Pediatric Occupational Therapist FAQ: Answers to Common Questions about Children's Occupational Therapy

Q: What is an occupational therapist?

A: An occupational therapist (OT) promotes “occupational participation”. In other words, OTs support a person to participate in the “occupations”, or activities, that are meaningful to them - the things that they want or need to do each day. In pediatrics, OTs can help support a child’s development and their functional abilities to help them participate in their daily activities and reach their full potential.

Q: What age group does an occupational therapist work with?

A: Occupational therapists are able to work with people of any age across their lifespan. In pediatrics, this can range from infancy to adolescents. Our OT’s primary area of focus and interest is from birth to early school age. 

Q: What can an occupational therapist in pediatrics help with?

A: Each child, or person really, has their own unique way of experiencing the world, learning, and growing. Sometimes challenges present when a child is not progressing as one might expect for their age or situation. This can be for a wide variety of reasons but often means there is a mismatch between the child’s present skills and the expectations of the task or the environments in which they are trying to do them. OTs have unique skills in analyzing what a person wants or needs to do and then help them figure out how to do it! 

Some specific areas that an OT might focus on/support in pediatrics include: motor skill development (gross motor/big movements or fine motor/hand use), eating (feeding themselves, learning to use a cup, selective eating/expanding food acceptance, promoting chewing skills), sleep, daily self-care activities such as toileting/dressing/hygiene tasks, exploring a child’s unique sensory or regulation needs to support their participation in other activities, social engagement/interaction, play skill progression, and cognitive tasks such as attention/focus.  

Parenting is also a primary, meaningful occupation! Our occupational therapist has a unique passion for supporting parents and caregivers in this very important, and often challenging and stressful, occupation. An OT can help families explore what is contributing to day to day challenges and what might help to create a smoother, less stressful daily experience for all. 

Q: What does an occupational therapy session involve?

A: The OT will gather information to gain a better understanding of what the need is for a child or family. This usually involves starting with a discussion/interview with the parent/caregiver. 

If the need is specific to the child, the next step usually involves a visit directly with the child and family, either in-person at the clinic or at the family’s home, to further explore a child’s skills (motor, play, interaction, regulation, sensory processing), through play-based activities, related to the challenging area. Sometimes more formal assessments help to gather more information about specific skills. 

Supports and strategies are tailored to each child/family's specific needs and situations and focused on what can work for families in their day to day to promote skill progression. These are monitored and reviewed to ensure they are meeting the needs and adapted when needed.   

Q: How can occupational therapy benefit my child?

A: Occupational therapy can support your child's overall development, enhance their independence and self-confidence, and help better understand their unique strengths and needs in order to ensure successful participation in whatever they/you want or need them to do each day.

‍

If you think your child may benefit from seeing an Occupational Therapist, book an initial consultation or a free 10 minute virtual consultation.