Occupational therapy (OT) supports children in becoming more independent and developing their cognitive, fine motor, physical, and sensory skills. When a child feels more confident and capable of doing things on their own, this can also have a positive impact on their behavior and self-esteem. Occupational therapists often focus on activities of daily living, which are basic skills children use every day to be more successful.
Some of the areas OTs might work on include hand dexterity, hand-eye coordination, pre-writing and handwriting skills, cutting skills, upper body strength and sensory processing. Your child may be practicing exercises that help them to better hold utensils as they eat, dress themselves, push the keys on a computer or phone, color or write their name, or better control their posture or arm movements.
As a parent, there are many ways that you can help your child carryover these skills from the therapy setting to home.
Occupational therapy can be a lot of fun and your child may not even realize they are practicing what they have learned. The more opportunities they have to practice, the better they can become at those skills and build on them to develop new skills. To learn more ways to help your child at home, contact PediaPlex about OT services.
Leave a comment and let us know how occupational therapy has benefitted your child at home.
