How Pediatric Occupational Therapy Can Help Your Child Thrive

Does your child struggle with tasks like writing, brushing their teeth, or participating in class activities? If you've tried everything and still feel stuck, Pediatric Occupational Therapy could provide the missing piece.

What is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy (or OT) provides support for skill development that children need to thrive in their everyday lives. Pediatric OT works with children to address developmental delays or challenges helping them to meet developmental milestones, overcome developmental struggles, and gain more independence.

Understanding Developmental Challenges
There are various reasons children might be struggling with everyday tasks like such as self-care or school skills like handwriting. That’s where Pediatric OT shines, helping to address:

• Fine Motor Skills: The small muscle movements required for tasks like gripping a pencil.

• Sensory Motor Skills: How sensory information helps or hinders physical movements.

• Visual Motor Skills: How their eyes and hands work together when completing tasks.

• Visual Perception: How the eyes interpret information from the environment.

• Executive Function Skills: The ability to plan, focus, and complete tasks.

OT isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s about understanding your child’s unique challenges and working to build the skills they need to succeed.

For instance, let’s say your child struggles with writing their letters or numbers, despite practice at school and home. However, no matter what you have tried, it’s only resulted in frustration and tears. Your child now actively resists anything to do with writing preferring to hide under the desk than try to write. 

There may be a variety of things contributing to this. A Pediatric Occupational Therapist breaks down the challenge to its root causes, collaborates with you and your child to develop a plan, and works with you in a way that will build and strengthen those skills step by step.

Real Stories of OT Success

Amy’s Story: Beating the Handwriting Battle
Amy was a student I had last year who on our very first virtual session said, “I’ll be very mad if you make me write.” While I did not make her write that first session, over the course of our therapy together we worked strategically on aspects of writing that were a challenge to her, in ways that DID NOT involve any writing. When it was time to start incorporating these skills in writing tasks, Amy was relaxed and ready for it. 

At the end of our time together, after a few months, Amy had made significant progress with improvements in speed, size, and stamina for writing. What used to take her an hour to complete, she could now do in 15 minutes! And the best part was that Amy was excited to do the work and share it with her parents!

Todd’s Story: Making Schoolwork Manageable
Todd was a student who refused to do any homework or work at school. It was a struggle to just get his name on a piece of paper. Todd would not join the rest of the class for ANY activity and refused to participate in most tasks. 

After some work with Todd and collaborating with Todd’s teacher and parent, we determined that he had all the skills to complete the physical aspects of school work. Still, he needed some environmental changes, some additional structure, and support that met his sensory needs so he felt safe enough to participate. 

After working with Todd and his team, who were willing to make big changes to support his needs, Todd seemed to calm and began to participate more. Todd now engages in group activities and he sits in a desk pod with other students for part of his day. He now completes writing and math tasks, at a level that fits his abilities. Todd’s transformation shows just how effective OT can be. Todd is a new student because of Occupational Therapy interventions with a collaborative approach. 

Bruce’s Story: Winning at Self-Care and Coordination
Bruce had trouble with tasks most of us take for granted, like opening doors, brushing his teeth, and washing his hands. He was also very sensitive to touch, making these tasks feel overwhelming. 

Since working with Occupational Therapy, Bruces’ mother has indicated that he actively participates in hand washing at home without a struggle. He is working on the sequence to brush his teeth and with some support, can complete most of the sequence. On top of that, Bruce has been practicing new skills like dribbling a ball and shooting hoops. The smile on Bruce’s face says it all—he’s gaining confidence every day through OT.

Why Pediatric OT Matters

Pediatric Occupational Therapy is about helping your child to develop the skills they need to participate in everyday life with confidence and joy. From writing and playing to personal care, OT helps your child overcome challenges and enjoy success with new tasks. The progress you’ll see won’t just be in specific skills—it will spill over into all areas of their life, making them feel more confident and capable. 

If your child is facing developmental challenges making school or home life difficult, let’s talk about how pediatric OT can help them make progress at school, home, and beyond! Please feel free to reach out to learn more.