In a nutshell, occupational therapy is all about the physical skills needed for daily living, work and play. Our goal is to help your child improve their ability to take care of themselves, regulate their emotions or sensations, and interact with others in an age-appropriate way. In other words, occupational therapy focuses on the physical "occupation" of life. From a holistic perspective, our two full time occupational therapists can help your child work on fine motor skills so they can do things like dressing themselves, holding their spoon or cup, or completing school and play-related activities. They will help them better process their sensory needs, and provide tips on how to regulate when your child becomes overwhelmed. While working with them, our therapists can help determine if delays are present and where they’re coming from.
Specifically, occupational therapy can help your child in areas of fine motor and cognitive skills, visual perception, sensory integration, social development, and self-care. Our goal is to help improve your child’s safety and independence while at home, school, and in the community.
Occupational Therapy includes:
- Executive Functioning
- Feeding
- Fine Motor
- Gross Motor
- Handwriting
- Self Care
- Sensory Integration
- Visual Motor/Perceptual Integration
Providers: Andrea Vallejo-Dismukes, Occupational Therapist; Kaley Glover, Occupational Therapist; Nicole Keen, Occupational Therapist
Your child might benefit from Occupational Therapy if…
Your child is not dressing and/or feeding self.
Your child is not completing simple puzzles and/or identifying basic shapes.
Your child is not holding his/her scissors correctly to cut or writing utensil correctly to color, trace, imitate, and/or write.
Your child colors and/or writes messy.
AGE MILESTONES: FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT
2 Year Milestones
- Can stack a block tower 9 blocks high
- Can turn doorknobs
- Can pick up small objects with pincer grasp (index finger and thumb)
- Can complete 3 piece puzzles
- Can screw container lids on and off
- Manipulates clay or Play-Doh
- Scribbles
- Make snips on paper with scissors
- Will wash hands independently
- Zips and unzips large zippers
- Can string large beads
- Can use a spoon correctly
3 Year Milestones
- Can draw a circle after being shown model
- Cuts a piece of paper in half
- Copies prewriting lines of vertical, horizontal, and circle shapes
- Can cut along a wide line with 1/2" accuracy
- Laces a card
- Can unbutton large buttons
- Will string 1/2 inch beads
- Cuts along a line with no more than 1/8-1/4 inch deviation from the line
- Sorts objects
- Will fasten and unfasten large buttons
4 Year Milestones
- Can copy right and left oblique lines "/" "", square, cross, and X shapes
- Can color within a picture with no more than 1/4" deviations from the coloring lines
- Can move the paper while cutting along a line
- Can touch the tip of each finger to their thumb
- Completes puzzles of 4-5 pieces
- Can use a fork correctly
- Can get dressed and undressed without help
- Uses dominant hand
- Can cut big circles with scissors
5 Year Milestones
- Grasps a pencil correctly
- Begins to print their name
- Copies a triangle shape
- Draw a diamond shape when given a model
- Opens a lock with a key
- Can lace their shoes
- Draws a person with at least 6 different body parts
- Cuts out a circle and a square
6 Year Milestones
- Can write first name
- Builds a small structure with blocks
- Can complete a 16-20 piece puzzle
- Cuts well with scissors, no deviations from the cutting line
- Prints 3 or more simple words
- Can print all numbers 0-9
- Can print all letters of the alphabet, upper case and lower case
- Uses a knife to cut food
