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4/5/22 blog post

5 signs your child may benefit from occupational therapy

Occupational therapy has been helping people from newborn to 100+ years old learn a skill, relearn a skill, or adapt/modify their activity or environment to participate in a meaningful occupation as independently as possible. 

Our team of occupational therapists at Dayton Children’s Hospital focus on helping children learn skills to participate in their daily occupations, adapt or modify tools or the environment to participate in these occupations, and consider routines, values and beliefs to live life to the fullest. Some examples of a child’s occupations include play, getting dressed, eating, sleeping, and attending school. 

5 signs your child may benefit from occupational therapy

  • Difficulty with self-help skills
    • Getting dressed, eating, brushing teeth
  • Fine motor concerns
    • Incorrect pencil grasp, difficulty with opening small containers, difficulty with fasteners such as buttons, zippers, snaps, or tying shoes
  • Handwriting or visual motor concerns
    • Inability to recognize and write shapes and letters, incorrect formation of letters, difficulty with puzzles or patterns, inability to use scissors
  • Sensory processing concerns
    • Difficulty attending to tasks, jumping from tasks to tasks, inability to regulate in an overstimulating environment, tactile defensive - does not like to be messy, or has lack of awareness of sensory input
  • Emotional regulation concerns
    • Frequent tantrums or meltdowns, difficulty with transitions, difficulty implementing coping strategies

how can you help?

 Below are some great tips on easy strategies to try at home when kids are having difficulty with developmental skills.

  • Incorrect pencil grasp: use broken crayons, work on a vertical surface, use playdoh for hand strengthening
  • Difficulty forming shapes/letters: imitate shapes/letters first, use paint, shaving cream or sand to practice drawing shapes/letters, use stickers for visual starting points
  • Difficulty getting dressed: complete all steps except last step and let child complete that step, work backwards from last step to increase child’s participation with tasks
  • Sensory processing concerns: help your child stay regulated throughout the day with deep breathing, incorporate heavy work into his day with animal walks or pushing, carrying, or pulling heavy objects, incorporate movement into activities if needed
  • Emotion regulation concerns: help your child stay regulated throughout the day with deep breathing, use a timer or visual prompt for what is coming next. Children like predictability and being prepared for what is next.

If you are concerned about your child and think they may need additional help, talk to your primary care provider about an occupational therapy evaluation.