Some of you may be wondering… what is OT? Let us tell you! OT (short for occupational therapy) is a therapy service helping others achieve independence with daily life living tasks/skills. I can’t tell you how many times I have told friends or family members that I am an occupational therapist and they say “so you help people find jobs”. I usually respond with a giggle and “no, but I help them gain independence with the ‘jobs’ or 'occupations' that are most meaningful to them”. OT’s can work with a variety of patients, ages, and skill levels. You might see us working in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, clinic, school, etc. The list goes on and on with all the ways OT’s can apply their skills and knowledge to help others live life to the fullest!
So now you may be thinking… if you work with children, what jobs do they have? The term occupation is not just a 'job' you do every day to make money. Occupations are considered tasks or activities that we do every single day. This can range from sleep, self-cares (dressing, bathing, eating), work/school, running errands, leisure, etc. Basically, anything that “occupies” your time throughout the day is an occupation.
What are kid’s occupations? A child's primary occupations are sleep, play, self-cares, learning and oh did I say play! All children learn, develop, and grow through PLAY! Mammals are playful beings and motivated to engage in play activities. A lot of the time, kids are referred for an OT evaluation because they are showing motor development (gross and fine motor skills) delays, poor self/emotional regulation, sensory processing, or feeding difficulties to name a few. More often than not, kids don't get referred to occupational therapy before they begin having a hard time with academic learning.
Our hope is to shed some light on what typical child development looks like from infancy and on to help you recognize any “red flags” that might require help! In pediatric OT, we work on many of the foundational skills needed for learning and growing. It is such a rewarding experience to watch a child who has struggled with a certain skill be able to master it. The look in their eyes and the joy in their hearts is our reason why. It's worth every late-night planning activities, writing goals, and problem solving what else we can do to make life for these kids and their families just a little easier.
Cassie & Amy
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