Occupational Therapy
Children may be born with or acquire conditions that prohibit them from performing the very things that occupy their daily lives. Occupational therapists can work with children to develop skills necessary to become independent adults. These may include:
- Regulation of arousal level in order to allow the child to engage in activities.
- Preventing deformity through play, range of motion exercises, and/or splinting.
- Development of cognitive skills and facilitation of self-concept.
- Promoting oral motor development for feeding skills.
- Refinement of sensory discrimination and processing, enabling the child to interact with the environment.
- Adapting the environment to allow for enhanced independence.
- Age appropriate self-care skills.
- Instructing caregivers on methods for enhancing development.
Occupational therapy can often benefit children who have been diagnosed with:
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Sensory Processing
- Developmental Delays
- Physical Delays
- Physical Disabilities
- Sensory Integration
- Therapeutic Listening
- Handwriting Practice
- Self-Care Skills Independence
- Fine-Motor-Gross-Motor Coordination-Strengthening
- Focusing Attention
- Social skills
- Genetic syndromes
- Head Injuries
- Cerebral Palsy
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Brachial Plexus
Depending on the child’s needs, therapy focuses on improving skills such as sensory integration, daily living activities (dressing, feeding, hygiene, toileting, and play), gross and fine motor coordination, school skills, writing, focusing attention, and transitioning between activities.
Please ask your pediatrician if your child would qualify for occupational therapy services. If you have questions, please call the Tulsa Sunshine Center Department of Occupational Therapy at 918-615-6492.