Skills Addressed in Occupational Therapy:
Occupational therapy plays a vital role in helping children develop the skills necessary for everyday life. From fine motor skills like writing and buttoning to gross motor skills such as jumping and running, occupational therapy addresses a wide range of developmental needs. It also focuses on sensory processing, cognitive skills, and social interactions, ensuring that children can thrive both at home and in social settings. This comprehensive approach helps children achieve greater independence and confidence in their daily activities. Explore the key skills addressed in occupational therapy and learn how our dedicated therapists can support your child’s growth and development.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) addressed by occupational therapists include, but are not limited to:
- Putting on and taking off clothing/jacket/shoes/socks
- Grooming, such as washing and drying hands, brushing teeth, and brushing/styling hair
- Manipulating fasteners (buttons, snaps, zippers)
- Tying shoes
- Bathing/showering self
- Managing clothing and hygiene for toileting
- Utilizing utensils to feed self
- Drinking from an open mouth cup and straw
- Opening packages
- Participation in age-appropriate chores
- Managing money
- Meal preparation
Sensory Processing Skills addressed by occupational therapists include, but are not limited to:
- Supporting modulation of sight (vision), sound (auditory), touch (tactile), taste (gustatory), body position (proprioception), and movement (vestibular) input
- Eating various textures of food and tastes
- Remaining attentive/engaged within a busy/noisy environment
- Sitting and standing still as needed
- Transitioning between tasks and settings
- Tolerating unexpected or loud noises, smells, and bright light
- Allowing grooming (haircuts, washing of hair, nails being cut, brushing of teeth etc.)
- Wearing various forms of clothing (jeans) and shoes and socks
- Tolerating messy play
- Regulating activity level in order to attend
Bilateral Coordination Skills addressed by occupational therapists include, but are not limited to:
- Opening packages/containers
- Shifting/turning paper to cut with scissors
- Stringing beads/lacing
- Folding paper
- Catching a ball
- Spontaneously crossing midline
Fine Motor Skills addressed by occupational therapists include, but are not limited to:
- Establishment of a hand dominance
- Ability to isolate index finger to point
- Controlled grasp and release patterns
- Manipulating items in the hand
- Grasp on utensils in order to write, color, draw, and feed self
- Utilizing classroom tools such as scissors, glue stick, stencils, glue bottle, hole punch
Visual Motor Integration Skills addressed by occupational therapists include, but are not limited to:
- Drawing a person
- Forming pre-writing strokes and shapes
- Copying letters and numbers
- Cutting on the line of various lines and shapes
- Catching and kicking a ball
Visual Perceptual Skills addressed by occupational therapists include, but are not limited to:
- Detects similarities and differences
- Matching and sorting objects, pictures, and shapes
- Identifying shapes
- Ability to determine right versus left
- Completing puzzles
- Scanning left to right
- Tracking a moving target
- Ability to find a picture partially concealed
- Finds object in a busy background
Handwriting Skills addressed by occupational therapists include, but are not limited to:
- Writing name
- Maintaining a dynamic grasp on pencil
- Legibility, letter formation, spacing, and line orientation
Executive Functioning Skills addressed by occupational therapists include, but are not limited to:
- Getting self ready in the morning
- Managing emotions
- Initiating activities in a timely manner
- Controlling urges and impulses
- Retaining information
- Developing plans
- Bringing necessary materials to and from school
- Utilizing an organization system to track assignments, tests, and due dates
- Being aware of how behavior affects others