Occupational therapy (OT) is a medication process used to address the ability of a child to be able to perform the daily actives such as eating, dressing, walking, bathing, drinking and toileting. The main objective of OT is to increase the capacity of a child to be able to participate in the day to day activities through minimization of their disability impact by making modifications to the environment for the purpose of supporting the child’s participation. Occupational therapy can be practised in different environments such as homes, hospitals, health centres and schools.

Functions of an occupational therapist

An occupational therapist is a professionally trained person both mentally and physically to help physically disabled children to adapt to daily changes in life as well as be able to handle the practical challenges. The occupational therapy for special children accesses the potential abilities of a child in relation to their family context and natural settings, enhance the child’s balance maintain ace and increases their participation in daily operations. The occupational therapist does this by providing advice to the children, identifying ways in which the daily activities can be conducted in a different manner, recommends adaptable environments that maximise the child’s capacity to participate in activities as well as other appropriate services.

While dealing with the kids with special educational requirements, occupational therapy for special children program enables them to work with a real motor skill that enables them to learn how to handle and release toys as well as other objects. Other methods that therapist use to increase the child’s skills include hand-eye coordination such as hitting a ball or writing from a blackboard. Moreover, an occupational therapist helps disabled children with developmental delay skills by involving them in various tasks such as dressing, bathing, feeding and brushing their teeth; other developmental delays learned to include behavioural disorders such as learning how to control their anger and coordination skills. For the purpose of assisting children with the severe problem on how to operate the computer-aided equipment, OT helps them how to work and thus enhance their communication skills.

Working environments for occupational therapists

Hospitals, community health centres, client’s homes, nursing homes, school, council departments, social services, GP practices as well as voluntary organisations are the primary areas where OT operate. For instance, at school occupational therapy for special children examine the child’s ability, recommend and offer therapy, make modifications to the classroom’s equipment and assist children to fully be involved in all school activities and programs like others. An occupational therapist can operate with an individual child, group or with the help of a teacher.

Who can be recommended to an occupational therapist?

OT provides assistant to teenagers, children and adults. For instance, an OT can examine the skills of a child for the purpose of play activities, performance at school and other daily activities in comparison with of a typically developing child within the same age. To be specific, occupational therapist help children with spinal cord disabilities, brain injuries, autism, behaviour or mental problems, Spinal Bifida, birth injuries, learning challenges, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and developmental delay.