Common Questions On Occupational Therapy For Children In Sydney

If you’re looking into occupational therapy (OT) for your children in Sydney then you likely have some important and pressing questions that your seeking answers to.

You’ve probably heard the term thrown around before, but you might t not be aware of what it entails. If you’re wondering about what it is, what to expect and how to find a good provider, then read on below.

child with down syndrome being carried by her mother

 

What is OT?

The general aim of occupation therapy  for children in Sydney is to help them reach key developmental milestones. OT in its most basic sense is designed to hone your child’s skills. For children experienced developmental delays in a physical or mental capacity, or with a condition expected to cause delays, daily tasks can be extremely difficult. The best occupational therapy for children in Sydney is targeted at helping to provide these kids with the vital skills that they need to function in every day life.

OT can help kids to improve skills related to cognition, motor skills, their sense and their self esteem.

 

Who needs OT?

A key consideration before you speak to a provider for occupation therapy for children in Sydney is whether or not your kid would benefit from it.

Some common medical conditions that can benefit from OT include;

  • Kids with physical disabilities such as; traumatic injuries, birth defects, spina bifida, amputations, serious burns, broken bones, cerebral palsy, chronic illnesses effecting motor function.
  • Kids with mental disabilities, learning disabilities or sensory processing problems
  • Kids with developmental disorders, such as autism

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, many kids with many different conditions can benefit from OT.

 

What can they help with?

Providers for occupational therapy for children in Sydney can help to develop many different skills for your kids. Some common things that they may be able to help with include;

  • Helping your kids to improve their fine motor skills (such as grasping, writing etc)
  • Helping your kids to improve their coordination – hand eye coordination can be a difficult skill for kids to master, especially when they have a disability. OT can help to improve coordination which can be especially important for play and sporting activities.
  • Everyday tasks for survival – some kids aren’t able to do small everyday tasks, like feeding themselves or washing themselves, OT can help with this
  • OT can help to evaluate the equipment needed for your child – Occupational therapy for children in Sydney can help to clarify if there are any specialised equipment needs for your kid
  • It can improve behavioural issues – if your kid has problems with negative behaviour then OT can help to stop this by providing positive reinforcement for good behaviours

These are just some of the important outcomes that can be achieved with occupational therapy for children in Sydney.

 

Occupation therapy in Sydney versus physical therapy (PT)

Some people will get these two terms mixed up. In fact, whilst they are both focused on improving skills for kids and benefiting their quality of life, the focus for each is slightly different. OT mostly focuses on fine motor skills, as well as perceptual, cognitive and sensory skills whereas PT focuses on decreasing pain, improving gross motor skills, strength and endurance.

 

How to find care?

If you think your little one could benefit from OT then sit down with your local doctor and ask for a referral, they should be able to point you in the direction of a good provider and offer some extra guidance on any questions you may have.

There are also many resources, blogs and forums online that can help you when trying to find occupational therapy for children in Sydney.

 

Post Author: Lily Allen