What is Occupational Therapy?

While connecting about mom-life over coffee, another Mom said to me, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if every kid could get the benefits of working with a great OT?”

I actually hear this quite often from parents who have seen the difference that pediatric occupational therapy can make for a child. Unfortunately, occupational therapy is often misunderstood. Most people think that therapy is only needed when they have a serious problem to solve, like recovering from an injury or learning to live with a new diagnosis. However, almost every kid can benefit from occupational therapy. Working with the right pediatric OT can help kids of all abilities feel more comfortable in their bodies and become the best versions of themselves. Let’s dive a bit deeper to see what I mean.

So… what is occupational therapy?

Occupational Therapy (OT) helps individuals throughout their lifespan engage in the daily activities (also known as “occupations”) that they need and want to do.

Occupational therapists help individuals restore the daily skills that they had prior to experiencing an injury, trauma, or medical event and build the skills that an underlying condition may be limiting them from accomplishing.

Pediatric Occupational Therapists specialize in working with children and address the barriers that may limit a child from engaging in the meaningful activities of being a kid.

What activities or “occupations” do kids really need?

A child’s main occupations are playing, participating in daily routines like bathing, getting dressed, eating, socializing with peers, transitioning between tasks, following directions, going to school, and learning – just to name a few. So many skills are required in order for children to participate in these activities without experiencing stress or barriers that limit their abilities.

Pediatric occupational therapists are certified and licensed graduate level professionals who are trained to evaluate and treat the whole child, addressing the physical, mental, and emotional components that a child needs to perform their daily activities. Pediatric occupational therapists have a strong background in understanding child development and help children succeed in everyday life.

Some settings that you may see pediatric occupational therapists include:

• Hospitals
• Outpatient clinics
• Schools
• Early intervention
• Home/community
• Outdoors

Sessions in each of these settings should focus on addressing meeting a child’s needs in that specific environment.

What areas can a pediatric occupational therapist help my child?

Typically, an occupational therapist will begin with an evaluation to assess your child’s current skills and determine the barriers that may be limiting your child. Then, the OT will break down the activity into simpler steps so that your child can build skills and reach the desired goal.

Some examples of skills to address include:

• Gross motor skills – how your child moves their body using strength, coordination and balance required to sit, walk, reach, play, and interact with others.
• Fine motor skills – how your child uses smaller muscles to use their hands and fingers to complete activities (using utensils, picking up objects, or using a pencil).
• Self-help skills – how your child is able to engage in daily activities to take care of themselves (dressing, eating, bathing, etc.).
• Visual skills – how the eyes, brain, and body work together to make sense of the environment to complete tasks like puzzles, walking around obstacles, or putting toys away.
• Executive functioning – how the body attends to tasks, thinks, plans, and organizes activities.
• Socialization & play skills – how children play with peers or independently in structured and unstructured environments.
• Sensory processing – how the body detects information in the external environment and responds to that information utilizing eight sensory systems

However, it may be challenging to know if what you are seeing in your child’s daily life really falls into one of those categories. Here are some common barriers that caregivers see that can be made easier by working with a pediatric occupational therapist:

• Sensory challenges (avoiding/seeking certain textures, movements, sounds, etc.)
• Feeding difficulties (breast/bottle feeding, starting solid foods, progressing textures, picky eating)
• Difficulty with transitions or following directions
• Hyperactivity or constantly moving
• Frequent tantrums or meltdowns
• Avoidance of daily routines (bathing, getting dressed, riding in the car, etc.)
• Missing or delayed developmental milestones
• Sleep challenges
• Behavior challenges
• Difficulty learning
• Poor handwriting

Occupational Therapy helps make life easier for you and your child–no wonder some parents said it would be amazing if every child could work with an OT.

But they can with the Functional Roots approach. Here’s what we do…

Functional Roots works with the entire family to build a foundation for growth meeting your child’s developmental goals in the environments that matter most – the home, community, and nature.

Although we work with individuals of all abilities and conditions, we specialize in sensory-motor development, feeding therapy, and reflex integration.

Functional Roots strives to provide families with options to support their child’s growth even before a concern arises. Connecting with other caregivers in the community alongside a Pediatric Occupational Therapist can help you feel more confident during your parenting journey.

If you’re tired of hearing “wait and see” when bringing up concerns with other providers, let’s chat.