What is Occupational Therapy?
Did you know children have occupations too, just like adults? From dressing and eating to playing, learning, and writing, children have important daily tasks that help them connect with their world. Occupational Therapy helps children develop the skills they need to complete these tasks and gain independence.
We Can Help With Fine, Gross, and Visual Motor Skills
- Fine Motor: Coordinating small muscles in the hands, fingers, and eyes.
- Gross Motor: Whole-body movements using large muscles.
- Visual Motor: Coordinating visual input with motor movement (e.g. hand-eye coordination).
- Underlying Abilities: Skills like crossing the midline, bilateral coordination, and hand strength.
We Can Help With Handwriting Skills
- Postural Control: Supporting body position for writing.
- Legibility: Improving how well writing can be read.
- Speed: Writing at an appropriate pace.
- Copying and Independent Writing: Building skills to copy text and write on their own.
We Can Help With Self-Care
- Dressing: Learning how to dress independently.
- Eating and Toileting: Supporting self-care routines.
- Sleeping and Hygiene: Developing routines for personal care and rest.
- Self-Organisation: Helping children organise their daily tasks.
We Can Help With Sensory Processing
Helping children understand and respond to sensory information from:
- Vision, Hearing, Touch, and Movement: Helping children process and react to sensory input.
We Can Also Help With
- Emotional Regulation: Helping children manage emotions.
- Social Participation: Building skills for interacting with peers and adults.
- Executive Functioning: Organising, staying on task, and self-monitoring.
- Visual Perception: Recognising, recalling, and understanding visual information (e.g. finding shoes in a messy room).
- Praxis: Developing the ability to plan and carry out tasks.
- Understanding Routines: Helping children follow familiar routines.
- Safety: Teaching important safety skills.
Worried About Your Child’s Ability to Complete Daily Tasks?
It’s not always easy to know if your child is on track with their development. If you have questions or concerns, we’re here to help. We’ve created free developmental checklists to help you understand what skills are expected at each age:
Still Not Sure? Book a Free Quick Check!
If you’re unsure, why not book a free quick check? You can meet with one of our therapists, who will discuss your concerns, spend time with your child, and help you decide if an assessment is needed. Contact your local clinic to learn more today.
Alternatively, if you are interested in booking an assessment to get a more in-depth idea of your child’s skills, you can learn more about our assessment process here: