Occupational Therapy

The activities of daily living, those skills requiring fine motor skills, especially those involving the upper extremities and trunk are the areas the occupational therapist will work on. The occupational therapist will evaluate primarily the muscle strength, tone, reflexes, posture, and joint motion of the upper extremities and trunk.

The therapist assesses self-help skills, such as feeding, and dressing. And perceptual motor skills, which can include preacademic or academic abilities, such as writing and drawing. In the older and adolescent, prevocational skills are assessed and implemented into a training or therapy program.

The therapist must be aware of the child's mental age or developmental level in order to plan appropriate intervention and therapeutic strategies. Treatment includes neurodevelopment patterns, using sensory input to promote more normal motor patters and sensorimotor integration.

The Physical therapist and Occupational work in concert to develop both gross motor development and fine motor development. The class teachers are trained by the occupational therapist in designing the curriculum for the child. Evaluation and monitoring is an ongoing process.