Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy for children?

Occupational Therapy improves the functional attention/concentration, behavior, movement, play, and learning skills that children require across all environments and across the age span to do the things that kids do:

• Concentrate (on one thing at a time) and behave appropriately

• Learn (not just academically but in everything that they do socially, in movement, in play, in self-care)

• Move with control (whether it be their fingers for drawing or their body for jumping)

• Develop independence in self-care (dressing, toileting, etc) and self-management (money, time, etc) skills

• Organize themselves (such as for playing a game, or packing their bags for school)

• Play (both alone and with others).

Building Blocks to Success occupational therapy focuses on making everyday life easier for children with developmental challenges, their parents, their teachers, and their extended network of families and carers.

At Building Blocks to Success we don’t treat a diagnosis, we overcome the hurdles to daily life. Occupational Therapy helps children develop their abilities in*:

• Finger skills (Table Top or Fine Motor skills): pencil and scissor skills (coloring, drawing, writing), opening lunch bags, manipulating toothbrushes, tying shoelaces.

• Whole body skills (Gross Motor skills): running, jumping, swimming, bike riding ball skills, posture at the table.

• Visual Processing: accurately interpreting visual information that helps skills such as literacy (reading, writing)

• Sensory Processing (for concentration and learning): sensory reactions within the body or in response to external stimulus which impacts concentration, behaviour and learning.

• Executive Functioning: numerous mental skills that allow to master learning including skills such as working memory, flexible thinking, multi-taking and self-control of concentration and attention.

• Self-Care: daily life skills such as dressing, toileting, hygiene, eating, sleeping etc.

• Self-Management: general organization, keeping track of personal items, understanding time, and using money.

* Different skills are required at different ages and stages of education.