Occupational Therapy Information

Possible Warning Signs

Jobs of Children

Play

Interact with people and objects

Learn skills to become independent

Participate at home, school and out In the community

Fine Motor Delays

Pointing or oking, using a fist grip, reaching for or grabbing for toys, using hands together to hold objects/clap hands, using utensils, pencils or scissors, not able to pick up small objects, difficulty playing with toys, manipulating parts

Self-Care Delays

Eating with utensils, drinking from cup

Grooming task (brushing teeth, hair, washing hands)

Dressing (managing buttons, zippers, snaps, tying shoes)

Toileting/Potty Training

Trunk and Upper Extremity Weakness(Shoulder, Arm, Wrist, Hand)

Drops Objects, doesn't reach overhead, can't hold bottle, can't drawl on arms or hold and hands and knees position; can't push objects together or pull apart

Difficulty using hands to play while sitting

Slumps in chair when writing

Leans on objects for support when playing or completing self-care

Decreased Range of Motion

Joint Stiffness, Hand Deformities

Abnormal Tone

Described as being stiff of floppy or flexible or using one hand more than the other or keeps hands fisted

Visual Perception (Brain Interpretation of what it sees)

Visual Motor Intergratin Deficits (Eye-Hand Coordination)

Difficulty Drawing Lines, Shapes, or a person;Coloring within the lines

Difficulty cutting lines or cutting out shapes

Difficulty with shape sorters, stacking objects, completing puzzles

Difficulty with handwriting

Difficultly matching, sorting, sequencing

Difficulty Tracing and Drawing

Difficultly recognizing colors, shapes, letters, numbers

Handwriting Difficulties

Problem with forming letters

Difficulty with letter size and spacing

Uses mixed case letters

Difficulty copying words

Messy Handwriting

Poor Pencil Grasp

Tires with writing Tasks

Sensory Processing and Modulation Disorder/Sensory Integration/SI Disorder

Not responding to or has unusual reactions to touch, movement, sounds, body awareness, visula input, smell or taste

Touch: Dislikes messy play, sensitive to clothing textures, avoids going barefoot, touches everything

Movement: In constant motion, impulsive, fidgety, fearful of playground equipment or activities with feet off the ground

Proprioception: Seeks crashing into things, falls purposefully, hand flapping, uses excessive force, is clumsy, bumps into things, leans against objects

Sound: Covers ears frequently or easily upset with everyday noises (Vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, toilet flushing)

Light: Covers eyes to light, watches spinning objects, avoids eye contact, waves hands or colorful objects in front of face

Smell/Taste: Smells objects frequently, picky eater with regards to texture/Temperatures, mouths or chew on hands or objects frequently

Motor Planning Difficulties; Dyspraxia

Difficulty Completing tasks

Difficulty coming up with ideas

Difficulty sequencing how to do something

Playing Repetitively

Not engaging in many different types of play

Poor Safety Awareness

Attention Deficits

Easily Distracted attends only to preferred objects of activities

Behavior Concerns

Overly emotional and difficult to calm, excessive tantrums

Difficulty with transitions between activities or changes in routine

Difficultly with behavior related to sensory issues

Social Interaction Skills

Poor Eye Contact

Plays alone for the most part

Doesn't Interact with parents or other children

Common Occupational Therapy Diagnosis

-Developmental Delays

-Cerebral Palsy or Other Neurological Disorders

-Autism and other Spectrum Disorders

-Down syndrome or other genetic disorders

-ADD/ADHD or Learning Disabilities

SPeech Therapy | OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY | PHYSICAL THERAPY

Occupational Therapy Information

Possible Warning Signs

Common Occupational Therapy Diagnosis