Occupational Therapy
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Occupational Therapy
At Clinique Churchill, occupational therapists evaluate and provide interventions for preschool and school-age children who have difficulties with fine and gross motor, sensory, and perceptional skills. Occupational services identify the impact of motor difficulties on independence and every day functioning at home and at school.
The intervention services focus on developing autonomy on daily activities at home and school. Through observations, the occupational therapist can suggest different compensatory and adaptative environmental changes and ways to participate in activities in order for the client to manage their motor difficulties. The goal of the intervention is to help the child develop skills that foster independence when engaging in activities and tasks at home and at school.
Our Occupational Therapy Services
- Services provided for preschool, school-age, and adolescents
- Comprehensive, individual evaluations for motor, sensory, autonomy, and organization skills
- Joint team evaluations to develop more comprehensive profile of the child with complex issues (neuropsychology + occupational therapy; speech-language pathology + occupational therapy)
- Individual follow-up services
- Consultations for parents
- Observations, recommendations, and interventions at home, daycare centre, or at school
Evaluation Procedure
The occupational therapist is trained to recognize different motor and sensory development and disorders in preschool and school-age children. The evaluation in occupational therapy begins with an interview of the parents and the child. Parents are often asked to fill out different questionnaires. If needed, any professionals working closely with the child (e.g. daycare, school) may be asked to complete questionnaires.
Depending on the case, the child may be asked to participate in various motor activities. The evaluation is designed to provide the child’s motor profile, highlighting his or her strengths and weaknesses, which can be used to develop child-specific intervention plan. Based on the assessment results, the occupational therapist makes recommendations for the home and school setting. Usually, two appointments are required for the initial evaluation, but this procedure can vary depending on the age of the child and the reason for referral.
Following the assessment, the occupational therapist meets with the parents and presents the evaluation results and recommendations. An individualized report (length can vary) is presented during this meeting. Depending on the results, the occupational therapist can provide intervention services to develop motor skills in order to overcome motor challenges experienced at home, daycare centre, or school.
Questions that can be answered by occupational therapy:
- How can I help my child develop independence in daily activities? (e.g. dressing, eating, personal hygiene, morning routine, sleeping, and leisure/sports activities)
- Why does my child exhibit tactile discomforts, difficulty moving during play, and aversion to sounds, movements, smells, and textures that hinder his or her participation in activities of daily living?
- Can my child develop fine motor skills? (e.g. holding a pencil, cutting, colouring, manipulating small objects and school tools, etc)
- How can I adapt/modify activities to meet my child’s gross motor skills? (e.g. throwing and catching a ball, balancing on one foot, jumping, cycling, etc)
- Is it possible for my child who has difficulty organizational skills with time and space to build, imitate gestures, and organize using strategies?
Our team of occupational therapists
