Paediatric Occupational Therapists offer support and advice for children who are having difficulties in their everyday living skills.
Occupational therapists who work with children look at the relationship between the child, their occupational roles (the activities they need to perform in self-care, play and at school) and a range of other factors.
Occupational therapy services can be broken up into three categories:
- Assessment
- This involves an evaluation of developmental and performance skills and how these relate to home, school and play environments reviewing progress.
- Treatment
- Providing therapy and home programs to maximise the child’s skills centre, or home visits and discussions with care givers/parents.
- Consultation
- This may involve the provision of written information (reports, programs), or collaborating with schools and other health professionals. Specific occupational therapy assistance may include physical rehabilitation, activity programs, use of adapted techniques, provision of aids and assistive devices, developing learning strategies and counselling.
How can Occupational Therapy help your child?
An occupational therapist can help a child, their care givers/parents and other people in the child’s life to:
- Gain a better understanding of the child’s illness, disability or difficulties
- Learn ways to maximize the child’s performance in everyday living
- Promote and nurture the child’s strengths and self-esteem
Occupational therapy services are provided in a variety of settings including hospitals, community centres, private facilities and some educational facilities (e.g. schools and special units).
