Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy focuses on helping people with a physical, sensory or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. Occupational therapy can help kids with various needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory and motor skills and enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.
A child’s main job is playing and learning. Occupational therapists can evaluate kids’ skills for playing, school performance and daily activities and compare them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.
According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), in addition to dealing with someone’s physical well-being, occupational therapy practitioners address psychological, social, and environmental factors that can affect functioning in different ways. This approach makes our occupational therapy a vital part of health care for some children.
Occupational therapists:
- help kids work on fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills
- address hand–eye coordination to improve kids’ play and school skills (hitting a target, batting a ball, copying from a blackboard, etc.)
- help kids with severe developmental delays learn basic tasks (such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves)
- help kids with behavioral disorders maintain positive behaviors in all environments (e.g., instead of hitting others or acting out, using positive ways to deal with anger, such as writing about feelings or participating in a physical activity)
- teach kids with physical disabilities the coordination skills needed to feed themselves, use a computer, or increase the speed and legibility of their handwriting
- evaluate a child’s need for specialized equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices, or communication aids
- work with kids who have sensory and attentional issues to improve focus and social skills
Fine Motor Delay
Signs of a Fine Motor Delay
- No interest in grasping items
- Poor eye-hand coordination
- May seem clumsy
- May avoid table top activities such as drawing, writing, and/or eating using utensils
- May have difficulty playing with building blocks, dolls, toy cars, or even sticking his/her tongue out.
- Speech delay possible
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
- Lifts head when laying on tummy
- Random body movements
- Follows toy from side to side with eyes
- Hands in fisted position
- Grasps small toy placed in hand
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
- Lifts chest from surface while laying on tummy
- Pushes up on elbows while laying on tummy
- Rolls from belly to back (left and right)
- Sit with support
- Bats at dangling toy
- Transfer objects from hand to hand
- Hold their hands together
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
- Rolls back to belly (left and right)
- Sits independently with support from hands
- Belly crawl
- Begin to grasp and hold objects
- Raking grasp to move objects with fingers
- Brings objects to mouth
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
- Sitting without support from arms
- Crawls on hands and knees
- Stands while holding on (bouncing on legs)
- Pokes using index finger
- Begin to hold bottle
- Squeeze objects with fist
- Play with his/her own hands
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
- Pull to stand with furniture
- Sits while playing
- Imitates games such as peek-a-boo
- Feeds him/herself finger food
- Turn pages in book a few at a time
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
- Creep on hands and knees
- Stand momentarily
- Walk with hands holding
- Cruise along furniture
- Pincer grasp develops (index and thumb)
- Grabs crayons with fisted grasp
- Hold 2 small objects in one hand
- Beginning of hand preference
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
- Kneels
- Stands alone
- Walks with no support
- Creeps upstairs
- Improved balance
- Push/Pull toy while walking
- Pull off socks and shoes
- Drink from sippy cup independently
- Scribble on paper
- Clasp hands together
- Wave goodbye
- Scoop with spoon/small shovel
- Bang objects together with both hands
- Put small items in a container
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
- Kick a ball forward
- Running
- Ride on toys (without pedals)
- Pick up toys without falling
- Place rings on peg
- Hold crayons with finger tips and thumb
- Remove pegs from pegboard
- Open loosely wrapped package
- Begin using scissors on paper
What Can You Do For Your Child?
Incorporate fine motor activities into daily routines, make it fun and be creative. Children love to engage in what their parents are doing. It’s important to set time aside every day to address any concerns with fine motor skills.
You can work on fine motor through play, chores, or just fun household tasks. Below are some suggestions of things to do for fine motor delays:
- Kneading play-doh
- Spraying water bottles, water guns, silly string, spray paint, etc
- Stirring cookie dough – Rolling into balls
- Counting coins or buttons (slipping them into a piggy bank)
- Digging in sand
- Picking flowers
- Any arts and crafts (popsicle stick art, finger painting, slime, cotton ball art, squeezing a glue bottle, using a glue stick)
- Folding laundry
- Washing/drying dishes
- Reading books, turning pages
- Stickers
