What is Occupational therapy?
Occupational Therapists use scientific basis and a holistic perspective to promote a person's ability to fulfil their daily routines and roles. Occupational therapist will work with you to help find strategies to manage challenges and concerns to help achieve as much independence as possible.
What can occupational therapy can help with in children?
- Working on making and keeping friends and understanding social contact and how to interact appropriately.
- Working on self care tasks such as: bathing and showing, brushing teeth, hair brushing, face washing, getting dressing and dressing skills.
- Toileting and sleep concerns
- Everyday routines
- Concentration and attention-span
- Sensory strategies to assist with concerns.
- Emotional regulation and behaviours of concern
- Learning to be independent
- General anxiety
- Concerns at home, school and kinder
- Not meeting milestones
What can occupational therapy can help with in adolescents?
- Friendships and bullying
- Bodily changes, understanding puberty and sex
- Learning to be independent in all areas of life such as dressing, basic cooking skills, telling the time, managing money
- Working on learning how to use public transport
- Assistance with getting a job and applying for jobs
- Learning time management
- Assistance with concerns at school
- Emotions regulation
- Sensory strategies
- Equipment requirements or home modifications for access
What can occupational therapy can help with in adults?
- Money management
- Time management
- Learning to use public transport on strategies to assist with getting a licence
- Learning how to manage emotions and anxiety ( emotional regulation)
- Dressing and self care skills
- Cooking skills
- Strategies to assist in obtaining and managing a job
- Equipment requirements and modifications for access
- Strategies with children and being a parent
- Strategies for concerns and challenges in everyday life
- Friendships
- Home management skills
Occupational Therapist also conduct different types of assessments.
What is a functional capacity assessment?
A functional capacity assessment can be requested from NDIS to gain further insight into everyday challenges and to understand how much funding is required and in what areas.
A functional assessment includes:
- General function ( mobility, ability to transfer “ lower limb function” communication, relationships, behaviour, vision impairments, upper limb function)
- Self care ( dressing, eating, toileting, continence, showing, grooming)
- Self management ( ability to complete domestic activities such as shopping, meal preparation, laundry, cleaning, gardening, decision-making, finance management, life administration, budgeting, other cognitive tasks may also be asked about)
- Community access ( driving, transport access, mobility in the community, leisure and social activities, work, study, access to day programs)
What is a sensory assessment?
A sensory assessment can identify how an infant, child, or adults behaviour is affected by their ability to process their sense. This is done by exploring the sensory processing challenges they face through an assessment which is completed by the occupational therapist. Which they will ask a range of questions to help identify triggers, and then provide strategies to help reduce sensory overwhelm and adapt the environment to help regulate sensory needs.
A paediatrician may ask for a sensory assessment before they provide a diagnosis. A sensory assessment can provide the family, school or work with further insight into sensory needs and challenges.
What is a developmental assessment?
A developmental assessment is used for children from birth to 12 years old to assess how they are meeting the expected milestones. This can show signs for global developmental delay, or can help raise other concerns to the paediatrician. These reports are also used when transitioning to school to give the school a summary and required information to apply for education support funding if applicable.
This could be kinder to prep or primary to high school.
The assessment looks at physical development, adaptive behavioural development, social emotional development, cognitive development and communication.
If it sounds like we can help you please contact Napier House on (03) 5410 1011 and email at reception@napierhouse.com.au.