What is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?
Pediatric occupational therapy (OT) helps children build the everyday skills they need to grow, play, and be more independent. Think of it as support for all the little (and big) things kids do every day—like getting dressed, holding a pencil, playing with friends, or calming down when they feel overwhelmed.
An occupational therapist makes learning these skills fun and playful, so kids feel confident while practicing. OT can help with things like:
Self-care: brushing teeth, dressing, eating, using the bathroom.
School skills: handwriting, focus, staying organized, and following routines.
Play and motor skills: running, climbing, using scissors, or playing with toys.
Sensory needs: helping kids manage sounds, textures, movement, and other sensations in a calmer way.
Emotional skills: learning how to cope with big feelings and build social confidence.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy Commonly Addresses the Following Areas:
Fine Motor Skills
Coordination of small muscles in the hand and wrist required for activities such as cutting with scissors, coloring, handwriting, buttoning, using feeding utensils, etc.
Sensory Processing
Ability to receive and process information from our environment such as sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and movement
Gross Motor Skills
Ability to control muscle of the body for large movement such as crawling, walking, jumping, climbing and throwing or catching a ball, etc.
Executive Functioning
Skills that help children control their thoughts, emotions and actions throughout their day
