It is important for people to realize that occupational therapy is not just for adults, but it is for kids as well. Pediatric occupational therapy focuses on helping children with a wide range of physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities to live as independently as possible in every area of life. OT can be used to help kids with different needs to improve their cognitive, sensory, physical and motor skills to enhance their sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.
Children should be able to play and learn with ease and occupational therapists can evaluate your child’s skills for school performance, play and daily activities. They will then compare them with the developmentally appropriate skills for the child’s age group. Occupational therapy assessment is an important step for assessing the child’s needs. The therapist can identify the areas of your child’s everyday life that are causing problems and will discuss the needs and explain the help available.
What you need to know
In most cases, you can get a free assessment of your child and you will also receive free advice or information. This is a great way to evaluate your child’s development both in and out of school. Like most parents, you are probably wondering why your child needs an occupational therapy assessment. The goal of the assessment is to identify areas of strength and weakness and it can help to figure out your child’s behavior. The assessment helps to set treatment goals and priorities through a process that will uncover any underlying issues causing the child’s difficulties.
What the evaluation involves
During the assessment, the therapists try to learn as much as possible about how the child functions in his or her daily environments at home and school, or in other settings like parties, play dates, movies and during after-school activities. The underlying skills that are evaluated may include social visual perception, fine motor skills, core strength, gross motor skills, social skills and sensory integration among others. In some cases, the assessment is limited to a particular area of function such as play skills, handwriting or self-care. They are usually conducted where specific issues have been identified.
Getting evaluation at school
There may be situations where it is necessary for the evaluation to be done in school. If a child is having difficulty in school such as behavior issues, fidgeting, problems with attention and difficulty playing with others, a school visit may be necessary. There are many cases where the teacher has pointed out issues that the parent may not have noticed or identified. When a therapist observes the child in the classroom environment, he or she is able to understand some of the specific challenges that the child may be facing. This is also a great opportunity to find out the opportunity and support that the child has.
