How do you know if a child needs occupational therapy?

Every child is unique and develops at their own pace. Some children become progressive within the usual timeframe. Your child might face issues that halt or slow their progress. Pediatric occupational therapy can be a crucial intervention to help children overcome these challenges.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Pediatric occupational therapy addresses various challenges children may encounter, such as developmental delays, sensory processing disorders, physical disabilities, and more. It helps children to develop milestones, improving motor skills,  sensory processing,  social interaction, self-regulation skills, and overall independence.

How do I know if a Child Needs Occupational Therapy?

The following signs will help you figure out the needs of your children and seek occupational therapy in case you find them struggling in some aspects of their lives:

• Development delays: when your child experiences delays in reaching development milestones, such as not being able to crawl at the age of one, being unable to walk steadily at the age of two, and finding difficulty in crawling, walking, and talking.
• Difficulty in fine motor skills: If your child has trouble with tasks that require strength, control, and coordination, such as writing, buttoning shirts, using scissors, and tying shoelaces.
• Gross motor skill challenges: Delaying the development of gross motor skills like balancing, coordination, and muscle strength, essential for walking, hopping, or playing catch.
• Sensory processing disorder: If your child is over or under-sensitive to touch, taste, sound, smell, or light and reacts strongly to certain textures, finds difficulty in transitioning between activities, and cannot focus.
• Social Challenges: If the child cannot interact with peers, make friends, or engage in cooperative play.

Finding Occupational Therapy Services Near You

Suspecting that the child may need pediatric occupational therapy, the next step involves finding an occupational therapy service near me.

• Starts consulting child pediatrician for recommendations and referrals of qualified occupational therapists.
• Do online research and include your location in the search, using keywords like “occupational therapy near me” to find the right occupational therapy center like Neuropedia.
• Ask for recommendations from parents, teachers, or school counselors who may have experience with pediatric occupational therapy for valuable insights and suggestions.

Benefits of sensory processing disorder:

For getting benefits of occupational therapy for sensory processing disorder, different sets of plans and methods like interaction activities, puzzles, and more are used. Occupational therapy can help them regain the skills to synthesize information in the five basic senses ( sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste).

What can OTs do to help with sensory processing disorder? 

OTs can devise different intervention programs and sensory diets and incorporate more interaction activities, puzzles, and exercises into their day. Occupational therapy can help them regain the skills to modulate their sensory processing system, including the five basic senses ( sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste) and the child’s proprioceptive and vestibular system.

Consult Neuropedia Neuroscience Centre in UAE for occupational therapy

Neuropedia Children’s Neuroscience Center is the first highly specialist pediatric neuroscience center in UAE, providing world-class expertise in neurological, psychological, behavioral, and rehabilitative science.

Neuropedia has the best child neurologists or pediatric neurologists in Dubai.

Occupational therapy in Dubai at Neuropedia offers child-friendly special programs helping your child to reach their maximum potential and be independent in all activities, such as self-help skills, feeding, dressing, etc.

Book your appointment today.