interact, and develop critical life skills. All these will help them to relate well with people and become independent someday.
However, some kids find it difficult to master the skills needed for navigating and investigating their environment without assistance. They may experience problems with gross or fine motor skills, visual-perceptual, sensory processing, and other skills. In such instances, pediatric occupational therapists can help to make the situation better. You can go to SuperTalkersTherapy to learn more.
What is Occupational Therapy?
It is a specialty in medical care that assists people of different ages who may have cognitive, physical, or sensory problems. Occupational therapy helps them to gain independence over every aspect of their lives. The therapists assist with the barriers affecting the affected person’s physical, emotional, and social needs.
In order for therapists to achieve their aim, they utilize everyday activities and exercises together with other therapies. They also help children to improve their daily functionality and school performance. As a result, occupational therapy boosts children’s self-esteem as well as a desire to accomplish more feats.
Furthermore, kids can achieve the following with occupational therapy:
- Development of fine motor skills to hold and release items and develop computer skills or good handwriting.
- Improvement of the eye-to-hand coordination to allow them to play as well as required school skills like copying from the board and batting a ball.
- Mastering primary life skills like self-feeding, brushing teeth, getting dressed, and bathing.
- Learning social skills and positive behaviors by practicing ways to manage anger and frustration.
- Acquiring special equipment for building independence. The equipment includes communication aids, dressing devices, bathing equipment, splints, and wheelchairs.
What is the Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy?
Occupational therapy and physical therapy are both important in the improvement of children’s lives. However, they are different. Physical therapy assists with the following:
- Gross motor skills like the large movement of the muscles done with the entire body, legs, or feet.
- Endurance
- Joint motion range
- Strength
- Pain
Occupational therapy, on the other hand, helps with the following:
- Sensory-processing challenges
- Thinking (cognitive) skills
- Visual perceptive skills
- Fine motor skills like the small movement of the muscles done with the toes, fingers, and hands.
Who Offers Occupational Therapy?
There are 2 professional practice levels. They are:
1. Occupational Therapist
This is designated as OT and the practitioner must have obtained a bachelor’s degree within 4 years of studying a course like health science, biology, or psychology. They must have also obtained an MSc in occupational therapy.
2. Assistant Occupational Therapist
This is designated as OTA. The practitioner must have an associate degree in any accredited OTA course. They carry out the treatment schedules that an OT develops, but they cannot evaluate patients.
Both the OTA and the OT must seat for a national exam and carry out supervised fieldwork to get certified. They also need a license before they can practice. They work in various settings, including children’s clinics, private practices, mental health institutions, rehab centers, schools, and hospitals.
Signs That Show Your Kid Needs Occupational Therapy
The following signs show that your child needs to see an OT:
1. Problems with Developing Fine Motor Skills
If your child is struggling with activities that require dexterity, strength, and control of the small muscles in the hand, they need to see an OT. Kids with this problem find it difficult to perform tasks that call for using utensils, stringing beads, drawing, and using scissors. If this problem is not addressed, children with delays in fine motor skill development may be unable to perform well in essential activities such as using computers and writing at school.
2. Difficulty in Achieving Developmental Milestones That Are Age-Appropriate
An OT helps children showing signs of delay in achieving developmental milestones. For instance, if your child is already one year old and not crawling or your two-year-old cannot walk steadily. It becomes an issue of concern for the parents.
In such instances, you should seek professional help from a medical practitioner. You can read this article to learn how to identify developmental delays in children.
3. Sensory Processing Issues
If a kid overreacts to smells, tastes, touch, and sounds, it is a sign that the said child may have problems with sensory processing. Kids with this problem may also be under sensitive and seek out sensations continuously by going around and constantly touching things.
4. Problems with Developing Gross Motor Skills
An OT can help kids having problems with developing gross motor skills, involving the use of the large muscles in the body. Kids who experience this issue will have problems with coordination, endurance, strength, and balance. This can limit the way they play catch, hop, walk, and climb stairs, among other tasks.
Generally, OTs helps kids with various problems such as:
- Chronic illnesses like cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis
- Sensory processing issues
- Hand injuries
- Pervasive development disorder or autism
- Post-surgical problems
- Developmental delays
- Traumatic injuries
- Birth defects or injuries
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Traumatic amputations
- Spina bifida
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Mental health problems
How to Find a Pediatric Occupational Therapist
If your child needs to see an OT, here are ways to find one:
- Ask your medical doctor for a referral.
- Speak with the school guidance counselor or nurse. They may recommend a specialist based on the child’s social or academic needs.
- Contact a rehabilitation center or nearby hospital for referrals.
- Visit the website of the AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) to find the one that practices in your state.
Conclusion
Occupational therapy for kids is aimed at helping them gain independence in all aspects of life. An OT assists children in developing vital skills for daily living like getting dressed and eating. Kids who are experiencing developmental delays could make significant improvements emotionally and socially when they work with therapists.