OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OT)

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Sensory integration is the nervous system’s process of receiving messages from all the senses (touch, sight, sound, taste, smell, movement, and body awareness) and turning them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Children with sensory processing issues may fidget constantly, seem uninterested, or act out making it difficult to learn effectively. Occupational therapy will help pinpoint the sensory input your child needs to maintain focus and self-regulation needed to get through the day successfully.

Fine motor skill is the coordination of movement of the small muscles of the hands. This includes dexterity, grasp, object manipulation, strength and control of hand muscles in order to be successful with daily activities.

Children use fine motor skills when learning how to hold classroom and household objects, such as eating utensils, writing utensils, and manipulating small objects. Children with delayed grasping patterns may fall behind their peers, become frustrated and rely on adults to complete these tasks for them.

The small muscles of our hands must be well-developed in order to be successful in writing and drawing tasks. Children who have trouble copying shapes, coloring in the lines, or forming letters and sentences may benefit from occupational therapy intervention. At Treehouse, we utilize the Handwriting Without Tears program and a multisensory approach to make teaching handwriting fun.

We rely on our motor skills to complete many daily living activities, such as dressing, manipulating clothing fasteners, tying shoes, feeding, bathing and using the bathroom. Children with difficulty in these areas may have underlying weakness that can be addressed to facilitate independence in home, school, and community environments.

Along with the development of our hand muscles, hand-eye coordination is vital to success in school, play, and sport activities. Children who have trouble with cutting tasks, completing puzzles, and/or functional vision skills (such as tracking and scanning) may require skilled occupational therapy intervention to facilitate success.

Gross motor skill refers to the larger movements of the arms, legs, trunk, and entire body. This includes crawling, running, jumping and climbing in a coordinated and safe manner. These skills lay the foundation for improving skills that require more precision such as writing and reading.