What is occupational therapy (OT) and how can it help?

Occupational therapy helps a child achieve goals and developmental milestones that enhance their daily life. It focuses on how your child moves, plays, and interacts with the world around them.

A healthcare provider may recommend occupational therapy if your child:

1. Has experienced an injury
2. Has a neurological condition affecting physical, emotional, social, or cognitive skill development
3. Is experiencing developmental delays
    

Your child may or may not have a formal diagnosis to be recommended for services. We treat the child in front of us, not according to a label or protocol.

• Delays or difficulties with age-expected self-care (activities of daily living, or ADLs), such as dressing, self-feeding, bathing, toileting/failed toilet training/wiping hygiene, oral hygiene, and grooming.
   
• Challenges with emotional skills and self-regulation that are atypical and negatively impact the child’s ability to participate in play, home, daycare, school, and/or community activities.
   
• Difficulties with gross motor, fine motor, visual-motor, or oral-motor skills that limit independence in daily tasks.
   
• Sensory integration challenges, which may appear as moving too much or too little, being overly fearful or impulsive, showing extreme clothing preferences, being overly sensitive to movement, or not recognizing different types of sensory input.
   
• Difficulties engaging in play, including solo or group play, using tools (e.g., coloring, scissors), and developing executive functioning skills.
   
• Learning and cognitive challenges, such as difficulty with learning, retention, and carrying over information.
   
• Delayed developmental milestones in infants, including conditions such as torticollis and plagiocephaly, which affect movement and function within natural environments.

• Neurodivergent Diagnoses: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Down Syndrome
• Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
• Neurological Conditions: Cerebral Palsy (CP), Muscular Dystrophy
• Failure to Thrive
• Developmental Delay
• Torticollis
• Plagiocephaly
• Orthopedic Injuries
• Genetic Disorders

A pediatric occupational therapist (OT) is a highly trained healthcare professional specializing in pediatrics and child development. They hold a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from a university, are both nationally certified and state-licensed, and report to a credentialing board. Pediatric occupational therapists can work in hospitals, homes, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and schools, and they may serve individuals of all ages.

The OT profession also includes Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs), who work under an OT’s evaluation and plan of care, with supervision from a licensed occupational therapist. COTAs complete an associate degree from an accredited program, are licensed, and report to a credentialing board.

All OTs and COTAs are required to complete ongoing educational courses to stay current with effective interventions and advancements in research.

The first visit is an evaluation. During this session, your child’s therapist will use a standardized, scored assessment to review your child’s skills and compare them to typical developmental milestones for their age.

The OT will also observe your child’s behavior and abilities as they play and move around the clinic. Activities your child might do during their first occupational therapy visit include:

• Writing or coloring
• Stringing beads or stacking blocks
• Running, jumping, climbing, swinging, throwing, and kicking balls
• Eating or drinking
   

In addition, your child’s therapist will talk with you about their daily routines, your concerns about their development, and any questions you have about the process.

This initial evaluation typically takes about one hour to complete.

 After the evaluation, your child may attend weekly 1:1 sessions for up to six months. These sessions focus on the goals identified during the evaluation and are designed to be child-led, enjoyable, meaningful, and fun, while supporting skill development across various activities.

Parents are encouraged—but not required—to stay during the session. Your therapist will provide feedback, recommendations, and home activities to help your child continue making progress between sessions.

Once your child’s goals are met, parents or caregivers are satisfied with their progress, and your child is thriving, they will be discharged from occupational therapy services.