CONTRIBUTED BY DANA FERNANDEZ, OT
- Occupational therapy focuses on helping your child become more independent and confident in their abilities and be able to do the things they want and need to do.
- Activities are another word for “occupations.” Occupations for a child can include dressing, sleeping, eating, playing, and learning.
- Play is a therapeutic tool. It is through play that children develop skills.
- Your child may be able to qualify for OT services through their school.
- Everyone has a sensory system. There are eight sensory systems.
- We are all selective eaters. If you are wondering if your child needs feeding therapy, ask yourself, “Is their feeding and eating impacting family mealtimes?”
- Your child can only make progress if there is consistency in attendance and follow-through of the home program provided.
- A therapy break is never a bad thing. It is a time to regroup, reflect, put skills into practice, recharge, and evaluate goals and needs when you return to therapy again.
- Just like adults, children also have bad days.
- When in doubt, ask your therapist if it is something that can be addressed in OT. The majority of the time, the answer will be yes.
