Occupational Therapists are also trained to help children who have such disorders as:

Sensory Processing:

What happens if one or more of our senses are not being interpreted properly? A child with vague or hazy feedback about his sense of touch, body position, or movement and gravity is in a world totally foreign to ours. Imagine yourself in a world where something as basic and reliable as the pull of gravity or other children’s touch upon you is perceived as something unreliable, inconsistent, or threatening. The child would not feel the usual security, safety, and fun that other children experience. For most children, sensory integration develops in the course of ordinary childhood activities. Motor planning ability is a natural outcome of the process, as is the ability to adapt to incoming sensations. But for some children, sensory integration does not develop as efficiently as it should. When the process is disordered, a number of problems in learning, development, or behavior may become evident.

MTC Occupational therapists with training in sensory integration theory, assessment, and treatment provide therapeutic activities to facilitate child-directed treatment sessions. The child with sensory processing disorder may participate in play activities but he does not play in manner that is integrating or organized. The child needs an environment with suspended equipment especially designed to meet his needs. The therapist designs an environment to enable the child to interact more effectively. Following diagnosis of the child’s sensory system, the therapist encourages and assists the child in choosing activities that provide the appropriate amount of sensory input.

Fine Motor:

Fine motor skills are critical to the development of many functional tasks, including self-care and academic. Fine motor skills allow children to cut, write, draw, and participate in art activities. Children with delays in fine motor skills lack the ability to coordinate and use the small muscles of their hands. This may limit their ability to participate in academic tasks, and acquire self-care skills. Children with fine motor delays may avoid tasks such as cutting, coloring, writing, buttoning or holding a fork.

MTC Occupational Therapists can evaluate your child’s fine motor skills to determine if fine motor weakness exists. The Occupational Therapist can then begin to implement fun, multi-sensory interventions tailored to your child’s abilities and interests.

Gross Motor:

Children with gross motor difficulties may exhibit difficulties with the following tasks:

- Seems weaker or tires more easily than other children his/her age.
- Difficulty with hopping, jumping, skipping, or running compared to others his/her age.
- Clumsy or seems not to know how to move body, bumps into things.
- Hesitates to climb or play on playground equipment.
- Reluctant to participate in sports or physical activity; prefers table activities.
- Seems to have difficulty learning new motor tasks.

The expectations for the level of development of any of these skills will vary depending on the child's age. It is critical to remember that all of these skills are developing simultaneously. Impairment of one area is likely to stunt development in other areas.

Play is the media most often used in the Occupational therapist's treatment of children. It is highly motivating and a natural media used by all children.
 

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