Consult the Experts

Occupational Therapy sessions can make a child independent and confident in life. An occupational therapy expert evaluates the child’s condition to know what kind of difficulties are there with the child, like sensory, gross or fine motor skills. Based on the analysis, a goal is created for the child which can only be achieved via consistent intervention sessions. An occupational therapy expert evaluates the child’s condition to know what kind of difficulties are there with the child, like sensory, gross or fine motor skills. Based on the analysis, a goal is created for the child which can only be achieved via consistent intervention sessions.

• A child with autism might need OT due to sensory issues like touch or sound sensitivity.
• OT also helps children with poor handwriting.
• OT is helpful for toilet or self-feeding training of children as well.
• Some children might have issues with fine motor skills which affect their ability to handle small objects.
• Occupational therapy focuses on body functions and the ability to do basic things independently.
• It can help children with special needs to participate in social situations independently with confidence.

particular time period. A developmental delay, however is more than being a little behind other children in a skill; it is being behind in a combination of skills or not meeting development milestones. These are examples of developmental delays:

• Not reaching developmental milestones of sitting, crawling, and walking
• Not learning at an age appropriate level
• Not developing age appropriate play and social skills

picking up a spoon. If your child is struggling with fine motor skills, they may have difficulty with one of these actions:

• Manipulating toys and puzzles
• Holding a pencil
• Using silverware or straws at an age-appropriate time
• Using scissors
• Using zippers, buttons, shoelaces
• Coloring, drawing, tracing, prewriting shapes
• Poor handwriting, letter/number formation
• Not developing a hand dominance at an age-appropriate time
• Avoiding tasks and games that require fine motor skills

us control our body. A child who is behind in movement, strength, and/or balance may appear clumsy or uncoordinated. They may also have difficulty with these things:

• Going up and down stairs at an age appropriate time
• Coordinating both sides of the body
• Understanding the concept of right and left
• Poor ball skills
• Poor balance

Their muscle tone, or muscle tension and resistance, could be higher or lower than the appropriate developmental milestone. They might also:

• be fearful of feet leaving the ground
• doesn't cross midline of his or her body during play and school tasks
• avoids tasks and games that require gross motor skills

If your child has difficulty with one of these things, they may have difficult with visual processing:

• Difficulty with the spacing and sizes of letters
• Difficulty with recognizing letters
• Difficulty with copying shapes or letters
• Difficulty with visual tracking and crossing midline
• Difficulty finding objects among other objects
• Difficulty with copying from the board or another paper
• Difficulty with the concept of right and left

Your child may lose his or her place when reading or copying from the board or may have poor eye contact.

Delayed oral motor and sensory skills can show in one or more of these ways:

• Excessive drool
• Çhews food in the front of the mouth, rather than on the molars
• Difficulty using a cup at an age-appropriate time
• Difficulty with drinking from a straw at an age-appropriate time
• Lengthy bottle or breast feedings
• Tiredness after eating
• Baby loses excessive liquid from his or her lips when bottle or breast feeding
• Child loses excessive liquid or food from his or her mouth when drinking or chewing
• Child appears to be excessively picky when eating, only eating certain types or textures of food
• Child excessively mouths toys or objects beyond an age-appropriate time

Your child may be oversensitive to things around them and show the following symptoms:

• Overly sensitive or heightened reactivity to sound, touch, or movement
• Under-responsive to certain sensations (e.g., high pain tolerance, doesn't notice cuts/bruises)
• Constantly moving, jumping, crashing, bumping
• Easily distracted by visual or auditory stimuli
• Emotionally reactive
• Difficulty coping with change
• Inability to calm self when upset

those around us Your child may have delayed social skills if they show some of the following things:

• Difficulty interacting socially and engaging with family and peers
• Difficulty adapting to new environments
• Delayed language skills
• Overly focused on one subject (e.g., space, universe, dinosaurs, trains)
• Can't cope in the school environment

If your child is challenged by one of the following, you may want to consult an occupational therapist:

• Unable to concentrate and focus at school
• Easily distracted
• Difficulty following instructions and completing work
• Tires easily with school work
• Poor impulse control
• Hyperactivity or low energy
• Not keeping up with workload at school
• Difficulty learning new material
• Makes letter or number reversals after age seven

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy can help improve your child's behaviour, communication skills, mobility and balance through fun, challenging exercise and dynamic play.