What is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?

What is happening?

You’re finally okay with bringing your child to the playground.  He was born a few months premature, so you’ve always been very careful about his health.  That’s why he’s nearly two and a half and this is his first time around slides and swings and running on tanbark.  Except, he’s not running.  He’s not really doing much walking either.  He’s mostly falling down…a lot.

Or maybe your child has behavioral issues.  You’ve tried everything you can think of, even the advice of friends and family,  but nothing works.

Or he keeps dropping his sippy cup, his toys, basically anything that he tries to grab.  Even if you put something into his hand, eventually it falls out.

Or perhaps you have a child with autism, and you just wish he was able to do the things other kids his age are doing, like brush his teeth, tie his shoes, even play sports.

What do these things have in common?  A child in any of these scenarios could benefit greatly from seeing a pediatric occupational therapist.

What is an occupational therapist?

First of all, what is an occupational therapist?  An occupational therapist helps people perform the tasks and activities that are a normal part of everyday living, including their occupation.  For an adult, this could mean things like putting on clothes, eating, sitting at a desk, even leisurely activities like taking a walk or playing sports.  A child’s occupation includes making friends, playing, and going to school. 

Why would a child need an occupational therapist?

Not all children need the services of an occupational therapist.  In the broadest terms, children who experience developmental delays or who could face educational setbacks could benefit greatly from seeing an occupational therapist.  For some examples, children with:

• Sensory processing disorders
• Learning problems 
• Autism
• Mental health or behavioral problems
• Chronic illnesses like spina bifida and others

What does an occupational therapist do?

An occupational therapist, just like with an adult, would help a child have more control over his life, whether it comes to play, being ready to go to school, or just doing the things every child his age does.  Some examples of this are:

• The development of fine motor skills to do things like pick up crayons or use a computer or tablet
• Improve hand eye coordination so that the child can play sports like baseball and other games with peers
• Teach basic but important daily skills such as hygiene, putting on clothes and being able to feed oneself

An occupational therapist would also help determine if a child needed special equipment to do any of these activities, such as a wheelchair, bathing equipment, communication aids, etc.

How do I know if my child needs to see an occupational therapist?

Perhaps you’re not sure if your child needs to see an occupational therapist.  Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• Not walking or sitting at the typical age range 
• Difficulty using straws or scissors at the right age
• Has a hard time understanding the concept of left and right
• Excessive drool, or getting tired after eating
• Finds it difficult to socialize with peers or others, even family members
• Having difficulty transitioning between activities
• Seems to have a hard time maintaining age-appropriate attention span
• Dislikes feeling different textures, such as various types of clothes, sand, water, grass

These are just a few examples.  If you believe you recognize one or more of these signs, then perhaps it’s time to seek the services of an occupational therapist near you.  In the end, you know your child best, and if you feel like something could be wrong, it’s best to determine what it could be.  Just like with speech therapy, the sooner occupational therapy can begin, the more it will benefit the child.