A child’s occupation is to play, learn, and grow. Some children have difficulty mastering skills that allow them to do the things they are expected to do throughout their day. Occupational therapy (OT) can help children gain the skills they need to be successful in their daily routines.
Here are five signs that your child may benefit from OT:
- Your child is not meeting their developmental milestones: Whether your baby is struggling to sit up, your toddler is having difficulty learning to walk, or your preschooler can’t hold a crayon, OT can help identify and remedy any underlying causes of these delays.
- Your child is having difficulty with feeding: OTs can have specialized training in pediatric feeding challenges and can help with the following feeding difficulties: tongue-ties, trouble breast or bottle feeding, difficulty weaning to solids, picky eating, challenges learning to drink from a cup or use utensils.
- Your child is having more meltdowns than their same-age peers: With a background in mental health and a strong understanding of child development, an OT can help you and your child learn age-appropriate coping and emotional regulation skills.
- Your child is having difficulty with sensory processing: Our bodies have 8 (known) sensory systems and each of us has a unique sensory profile. Sometimes, children have difficulty regulating their sensory systems and can be over-responsive, under-responsive, sensory-seeking, or sensory- avoiding to different types of input. An OT can help you understand your child’s sensory needs and how to best meet them.
- Your child is struggling with handwriting: OTs are considered the fine-motor “experts” and can help improve your child’s fine and visual motor skills to improve pencil grasp and handwriting legibility.
Our therapists at Bloom OT and Wellness can help with all of these difficulties and more.
