Occupational Therapy

OT helps kids play, improves their school performance, and aids their daily activities. It also boosts their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment. With OT, children can:

• Develop fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting or computer skills.

• Improve eye–hand coordination so they can play and do needed school skills such as bat a ball and copy from a blackboard.

• Master basic life skills such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing teeth, and self-feeding.

• Learn positive behaviors and social skills by practicing how they manage frustration and anger.

• Get special equipment to help build their independence. These include wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices, and communication aids.

Who Might Need Occupational Therapy?

OT can help children and teenagers who have:

• birth injuries or birth defects

• sensory processing disorders

• traumatic injuries to the brain or spinal cord

• learning problems

• autism

• juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

• mental health or behavioral problems

• broken bones or other orthopedic injuries

• developmental delays

• post-surgical conditions

• burns

• spina bifida

• traumatic amputations

• cancer

• severe hand injuries

• multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other chronic illnesses

How Do Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Differ?

Physical therapy and occupational therapy both help improve a childs' quality of life, but there are differences. Physical therapy (PT) helps with:

• pain

• strength

• joint range of motion

• endurance

• gross motor skills (large-muscle movements made with the arms, legs, feet, or entire body)

Occupational therapy helps with:

• fine motor skills (small-muscle movements made with the hands, fingers, and toes, such as grasping)

• visual-perceptual skills

• cognitive (thinking) skills

• sensory-processing problems