The focus of our therapy is to address the foundational skills that are required for each child to be successful in the preschool setting. Therefore we provide a variety of fun, motivating activities that are specifically aimed at the needs of the individual child.
The occupational therapist assesses many areas of functioning including the child’s response to sensory input. The ability of the child to process sensory input is critical to their ability to maintain a level of arousal, which optimizes their ability to learn.
The OT also assesses fine motor skills. This involves not only developmental skills, such as pencil control, cutting, working fasteners, lacing, stringing, etc., but also the underlying skills of core stability, bilateral integration and motor planning.
Visual perceptual skills are also assessed. First, therapists routinely perform informal vision screenings on all children on their caseload and make referrals to an eye care specialist as necessary. Visual perceptual skills including visual scanning, figure ground, visual discrimination etc. are addressed during assessment and therapy. Visual motor integration, which is the ability to copy simple designs (both 2 dimensional– paper and pencil, and three dimensional – designs made with manipulatives such as blocks and other building toys), is also a skill area addressed by the OT.
Oral motor skills, self feeding, dressing etc. are some of the activities of daily living that the OT addresses at the pre-school level.
Finally, since children this age require many opportunities (which are short in duration) to practice new skills, the therapists provide ideas to the classroom and other team members as well as to the parents.