Occupational Therapy : A Fun, Active, And Exciting Way Of Helping Children With Disabilities

An Occupational Therapist will come into school and work with children who may have difficulties with gross or fine motor skills. They assess the needs of a child and provide advice for what can be done for the child to help them with any difficulties. For example; they may recommend special equipment/aids for the child.

Occupational therapy is an interesting discipline which has its roots in just about every other form of therapy and medicine. Many aspects of occupational therapy are seen in everyday life, yet go unnoticed because of how commonplace they are in our society. When I thought of occupational therapy, before doing research, I thought of specialized equipment such as a modified spoon to help a person who had suffered a stroke can feed themselves once again. This happens to be only one of many skills that occupational therapists employ to assist patients. They also work closely with other medical professionals to give the best care possible to their patients. Throughout this paper I will discuss more in depth what occupational therapists do

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could not do all the little tasks we take for guaranteed every day. If you were physically impaired or mentally impaired, how would you go on to live a normal life? Some people will never know, but for those who have disabilities, an occupational therapist help in finding answers to these questions. According to “Occupational Therapist” in the Career Information Center it states, “Occupational therapists help people who have physical, mental, or emotional impairments improve their ability to perform routine tasks at both home and work. They help patients improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities or compensate for permanent loss of function.” In other words, occupational therapy can be defined as assisting people with their impairment in order to help them live a fully functional life. (“Occupational,” Careers).

Occupational Therapy is a treatment that is practiced on everyone with a disability that permits the person from doing what they enjoy the most. It refers to occupations or everyday activities that a person engages in, to occupy time and bring purpose to life. As simple as cooking, driving, doing laundry, shopping, or gardening, occupational therapy can help those who are not capable of

There are many types of therapy activities to use with children with Auditory Processing Disorder. Teachers and speech pathologists use activities that will enhance listening skills in children with and without auditory processing difficulties. Phonological awareness activities focus on speech/sound

Occupational therapy by definition "is a health profession whose goal is to help people achieve independence, meaning and satisfaction in all aspects of their lives."(steinhardt.nyu.edu) Occupational therapy is an art, an art that begins by first viewing the patient through a lens of empathy. Occupational therapist must not only recognize a patient 's condition, but asses them as a whole, taking into account all aspects of their being. Occupational therapist provide treatment that is intrinsic in nature, while also satisfying the client 's desires, and needs. Occupational therapy is used as a form of treatment in many illness 's both physical and cognitive. Cognitive disorders can be some of the hardest to cope with, as they affect all levels on function. Dementia is a cognitive disorder that affects neurological function. There are many types of dementia, for the purpose of this paper the focus will be on the most common form of dementia known as Alzheimer 's disease. Alzheimer 's disease affects 5.3 million Americans, with 5.1 million age 65 an older. Though early onset Alzheimer 's has been seen in people as young as 30 it is very uncommon.

“Occupational therapy is a therapy that focuses on the ADLs, IADLs, education, leisure, play, social participation, work, and rest and sleep. Occupational therapy services also include the initial evaluation, intervention, and documenting outcomes from start to finish.”(AOTA 2015) Occupational therapy generally focuses on performance skills, performance patterns, contexts and environments, activity demands, and client factors. “According to the federal legislation and the (IDEA) “Individuals with Disabilities Act” it states specifically that occupational therapy is a service that is provided for students that are eligible and have disabilities, the ages can range from three to twenty-one years old. Occupational Therapy is used for the benefit for children from special education, or as a service for infants and toddlers who are experiencing small or heavy developmental delays.”(AOTA 2015) “Now although Occupational Therapy in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Amendments, and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) it does not specifically mention Occupational Therapy in the statute, it is generally considered to be a pupil service under ESEA.”(AOTA 2015) “Other information regarding Occupational Therapy also states that children who may not be eligible for IDEA may still be eligible for Occupational Therapy under Section 504 or the ADA, and it is used to help them succeed in each learning environment that they go through. I have also read that it is up to each state and local agency to determine who and what qualifies them to be eligible for the services.”(AOTA 2015) Federal and state programs that provide health and medical services to families with low-income also provide Occupational therapy as a part of the package to children, youths, and adults. Now although it may be an optional service and is not mandatory for adults, but

Occupational therapists in school-based settings facilitate children with disabilities to participate in school occupations. These occupations can range from playing with peers, to social interactions with peers and teachers, to academic and non-academic activities to activities of self-maintenance, and to interactions with the school environment (Chandler & Clark, 2013). Nearly, thirteen percent children in pubic schools receive special education services (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2017). Approximately fifteen to eighty percent of children with various disabilities also have sensory processing disorder (SPD) (Ahn, Miller, Milberger, & McIntosh, 2004). SPD impairs children’s ability to detect, modulate, interpret, and

By both working to prevent further disability using rehabilitation techniques and providing compensatory strategies and equipment to clients, OTs can help people living with arthritis maximize their independence and participation. Examples of this can include specialized kitchen equipment to account for limited mobility in the hand and wrist, teaching new strategies for self-care when showering and going to the washroom, and making specialized splints to manage symptoms and increase function. Another important area that OTs address is the secondary disabilities that often accompany chronic conditions, such as depression, joblessness, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. For example, an OT might help someone living with arthritis who is finding it difficult to carry out his/her day to day tasks without getting exhausted due to pain and depression by teaching them energy conservation strategies and helping them make their tasks less taxing by optimizing their body mechanics and the ergonomics of their work

The sensory integration theory postulates that the deficiencies in learning and behavior on children with autism spectrum disorder are due to brain dysfunctions. Occupational therapy may engage the stabilization of sensory integration to enhance the children sensory experiences that can enable individuals to comprehend response tactics and accustom to sensory inputs and centralize on the primary systems of the body that are sensory stimulators which includes; tactics, vestibular and proprioceptive (Gavalas, Christina, Toron, & Marjorie, n.d., p. 59). In the recent past, occupational therapists have devised weighted

In the video’s Sensory Integration Disorder, and How Occupational Therapy Helps with Sensory Integration Issues, sensory processing disorders were discussed on a personal level. 1 in 20 children are affected by SPD every day (STAR, 2016).

Before I started Introduction to Occupational Therapy (OT), I had a vague understanding of what I thought it encompassed, but only on an aspect of some of the services provided. I had an understanding that OT was used to assist people in regaining abilities to help them out in there life where they were having a problem. By this I only understood the problems to be from a recent surgery, or medical problem encountered, such as a stroke. I did not know about the history of OT practices or about any of the organizational structuring within OT. Through this first unit, I have been able to learn how OT is utilized for not only the most identifiable problem it seems a person may be experiencing, but how OT is utilized on a holistic approach to help

Some difficulties that children with special needs may face are speech and language disorders, physical impairments, and other conditions that may make everyday tasks more challenging. Speech therapy can help people improve their ability to communicate verbally, physical therapy can improve their gross motor functions, balance, posture, etc., and occupational therapy can help people do common tasks they struggle with, such as cooking (Evans, n.d.; Bender & McKenzie, 2008). If children receive therapy for certain diagnoses early in their lives, they may improve enough that they would no longer even need therapy (Evans, n.d.).

Seek specialized care. Early intervention is pivotal in evaluating your child's need and seeking treatment for him/her. Getting nutrimental advice, distinguish which occupational therapy may suit your child need and seek suitable professionals to coordinate with in your endeavor to make your kid better.

Children with CP may experience decreased sensation or a limited understanding of how the brain interprets what it sees. Occupational therapists may plan and implement sensory-perceptual-motor (SPM) training for children with CP who have sensory impairments so that they learn to take in, understand, plan and produce organized behavior. The SPM training improves the daily, functional abilities of people with CP. Occupational therapists may also use verbal instructions and supplementary visual input, such as visual cues, to help children with CP learn and carry out activities.