What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy is a healthcare field that helps individuals engage in meaningful activities, or “occupations”. The occupations of children may include activities of daily living (eg. Eating, dressing, sleeping), playing, drawing, throwing a ball, playing piano, and going to school. An occupational therapist (OT) analyzes the child’s skills, as well as the environment, family, and external supports available to build independence and increase overall wellbeing.

A little bit about sensory processing…

Sensory processing refers to how our brain receives, interprets, and organizes sensory information from the environment. We are able to respond appropriately to situations by efficiently integrating senses around us and in our bodies. Children who have differences in processing sensory information may have difficulties organizing the amount of sensory input coming to them, which can affect their ability to control behaviours, attention, and regulation.

Everyone has a unique sensory processing system. For example, some of us need a quiet space to work or study, while others need to be in the presence of others to stay focused. Sensory processing may be described as being overactive, or under responsive. You can be seeking sensory input in one area, and avoidant in another area. It may be addressed if sensory processing differences impact a child’s ability to function in their daily activities. There are 8 senses that OTs look at:

• Visual - how we perceive colours, shapes, patterns, things in our foreground and periphery
• Auditory - how we perceive sounds
• Tactile - how we perceive touch sensations such as pressure, vibration, temperature, and pain
• Vestibular - how we perceive information about movement and balance
• Proprioception - how we perceive our body and limb’s movement and locations in space
• Gustatory - how we perceive taste sensations
• Olfactory - how we perceive smell
• Interoception - how we perceive signals within our bodies, such as hunger, bladder fullness, and a racing heart

If a child has difficulties with sensory processing, you might see:

• Poor attention, easily distracted
• Heightened reactions to sound, touch, or lights
• Having a hard time grading force for a task (eg. Printing too lightly, pushing peers)
• Being overly active, enjoys crashing, spinning and jumping
• Appearing lethargic when not sick or tired
• Anxiety
• Difficulties in social interactions
• Be under-responsive to certain sensations (eg. High pain tolerance, not noticing someone calling their name)
• Difficulties with emotional regulation, easily frustrated, meltdowns over seemingly small things
• Picky eating
• Distressed with self-care tasks such as toothbrushing and nail cutting
• Difficulties with movement and balance, appears clumsy

A little bit about self regulation…

Self regulation is the ability to handle stresses and manage your emotions, thoughts and actions in a way that will help achieve your goals. It begins to develop in toddlerhood, and does not completely mature until around age 25. When children are young, they often require co-regulation from a regulated adult to develop and practice self regulation. Occupational therapy can help children learn about their thoughts and emotions, practice calming techniques, and utilize sensory strategies to help develop regulation skills. .

A little bit about fine motor skills…

Fine motor skills refer to the movements of our hands and fingers, which require a foundation of core strength and gross motor skills to master. Fine motor skills are important for independence with tasks such as zipping up a jacket, using a spoon, holding a pencil, and building with blocks. Delays in fine motor development may impact a child’s ability to succeed in school and complete self-care tasks independently. Occupational therapy can help identify areas that are delayed and practice skills in a play-based manner.

Kindergarten Readiness

Starting kindergarten is an exciting milestone! For some kids, this may be their first foray into learning and playing in a large group, and learning to follow routines and structured activities. School success is not only about academics and learning to read and write. Ensuring that your child is ready for kindergarten will help them develop the foundational skills required for future success.

Kindergarten readiness checklist:

Life skills

• Your child knows their first and last name and can recognize it in print.
• Your child is toilet-trained and can (for the most part) manage their own clothing during bathroom breaks.
• Your child can identify their shoes/boots and outdoor clothing and knows how to button, buckle, zip and fasten.
• Your child can open lunch containers and feed themselves.
• Your child can follow 2-3 step instructions and ask for help if needed.
• Your child understands and handles transitions between activities with little difficulty.
• Your child tries to self-regulate and articulate their feelings in words.
• Your child can play cooperatively with others (most of the time…).
• Your child shows awareness of personal space.
• Your child can sit and attend to a story or other group activity.
• Your child is excited by learning new things and accepts that they will sometimes make mistakes (and that it’s okay and even encouraged!).

Physical skills

• Your child can hold a crayon or pencil correctly.
• Your child can cut simple shapes with scissors.
• Your child can do an age-appropriate puzzle.
• Your child can draw simple lines and shapes in preparation for printing
  • Eg. ⎸ — O + / ▭ \ X △
• Your child can run, jump, hop, and skip.
• Your child can throw and catch a ball.
• Your child can ride a tricycle or bicycle.

Literacy basics

• Your child will sit and listen quietly to a story, following the plotline.
• Your child will look at the pictures in a book independently.
• Your child can put the events of a story timeline in chronological order.
• Your child can explain what happens to a character and how they might feel.
• Your child can draw pictures to tell a story.
• Your child imitates letters as “writing.”
• Your child asks you to write notes to others and can dictate what they want to say.
• Numeracy and mathematics basics
• Your child can make more-or-less comparisons.
• Your child can count using one-to-one correspondence (points to each object as they count).
• Your child can recognize and name basic shapes.
• Your child is starting to notice patterns in their every day environment.

Adapted from Parents Canada (2020, October 27). Kindergarten Readiness Checklist.