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Occupational therapy will help your child with the job of living: playing, learning, and carrying out daily tasks like going to the toilet, writing, brushing teeth and getting dressed. For children with illnesses, injuries, or disabilities, occupational therapy helps them with vital skills that will allow them to participate fully in life. Other children may need help with fine motor skills, cognition or even anger management. An occupational therapist can help your child become more competent, and help improve his or her self-esteem.

How occupational therapy works

For children, who learn through playing, occupational therapy uses fun, educational activities to help children with life skills. Toys are used to work on fine motor skills, helping children grasp and release. Hand-eye coordination is developed through activities like throwing balls at targets, hitting balls with bats, or copying words written by an occupational therapist on a blackboard. For children with behavioural issues, occupational therapy can help children deal positively with anger, for example, by helping them express their feelings and take part in physical activities rather than acting out.

What occupational therapy can help with

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Children with learning problems and developmental disorders, as well as mental health problems, can benefit from occupational therapy. Occupational therapy is also useful for injured children, including those with burns, broken bones, severe hand injuries and amputations. Autistic children and those with ADHD can also benefit from the help of an occupational therapist.

What to expect

Once a doctor or teacher has suggested your child may benefit from occupational therapy, an occupational therapist will interview parents and teachers and evaluate the child to obtain a holistic picture of his or her development. From this, the therapist will develop a treatment plan, and your child will attend regular occupational therapy sessions. After a period of therapy, the occupational therapist will assess the progress made by the child, and decide whether further intervention is necessary.

Tags: children, toys