OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy (OT) is an interactive guided therapy utilizing multi-sensory activities  incorporating touch, sight, sound, movement, and muscle stimulation. This diverse approach provides your child with experiences needed to master the demands of daily life. Your child's occupation is developing necessary skills to become an independent, functional adult. These skills include: Progressive development and refinement of gross and fine motor skills, regulation of arousal level in order to attend refinement of sensory discrimination and processing, development of communication skills, appropriate social interactive language, cognitive skills, age appropriate self-care skills, self-concept, and self-esteem. 

What is Gross Motor Coordination and Fine Motor Coordination?

Gross Motor Coordination (GMC) refers to an individual's ability to perform skills utilizing large muscle groups of the body for main movement functions. These include walking, running, jumping, skipping, as well as an array of additional activities, including most athletic abilities. GMC is often correlated to muscle development and tone. Large muscle group control is required for posture, balance, and stamina in various positions including sitting and standing. Children with lowered development and tone may have difficulties with GMC causing them to become fatigued faster than their peers, appear clumsy, which often affects self-esteem and inclination to participate in typical childhood activities. 

Fine Motor Skills (FMS) refers to an individual's ability to utilize arms,  hands, and fingers to grasp, hold and manipulate objects such as a pencil, spoon, or pair of scissors. Mastery of FMS requires control and precision; however, for some children this does not come so easily. Deficient fine motor skills can affect school and social performance in numerous ways, including the ability to write legibly as well as play with toys.