Does my child need occupational therapy?
Firstly, let’s look at what occupational therapy actually is…
Paediatric occupational therapists work with children to develop independence in their everyday tasks. Children’s primary everyday ‘occupations’ include being a student, friend and player. Occupational therapists (OT’s) can assist children in developing functional skills to perform to the best of their ability in these roles.
OTs think about the environment in which a task is performed. When working with children, tasks addressed are mostly classroom, playground, home or community based. Examples of classroom tasks an OT may work on with a child include writing a story, cutting a picture or participating in group time. Examples of playground tasks may include playing on equipment, playing a game with a friend, or engaging in pretend play. Home or community based tasks may include getting dressed, completing homework or riding a scooter / bike.
Does my child need occupational therapy?
If you find that your child is having difficulty or can’t do a task that they need or want to do, and it is appropriate for their age, occupational therapy may be able to help.
As a general guide, we have created checklists based on age – the full checklist is available on our ‘Does My Child Need Occupational Therapy?’ page. It is important to note that these checklists are purely a guide and children develop at different rates and ages.
Below are a few skills your child may demonstrate taken from the full checklist:
- 18months-2 years = My child is starting to assist with dressing themselves, they are running and jumping and starting to scribble with a pencil
- 3 years = My child is starting to recognise numbers and letters, plays happily with other children and can catch, kick and throw a ball
- 4 years = My child can name shapes and count to 10, dresses and undresses themselves and can colour in pictures
- 5 years = My child knows the letters in their name, sits at a table and enjoys pen and paper activities and plays on playground equipment outside
- Primary School = My child can get ready for school on their own, can cope in a noisy classroom without getting distracted and can read and understand spelling rules at a similar level to their classmates
- High School = When handwriting, my child doesn’t get cramps, their handwriting is legible and they are able to focus and get ideas onto the page
It’s always a great idea to try working on these tasks at home first. Feel free to check out our blog for a range of information about various topics, or give us a call to speak with one of our therapists.