Question 1

What is occupational therapy?

Accepted Answer

Occupational therapy helps people and children of all ages participate in meaningful, daily living activities and reach their goals. In pediatric occupational therapy, therapists are skilled in the therapeutic use of every day life activities and developmentally appropriate play to help children build skills, improve function, and enhance their ability to engage in meaningful and fulfilling activities and relationships.

Question 2

What is sensory processing?

Accepted Answer

Sensory processing is the brain-body process of taking in information from our 8 senses, organizing and making sense of that information, and then responding. Our ability to process and integrate sensation is the foundation for developing relationships, motor skills, social thinking and social participation skills, problem solving skills, communication skills, and regulation skills.

All of the sensory experiences we accumulate and build allow us to develop a sense of self and an understanding of our world and how we can impact the world around us. And what better way to explore sensation and enhance our understanding of our bodies and the world around us than through play!

Our 8 senses include the following familiar and well-known sensory systems: 
Tactile: responsible for touch
Auditory: responsible for sound
Gustatory: responsible for taste
Olfactory: responsible for smell
Visual: responsible for seeing
And the less well-known sensory systems:
Proprioception: responsible for providing information about body position through muscle and joint sensation
Vestibular: responsible for balance and motion and provides information related to movement and orientation in space
Interoception: responsible for sensation inside the body about the physiological state of the body (e.g. hunger, the need to use the bathroom, body temperature, pain, etc.).

Question 3

Who can benefit from occupational therapy?

Accepted Answer

Some children who may benefit from occupational therapy include those with:
Autism Spectrum Disorder
ADHD
Learning Disabilities
Sensory Processing Disorder
Down Syndrome
Other neurodevelopmental and behavioral differences
Challenges with self-regulation and coping
Challenges with social interactions and participating in a group
Difficulties engaging in play
Decreased independence in self-care/self-help skills
Delayed fine motor skills
Poor handwriting and difficulties with pencil grasp
Delayed developmental milestones
Feeding difficulties
Challenges with body awareness and poor motor coordination/difficulties with learning new skills
Poor executive functioning skills (e.g. sustained concentration/focus, problem-solving, self-monitoring, impulse control, working memory, etc.)
Delayed motor and social thinking skills related to school readiness

Question 4

Why do kids play so much in occupational therapy?

Accepted Answer

Play is how we learn! Play isn't just for fun - it's necessary for child development as it's the key way of learning and the primary language of children. Through play-based methods, children are challenged in their motor skills and social interactions, they are provided with opportunities for safe and fun sensory exploration, and they get to experiment with how to engage with the world around them and how they can impact the world.

Play enhances motor skills
Play improves sensory processing
Play develops social skills and provides a safe space for emotional expression
Play builds problem-solving skills and creative thinking skills
Play keeps things fun and motivating which is essential to a positive therapy experience
Play cultivates a willingness to try

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Frequently asked questions

What is occupational therapy?

What is sensory processing?

Who can benefit from occupational therapy?

Why do kids play so much in occupational therapy?