Family/Caregiver Resources
Sensory Processing
Sensory Processing is our body’s ability to process our sensory environment (i.e. what we see, hear, taste, smell and how we move, touch, etc). We each have different nervous systems that process sensory information uniquely. For example, if two different people are in a bright room that could be more distracting for one of those people compared to the other. This idea is the same for any different sensory system (touch, visual, vestibular, auditory, taste, smell). Some people may be more dysregulated or bothered by their sensory environment or less attentive or engaged based on what they perceive in the environment. When we complete an evaluation at 40:31 Rehab & Wellness, we perform a thorough assessment of your child’s sensory system, how they process sensory information, and how their processing may affect his or her attention, social emotional skills, and behavior. Occupational therapists can help train you and help your child to become more aware and avoid emotional outbursts or unsafe behaviors resulting from dysregulation.
Feeding
As Occupational Therapists, we complete a thorough assessment of the client’s self-care skills, including feeding. We typically intervene if the child does not eat at least 2-3 different foods from each major food group (i.e. vegetable, fruit, meat, etc). Schedule an evaluation today if your child has picky eating habits resulting in poor nutrition.
Reflex Integration
Many people do not know that we, as humans, have various reflexes that develop while in our mother’s womb or even after birth. After birth and as we develop, many of these reflexes are supposed to “go away” (i.e. integrate). If these reflexes do not integrate, they can cause difficulty completing activities that require higher level movement, coordination (i.e. reading, jumping jacks, contralateral ski jumps, riding a bike, tuning out loud noises, etc), and even could result in decreased bladder control (i.e. bed wetting). The good news is that we can assist the client in discovering which reflexes are still present and progress towards integrating these reflexes so that everyday activities are easier for the child.
Oculomotor and Visual-Motor Integration
Many clients come to see us due to oculomotor (eye muscle control) and visual-motor integration deficits. Oculomotor control is required for children to perform tasks such as reading, sports, and play. Visual-motor integration is similar to eye-hand coordination. Can a child recreate a picture or drawing while seeing it? Can a child catch a ball? Can a child toss a ball to a target with accuracy? These are all higher-level components of our visual system that, if delayed, will make everyday tasks more difficult.
Fine Motor
Delayed and poor fine motor skills could appear as poor legibility, handwriting, delayed ability to tie shoes, or even difficulty with self-feeding. If a child does not have the necessary fine motor skills to complete their self-care tasks, it could result in defiance or avoidance to complete tasks. During an occupational therapy evaluation, we will assess your child’s fine motor skills and come up with a plan to improve these skills so that everyday tasks will be easier.
Motor Coordination
Does your child fall often? Is your child able to participate in age-appropriate gross motor activities? Examples of age-appropriate gross motor activities could be sports, getting dressed, riding a bicycle, hopping on one foot, dribbling a ball, jumping on the trampoline, swimming, hiking, etc. During our evaluation, we will be able to take a look at your child’s gross motor skills and make recommendations regarding strategies to improve these skills. How are your child’s bilateral coordination and motor planning skills? Does your child have difficulty crossing midline (an imaginary line down the middle of the body)? Can your child move their body with fluidity and coordination when attempting a new motor task (doing a flip on the trapeze, climbing a ladder, etc)? An occupational therapist has a unique perspective in that we view deficits within the lens of occupations. If a child has decreased right side strength, for example, how might that affect his or her ability to play, do self-care, and engage in preferred activities?
SOCIAL AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS
Is your child able to make eye contact when interacting with you, friends, or others? Are they able to interact appropriately, give appropriate space and/or boundaries during play? Are they able to play cooperatively with others, or do they freeze when navigating new social situations? Is your child able to advocate for himself or herself to have his or her needs met? Can your child order their own food at a restaurant? Is your older child able to communicate effectively for future job interviews? Is your child able to recover after an emotional upset? Is your child able to persevere through challenges? Social and social-emotional skills are very important for children to master to be successful and independent adults. Sometimes children lack the skills needed to be successful in social environments. With skilled occupational therapy services, we are uniquely able to address social skills as it is needed in most occupations (play, work, academics, etc.).
Attention & Focus
Is your child able to finish an activity or task that he or she has started? Does he or she become easily distracted by people moving around the room or noises in the environment? Is your child able to divide their attention? If they are playing Legos, are they able to respond to your questions, or do they need to stop one activity in order to complete another? We utilize a program called Integrated Listening System (iLS) to promote sustained attention, focus, divided attention, concentration, and multi-sensory processing in the brain. Oftentimes, one area of the brain will be “firing” appropriately, but it has difficulty communicating with other parts of the brain, resulting in poor divided attention. If your child has difficulty paying attention, school will be extremely challenging with the countless interruptions (door opening, students whispering, etc.). We can also recommend accommodations and/or modifications to initiate the process for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan to improve your child’s success in the school environment.
AUDITORY PROCESSING
A child with auditory processing disorder is physiologically able to hear, but the brain has a difficult time processing what they are hearing. Does your child struggle with following directions? If you ask them to start a task, are they able to follow those instructions? Do they have trouble with sounding out words when reading? Does your child have a hard time remembering multi-step instructions (i.e., chores or completing homework assignments)? If so, your child could have an underlying auditory processing dysfunction. During the evaluation, our therapist will assess if your child would benefit from targeted skilled services to address these deficits. Sometimes parents come to us frustrated, stating that their child “never listens” or “cannot remember instructions.” Sometimes these same parents believe it is a “bad behavior” when in reality the child has difficulty with auditory processing.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
There are various higher-level learning functions that are required for children to be successful as they grow up. A few of these “executive functions” mentioned are flexibility, planning, prioritizing, time management, etc. If your child has difficulty with organizational skills (i.e., frequently forgetting to turn in their homework or cannot keep a clean room), your child may benefit from executive functioning skills training with a skilled occupational therapist.