
Would my child benefit from Occupational Therapy or Behavioral/Psychological Therapy?
We receive many calls from parents who are exploring ways to help their child who may be struggling to perform daily routines, participate in school activities and form positive relationships with peers.
Our first priority is to determine whether occupational therapy is the best place to start and/or if a recommendation for psychology is needed. During our free intake call, we listen to parent concerns and ask pointed questions to determine if there are sensory and motor challenges that may necessitate an OT evaluation. If a parent has no concerns in these areas, we will provide referrals for a psychology practice that can best address behaviors that fall in the social emotional domain.
In general, an OT evaluation is indicated for the following areas of concern:
Fine and visual motor difficulties: immature grasp patterns or pencil grip; difficulty with drawing or writing; difficulty using scissors or utensils
Visual perceptual challenges: poor figure ground skills, spatial awareness, and ability to identify similarities and differences (visual discrimination)
Gross motor challenges: poor balance, coordination, and/or postural stability; difficulty with eye-hand coordination (ball skills)
Motor planning challenges: more time, practice and assistance needed to learn new activities and perform sequenced and routine tasks
Sensory issues: under or over-responsive to specific sensory inputs; seeking excessive sensory input or avoiding sensory input that is not a result of stress or task demand; self-regulation improves with sensory input; challenges with force grading and body awareness
Self-care issues: Difficulty with eating, grooming activities or dressing tasks (including managing clothing fasteners)
In general, a child would benefit from behavioral/psychological therapy for the following areas of concern:
Frequent tantrums or meltdowns, particularly in response to limit setting and/or not having expectations met
Aggressive behavior towards others or themselves
Difficulty following rules or instructions
Social interaction challenges
Excessive anxiety or worry
Poor emotional regulation
Significant behavior problems impacting school or home life
In some cases, both disciplines are needed to help a child feel more safe, comfortable and capable across settings. Occupational therapists will build confidence in motor skills, work toward modulating a child’s response to sensory input, and provide sensory programming so that a child can get his/her sensory needs met in a non-disruptive manner. Psychologists will provide parents with behavioral strategies/supports to manage emotions, set boundaries, reduce maladaptive behaviors and improve relationships. It is important that families understand the scope of each discipline so that they can make best use of resources to help their child.
Please reach out to our office at office@sensationalkids-therapy.com or (202) 244-8089, ext. 0) to schedule a free intake call if you feel your child would benefit from occupational therapy.
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