Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is concerned with enabling an individual to participate in daily life activities, or occupations. The occupation of children is to learn and play. When children have developmental delays or diagnosed conditions, they may lack the sensory, motor, perceptual, cognitive, or social skills needed to participate fully in daily life tasks and can benefit from the services of an occupational therapist.

Areas Addressed by Occupational Therapy

Motor Disorders

Fine motor disorders: Difficulty using the small muscles of the body, especially the hands.
Gross motor disorders: Challenges using the large muscles of the body, used for walking, jumping, kicking, and balancing.
Perceptual motor disorders: Problems integrating visual or auditory information with physical movement.

Sensory Integration Disorders

Sensory integration disorders: Difficulty of the brain in interpreting sensations correctly.
Hyper responsive sensory disorders: Problems with over reacting to sensory input.
Hypo responsive sensory disorders: Challenges with under responding to sensory input.

Types of Services

Therapy sessions at CSLOT are available as individual sessions or group sessions. Depending on the goals of the client, sessions are provided in individual sessions, group sessions, or a combination of the two services.

Individual Sessions

In individual sessions, an occupational therapist works one-on-one with the client and the client’s family. Goals are targeted to the specific needs of the client and all activities are shaped toward achieving them. Parent/caregiver training is a critical component of individual sessions.

Group Sessions

In group sessions, an occupational therapist works with a group of two to six clients at one time. Clients are grouped according to complementary needs. Goals are targeted to the specific needs of each client and all activities are shaped toward achieving the designated goals of all of the participants in the group. Groups have the added benefit of being able to better address the generalization of goals as well as the opportunity for increased interaction with peers. Although executed differently than in individual sessions, parent/caregiver training remains a critical component of group therapy sessions.

School-Based Services

In addition to services provided in our clinic and teletherapy, we provide in-school occupational therapy services and screenings to private preschools and elementary schools. We also provide contracted occupational therapy services to public schools, county offices of education, and children who are homeschooled.

How Therapy Works

The occupational therapist first assesses the child to determine areas of strength and weakness. When therapy is indicated, the occupational therapist provides a program designed to meet the individual needs of the child, addressing weaknesses by including activities that build motor skills, expand play skills, and promote hand skills. Sensory processing issues are also addressed, using activities that provide the child with appropriate sensory input both within and outside of our clinic. We also provide parent training so parents can help their child improve in everyday situations at home and in the community.