What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy helps to strengthen the coordination between the brain and the body to enhance the function of daily living for children. Therapy benefits children with learning and behavior disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, developmental delays, hearing and/or visual impairments, emotional disturbances, neuromuscular disorders or physical disabilities.
Addresses the following areas:
- difficulty with sensory processing
- feeding difficulties (using spoon or fork)
- fine motor skill coordination
- handwriting difficulties
- oral motor concerns
- positioning/splinting
- self help skills (dressing, ties shoes, buttons/ fasteners)
- upper extremity (arm/shoulder) disabilities
What is sensory integration?
Occupational therapy focuses on the organization of sensory information for the use in the classroom, on the playground, in activities of daily living, and relationships and interactions with others.
"Sensory" pertains to our senses; hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste, and perception of motion, movement and gravity.
"Integration" is the process of unifying or allowing the brain to use the information that the senses take in.
What is an occupational therapy screening?
An occupational therapy screening is a basic look at your child's fine motor coordination and independence with self care skills to determine the need for further evaluation. Your child may need a screening if you have concerns regarding the above mentioned areas or is not meeting age excepted sensory-motor milestones.
Download our screening brochure. The screening will take place at your child's school or daycare. Please ask your school's director to contact us to set up screenings at your school!
What is an occupational therapy evaluation?
During the evaluation, your child will participate in a one on one assessment with an
Occupational Therapist for an in-depth look at his or her fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills, self-help skills, sensory processing, and modulation. Formal testing measures will be used to determine your child's current level of functioning in these areas. Evaluations can be conducted in our clinic settings, as well as, out in the community in schools, pre-schools and daycare settings. Bilingual evaluations in Spanish and English are available upon request.
How do I get started?
Call our office to schedule an appointment. We take many insurances and private pay options. A referral from you Primary Care Physician/ Pediatrician may be needed for your child's evaluation to be completed. Download our pediatric case history form or bilingual pediatric case history form and bring it with you to your appointment.
The occupational therapy evaluation will take approximately one hour to complete. Assessments will be administered to determine your child's current level of functioning. Results from the assessment will be reviewed at the end of the evaluation with recommendations for treatment.
The Occupational Therapist will write the evaluation and submit to your insurance company for authorization. A copy of the evaluation will be mailed or emailed to you directly. Once insurance authorization has been obtained, you will be contacted by one of our Occupational Therapists to schedule your first appointment.
Our Occupational Therapy Services
Our Occupational Therapy Services are provided by a masters level and licensed occupational therapists with specialized training in working with the pediatric population. Our therapists use the latest cutting edge therapy techniques. Each therapist keeps abreast of current treatment techniques through a variety of continuing education courses.
Therapy sessions are designed around an individualized plan of care to address your child's specific needs to provide them with the greatest quality of life. Detailed
home exercise programs are available to incorporate therapy techniques into the home and community settings. Therapy will be conducted based on the frequency determined during your child's evaluation. Therapy can be conducted in one of our area clinics, in your home or your child's daycare through our involvement in the Early Steps Program, at your child's preschool or school. (Determination of therapy location maybe made based on your insurance and availability in therapists schedule.
Occupational Red Flag List
Possible Signs of Sensory Integration Dysfunction
Children usually display more than one of the following characteristics
- Overly sensitive to touch, movement, sights or sounds
- Easily distracted/ poor attention
- Activity level that is unusually high or low
- Inability to "unwind" or calm self down (self-regulation)
- Under-reactive to touch, movement or sounds
- Social/ Emotional problems
- Clumsy or uncoordinated
- Picky eater
- Oral sensitivity
- Does not tolerate teeth being brushed
- Oral motor (excessive drooling)
- Low tone
- Walks on toes
Imitating/ Copying Shapes
Children who have difficulty imitating/ copying shapes may need occupational therapy. The following are age appropriate fine motor skills.
- 2 years: draws a vertical and horizontal line
- 3 years: copies a circle
- 4 years: draws a cross
- 4 ½ years: draws a square
- 5 years: copies a triangle
- 6 years: copies a diamond
Fine Motor/ Visual Perceptual Skills
- Difficulty with puzzles
- Children over the age of four who have not established a hand dominance
- Trouble manipulating scissors (at 2-3 years of age, a child should be able to hold scissors and make snips)
- Difficulty with their grasp on writing utensils. At 3 ½ years of age a child should be utilizing a tripod grasp
- Stringing beads is difficult-at 3 years of age a child should string medium size beads
- Dressing skills are delayed-by age 3 a child should be attempting buttons