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What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?

Occupational therapy is a blend of art and science concerned with the "occupation" of daily living. Occupation is a term that is most often reserved for employment or on the job skills; however, to an occupational therapist, occupation is "any skills needed for the job of living." Some of these living skills include: dressing, grooming, toileting, bathing, self feeding, meal preparation, home making, caring for children, caring for pets, shopping for groceries, driving, maintaining safety, etc. "Play" is a child's work and an
occupational therapist who works with children is interested in helping a child to develop play skills for development.

How Head to Toe Therapy can help your child

As part of our commitment to our clients, we offer the following benefits specific to our home-based therapy services:

●	Evaluation and individual treatment for every child

●	Serving within the home environment

●	Consultation between therapists and educational or medical professionals

●	Purposeful activities directed towards developing fundamental skills in your children

●	Increased independence in play and communication skills

●	Decreased sensory defensiveness and adverse responses to sensory input

Additionally, our licensed Occupational Therapists evaluate and treat children for a series of developmental delays such as but not limited to;

●	Activities of daily living
●	Fine and gross motor development
●	Neonatal and infant development
●	Autism Spectrum Disorders
●	Feeding disorders/deficits
●	Sensory processing and sensory integration
●	Assistive technology, assessment and training
●	Adaptive equipment and positioning (feeding and dressing devices, writing utensil modifications, etc.)
●	Orthopedic conditions such as torticollis and upper extremity problems/disorders
●	Upper extremity orthotic fabrication and fitting
●	Visual motor and visual perceptual skills
●	Handwriting
●	Cerebral Palsy
●	Low/high muscle tone
●	Autism
●	Sensory processing disorders
●	Decresed fine motor skills
●	Visual spatial and visual motor delays
●	ADL skills such as dressing, grooming, feeding and play skills

What are the benefits from Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapists engage children in activities to improve:

●	Fine Motor Skills
●	Self Care
●	Attention to Task
●	Problem Solving Strategies
●	Play and Socialization Skills
●	Sensory Integration
●	Balance
●	Following Directions
●	Upper Body Strength and Coordination
●	Personal Behavior Modulation
●	Upper Body Splinting to Prevent Poor Posturing and Improve Functional Mobility
●	Social Skills
●	Cognitive Skills
●	Visual-Perceptual Skills
●	Handwriting Skills
●	Sensory Awareness and Integration
●	Muscle Reeducation
●	Postural Development
●	Feeding Skills

Signs to look for if you think your child can benefit from Occupational Therapy

● Difficulties with dressing, i.e. putting on or taking off shoes and socks, shirt and pants

● Difficulties with feeding, i.e. using silverware to feed oneself independently, trouble taking various types of textures, difficulties using an open cup

● Difficulties with grooming, i.e. bathing, brushing teeth, combing hair

● Decreased or low muscle tone

● Poor fine motor control

● Visual spatial awareness, i.e. clumsy, bumps into objects or people, not familiar or safe within given environment

● Decreased visual motor skills, i.e. not being able to put puzzles togethers, writing, coloring within the lines of a picture, throwing a ball to a target

● Sensory processing difficulties

● Inability to transition between activites, i.e. having tantrums or meltdowns when finishing one activity and starting a new one.

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Occupational Therapy | Speech Therapy