What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on helping people with a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability become as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. OT can help kids with various needs to improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills to enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.

A child's main job is playing and learning. Occupational therapists can evaluate kids' skills for playing, school performance, and daily activities and compare them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), in addition to dealing with someone's physical well being, OT practitioners address psychological, social, and environmental factors that can affect functioning in different ways. This approach makes OT a vital part of health care for some kids. (AOTA, 2015).