Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is the therapeutic use of self-care, work and play activities to increase a child's ability to be independent, enhance development and prevent disability; this may include the adaptation of a task or the environment to achieve maximum independence and to enhance the quality of life. The term occupation, as used in occupational therapy, refers to the "occupations" or activities that fill daily life. These activities are the basis for evaluating, specifying and treating problems interfering with functional performance.

Role of Occupational Therapists
Children are seen in occupational therapy to maximize his or her independence in the home, school and community environments. For the child, this may include self-care activities, playing, going to school, and being part of a family at home.
Our Occupational Therapists are skilled in assessing a child's functional levels in the areas of fine and gross motor, visual perception, visual motor, self-care/activities of daily living, feeding and sensory processing. In addition, Occupational Therapists assess the need for adaptive equipment and technology, and make the appropriate recommendations.

Occupational Therapy Services in St Gerard's
Fine Motor Manipulation - Children are taught how to use their hands together, hold small items correctly and use a pencil and scissors in preparation for school readiness and dressing skills. Handwriting program is also conducted.

Perceptual Skills - Uses puzzles and copying designs to help children develop eye-hand coordination and other perceptual skills that affect functional mobility and home safety.

Sensory Processing - Assists children in developing the perception & use of touch, movement, sight, sound, smell, the force of gravity and body position to function in their environment.

Sensory Motor - Teaches children how to use their senses to move their bodies through the environment e.g. postural control, motor planning etc.

Activities of Daily Living - Emphasis on achieving independence in daily living activities such as dressing, grooming, brushing, bathing, feeding & toileting

Oral Motor Control - Assists children in learning how to use the muscles of the mouth to suck, swallow and chew. Learning to use a spoon and drinking from a cup is also emphasized.

Behaviour - Works on children who need some sort of sensory input to focus on tasks in classroom and at home. Also helps children who are hypoactive and hyperactive to achieve optimal arousal state using sensory activities to perform better in different settings.

Equipment/Seating - Provides children with the necessary equipment to facilitate development (seats, splints, adaptive spoons, straps for chairs and other specialized equipment). When needed, the environment is also modified to suit the children's needs, and to enhance their independence where possible.