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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Occupational Therapy for Children with Special Needs

 Children with special needs can find it difficult to learn if they have a physical disability, learning disability or their development is interrupted, delayed or stopped by illness. 

Occupational Therapy is concerned with the impact movement or learning difficulties has on self care skills, play skills, leisure and school life. This means the day-to-day challenges encountered at home and school, such as dressing, eating, using scissors, pens, pencils and paper, writing, tying shoelaces, handling toys and playing with friends. 

Occupational therapists help to ensure play is varied, at the right level for the child’s development. This helps to motivate the child to learn.  How do we help a child to overcome their disability? Some examples are: 

Ø       Adapting an activity so it can be done using equipment: a special chair to help you sit up straight, a standing frame to help you stand, a walking frame or wheelchair to help you mobilize.

Ø       Adapting tools: using big pencils or a pencil grip if you cannot hold your pencil efficiently, putting different handles on toothbrushes, forks, spoons so you can hold and use them.

Ø       Suggesting activities you can practice to help increase muscle strength, minimize deformity and improve co-ordination.

Ø       Use a different method to learn a skill e.g. learning to write letters using a multi-sensory approach. 

Occupational Therapy at Mico University College CARE centre.

Children identified as needing an occupational therapy assessment will be assessed in the following areas: 

1. Gross motor skills: balance, coordination and ball skills.
2. Fine motor skills: grasp, manipulation, eye-hand co-ordination and scissor skills.
3. Visual motor integration skills: ability to see and copy different geometric shapes on paper.
4. Visual perceptual skills: ability to see, recognize and interpret visual images.
5. Handwriting: pencil grasp, control of pencil, letter placement, size and spacing of letters, letter formations, writing pressure and speed.
6. Sensory processing skills: Child’s response to variety of sensory stimulus, such as touch, sound, vision, smell, taste and movement and how this affects their arousal level and behaviour.