Benefits Of Occupational Therapists For Children

Over the years, there has been a lot of misconceptions about occupational therapy for children. These misconceptions stem from the fact that do not have a complete understanding of the essence of occupational therapy.

Occupational therapy is a branch of health care that assists people of different ages who have sensory, physical, or cognitive problems. Children can benefit from this therapy as it helps them develop their skills as well as their sense of independence in different areas of life. Occupational therapists (OT) assist with overcoming barriers that may be affecting an individual’s life.

You will find that OT helps children improve their academic performance, play with their mates, as well as improve in the execution of their daily activities. It is recommended that you contact experienced occupational therapists if there’s a need for their services in your home. You can visit SuperTalkersTherapy to learn more about what to expect from experienced therapists.

Types of Occupational Therapy

The following are some types of OT:

OT for Autism

This area is responsible for assisting children, adolescents as well as adults overcome communication and social difficulties. Sessions under this specialty are conducted in a daycare or school where the child attends daily.

Geriatric OT

This type is focused on basic daily activities. As some people advance in age, they may lose the ability to carry out basic daily tasks that a lot of people take for granted. Swallowing, chewing, bathing, toileting, getting out of bed as well as controlling the bowels and bladder may become increasingly difficult by the day.

The people affected by this condition may be required to relearn several skills after they have been temporarily affected by a stroke.

Mental Health OT

This type deals with children suffering from mental disorders like panic attacks, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder as well as other mental problems. Occupational therapy can assist them with learning self-care and avoiding relapsing of symptoms.

Physical Rehabilitation

This branch deals with children who are disabled or are suffering from injuries. Children with severe injuries usually need OT for a certain period before they will be able to resume normal activities. The aim here is to assist them to learn and complete their daily activities in a way that suits their situation and condition.

Benefits of Occupational Therapists For Children

The following are some benefits of OT for kids:

Improvement of Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills are responsible for crawling, walking, and jumping. An experienced OT will assist your child improve their motor skill as they are needed for stability, locomotion, postural balance and control.

Similarly, it improves fine motor skills that are responsible for the coordination of smaller muscles of the fingers and hands. These skills are needed for manipulation of clothing fasteners as well as academic success among others. An occupational therapist will assist your child walk through challenges associated with both gross and fine motor skills.

Increases Independence in Daily Living

If your child is finding it difficult to handle basic routine activities like dressing feeding, and grooming, an occupational therapist will help them overcome this challenge. You will find that your child will be able to complete daily activities with increased ease and independence after some time.

Addresses Sensory Problems

An occupational therapist can assist your child with an improved reception as well as responses to sensory inputs. With this, they can easily tolerate different kinds of clothing materials, taste different foods as well as smell offensive odors.

Improves General Stability and Strength

Stability and strength are needed to execute daily tasks. Developing these skills in occupational therapy will help your child execute visual/ fine motor activities as well as maneuver the environment with ease.

Improved Play and Social Skills

Hiring an occupational therapist will help improve a child’s play and social skills especially with their peers. They achieve this by working on cues such as functional play, sharing, taking turns, and expressing emotions. They can also organize special sessions where children can practice the learned skills as well as build relationships with their peers.

Addresses Executive Functioning Skills

A good OT addresses skills like organization, attention, memory, sequencing, initiation, and memory to assist with academic performance as well as the capacity to execute daily tasks independently. With constant practice and dedication from your child, you will be seeing visible results in a short while.

Provides Teacher and Caregiver Education

An occupational therapist does not just work on your child’s cognitive skills, they also provide home programs and education to assist your child advance the skills learned during therapy to the classroom. You will find that your child’s academic performance will improve after a dedicated period of therapy.

Improves Visual and Perceptual Skills

The ability to interpret and organize visual input as well as giving it meaning is determined by the visual motor skills. An occupational therapist helps to improve the visual motor and perception skills needed for daily tasks like handwriting, reading, and playing.

Assists with the Utilization of Assistive Technology

Occupational therapists can make use of technological tools to maintain or improve a child’s function. The tools used for this purpose are called assistive technology. It is the duty of the OT to determine if your child can benefit from these tools and teach them how to use them correctly to improve their functional capacities. Examples of these tools include feeding utensils, adaptive scissors, or dressing aids.

These are some important things we feel will help you understand the essence of OT in a child’s development. You can also find other ways to help your child develop without problems. If you need ideas for supporting child development, you can read this article.

Conclusion

Occupational therapy helps children with sensory, physical, or cognitive problems become independent and functional. Working with an experienced OT will see your child carrying out certain daily activities with ease. If you think your child can benefit from OT, do not hesitate to contact a therapist near you. You may just be helping your child overcome a life-threatening difficulty.