Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy (OT) helps people who struggle to do everyday tasks because of poor motor skills. For kids, that includes tasks that are part of learning and functioning well at school. OT works on the skills kids need to do the things they struggle with, from zipping their coat to writing and typing.

OT is a treatment that works to improve fine and gross motor skills and motor planning. It can also help kids who struggle with self-regulation and sensory processing. The therapy is tailored to a child’s specific needs. Before it begins, an occupational therapist (an OT) looks at a child’s strengths and challenges, and the tasks that child has trouble with. The OT will then create a program of activities for the child to work on. Here are examples of the tasks and skills OTs might focus on:

OT consists of exercises and activities to build specific skills that are weak. For example, if a child has very messy handwriting, therapy may include multisensory techniques to help with handwriting. If a child struggles with focus, the therapist might have that child do full-body exercises before sitting down to do homework. The earlier a child starts OT, the more effective it tends to be. Being able to do basic tasks can also help build up kids’ self-esteem and confidence, which can drop when they are struggling, especially in front of their peers. Kids who struggle with motor skills tend to be uncoordinated and are often clumsy. Being seen as “different” can put them at risk of being bullied and make them feel like victims. Talk to your child about the strengths that can come from challenges. You can also download growth mindset worksheets to help your child be optimistic about improvement.

Kids with certain challenges often need OT. One condition that impacts motor skills is developmental coordination disorder (sometimes called dyspraxia.) There are a number of activities therapists might use to help improve skills. One exercise for fine motor skills might be for kids to pick up items with tweezers. To help with hand-dominance, kids may practice cutting out things with scissors. To build gross motor skills, kids may do jumping jacks, catch balls of different sizes, or run obstacle courses. Learn more about how OTs work with kids who need help with motor skills. OT can also be a big help for kids who have trouble with sensory processing. When kids struggle to process sensory information, they may overreact or underreact to things they hear, see, taste, touch, or smell. That can lead kids to have meltdowns or become hyperactive. In this case, therapists might design a sensory diet. This plan is a series of physical activities and accommodations tailored to give kids the sensory input they need. OTs may also use heavy work to help kids who seek or avoid certain kinds of sensory input. Occupational therapy may also help kids with other challenges like dyslexia, visual processing issues, executive functioning issues, and dysgraphia.