CHILD OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES
We help parents who may just need a little guidance on how to help their infant or child along, to those with more intensive needs related to prematurity, surgeries, cerebral palsy, or syndromes. Our child occupational therapists have years of specialized training to help children from infants to the early years.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy Charlotte, NC
Our occupational therapy services include:
- Infant looking in one direction; Torticollis
- Infant development
- Infant head shape
- Sensory related issues
- Picky eaters
- Play and social skills
- Fine motor and handwriting
- Attention and memory
- Balance and coordination
- Visual perception
- Strength; range of motion; postural weakness
- Developmental delays
- Behaviors including anxiety
- Autism Spectrum
- Cerebral palsy
- Down’s syndrome
- Other syndromes
Child Occupational Therapy for 18 Months & Up
A child’s “occupations” include any activity or role they are expected to engage in to make it through their day. This includes dressing, brushing teeth, feeding themselves a variety of foods, socializing, enjoying nature, learning the values and mores of their parents, gaining academic and possibly artistic and athletic skill, and developing strong relationships.
Fine motor skills for writing, holding small items, using scissors, buttoning clothing, turning pages, eating finger foods, learning to use utensils, and using computer keyboards are some of the tasks that go into each “occupation”.
Executive functioning such as judgment, critical reasoning, and decision-making is needed. Resourcefulness and determination are also key. The intermingling of physical strength, coordination, balance, utilization of sensory information, motor planning, cognitive understanding, and physical sensations such as hunger and pain, desire, and emotions are some additional variables. For some children, sensory issues lay at the heart of it and pediatric occupational therapy can influence those systems while weaving the other variables together.
What this looks like in a therapy session varies based on the needs and goals and desires/philosophy of each child and family. It might be obstacle courses with full body swinging, sitting at a table making forms with theraputty or practicing shapes and letters, gaining comfort with food textures by first stabbing foods with a fork or tong, learning the Zone System of Regulation, it all depends on the needs of each child and their developmental stage.
Emotional dysregulation and social misunderstandings and disconnects often rise out of sensory input that is confusing or irritating or in some children, not registered by the child at all. A child that is exceptionally pleasant and quiet and limits exploration of their world may be managing similar issues but it is displayed differently.
The History of Occupational Therapy
As soldiers returned from World War I with emotional trauma from their experiences, it was found that engagement in meaningful occupations such as chopping wood, gardening, embroidery, and other arts and crafts was restorative physically and emotionally. The therapists that helped these soldiers were called occupational therapists as they would find meaningful engagement for the individual needs, aptitudes, and desires of each soldier to be as restorative as possible. While the modalities may have changed, the same essence is woven into pediatric occupational therapy today. Sessions are filled with “occupations” that are based on individual needs and desires, by engaging in the just right challenge for each child.
Questions for Cccupational Therapists
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this normal?
Raising a child is quite an undertaking and it can be easy to compare your child to others around their age. When we look at children’s behavior it is easy for grandparents, teachers, and others in our circle to suggest our kids aren’t being parented in the “right” way or that they are just being “bad”. Each child desires approval, attention, and fun in their day. If kids are regularly demonstrating “bad” behaviors there is usually a reason why the task is so hard for them. An occupational therapist can help you to find the root cause of why certain activities seem so much harder for your child than others. We encourage parents to look at “behavior” as a tool your child is using to communicate that they need help. Once we find and address the source of the difficulty we see these behaviors decrease and even go away. The goal is not “normalcy” but independence and a willingness to learn and try new things.
What are the benefits, how long will it take, and what is my role?
Once a child is showing signs of struggling or a teacher or pediatrician notes developmental lags, occupational therapy can be one possibility for help by identifying and filling in gaps in the development process. There are times we wish that a child would have had help much earlier, as self-image, behavior, friendships, academic functioning, and so much more can be layered on top of the underlying sensory, coordination, or motor issues. Whether you come to Carolina Kinder Development or another practice, it’s important to have a good connection with your child’s occupational therapist. It’s also important to be receptive, do what is suggested at home to the best of your ability, and to give it time.
Sometimes a child is evaluated and only some suggestions for home are needed. Other times a child may benefit from just a few sessions. Oftentimes it may take several months or longer for a child to gain what is needed from occupational therapy. We understand the cost and time sacrifice for families (depending on insurance policies) and we work towards every session a step towards your child no longer needing our services. Your open communication is very helpful.
When a child also has needs for speech or physical therapy, Carolina Kinder Development is able to meet those needs as well. Our therapists work closely together for the benefit of each child and family. We hire only experienced, degreed, and licensed Occupational, Physical, Speech and Language Therapists that are caring and engaged in extensive continuing education.
What characteristics should I look out for?
- Handwriting or use of scissors
- Dressing
- Turning pages in a book
- Stirring
- Attention and memory
- Picky eaters
- Behavioral challenges and anxiety that may be stemming from sensory issues
- Risk taker or risk averse to a large degree
- Strength; range of motion; motor planning; balance
- Developmental delays
- Syndromes such as Down’s
- Cerebral Palsy
- Autism
*Note: Most children have periods of many of the above characteristics! If you are uncertain about the extent, an occupational therapy evaluation can help determine areas that are of normal degree and those that are addressed, may benefit your child.
What are your clinics like?
Our clinics are small, and clean, with sunshine and trees visible, designed for a visceral feeling of well-being each time you enter our doors. You and your child will also find whimsy, joy, and beauty amidst the challenges that happen within a therapy session. We want to help your child(ren) and family and give our best every day.