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CatherineWhiting@gmail.com

About Occupational Therapy

Pediatric occupational therapy is a medical profession which uses therapeutic purposeful activities to help children function better physically, emotionally, academically, and socially in their daily activities. Services may include assessment to determine strength/needs; collaborating with teachers, families, and community team members on environmental and material adaptations; developing strategies to enhance performance; and providing individualized client interventions. An occupational therapist takes a holistic view of the child and uses an extensive variety of strategies to meet a child’s individual’s needs.

Areas of Assessment and Intervention:
• Muscle tone, strength, range of motion
• Balance and postural reactions
• Motor planning, initiating, sequencing, executing
• Fine motor abilities (grasping, strength, dexterity, handwriting)
• Gross motor abilities (bilateral coordination, endurance, ball skills, speed)
• Visual skills (perception, memory, discrimination, visual motor)
• Self-care skills (eating, dressing, etc.)
• Pre-academic skills
• Sensory integration (see About Sensory Integration)
• Play skills
• Social skills

Complementary Interventions:
I strongly believe in the efficacy of my profession. But OT intervention is only one piece of the puzzle for most children. Besides motor and sensory issues, keep in mind that many factors influence development and behavior: nutrition, allergies, neurological status and maturity, sleeping patterns, attention, vision, hearing, temperament, environment, illness, etc. Parents are encouraged to check with other medical personnel if some issues are not being resolved. Has your child had his or her eyes checked? If the diet is limited, is he or she getting enough of the right nutrients or too much of another? Is he or she involved in a wide variety of developmental activities (gross motor, creative, quiet, etc.) or maybe too many? Would a medication or herbal supplement take the edge off of their anxiety? Are the negative behaviors solely due to sensory issues or do they need to be addressed with behavior modification techniques and counseling?