OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OT)

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An Overview

Occupational therapy (OT) is one of the branches of health care sector that focuses on helping people of all age groups, whoever has any physical, sensory, or cognitive problems. OT mainly helps them to regain independence in all aspects of their lives. Dealing with barriers, Occupational therapists helps person with emotional, social, and physical needs. To do this, they use everyday activities, exercises, and other therapies.

Child’s primary occupation is to Play & Learn. OT plays a major role in improving kid’s school performance and helps them to play and aid their daily activities. This results in boosting their self esteem and sense of accomplishment.

OT is useful for kids in:

Developing fine motor skills so the kid is able to grasp and release toys and kid can develop good handwriting or computer skills.
Improving eye–hand coordination so the kid can play and perform well in school activities such as bat a ball and copy from a blackboard.
Mastering basic everyday life skills such as bathing, self dressing, brushing teeth, and self-feeding.
Learning positive behaviors and improving social skills by practicing how they manage frustration and anger.
Building their independence through special equipment. Special equipment like bathing equipment, wheelchairs, dressing devices, splints, and communication aids.

OT can be helpful for those kids and teens who have:

birth defects or birth injuries
disorders related to sensory processing
learning problems related to brain or spinal cord traumatic injuries
autism spectrum disorders
ADHD, Attention deficits with Hyperactivity Disorder
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
mental health or behavioral issues
broken bones or other orthopedic injuries
developmental delays
fits, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other chronic illnesses

Physical/Physiotherapy and occupational therapy both help improve kids' quality of life, but there are differences.

Physiotherapy (PT) helps with:

pain
strength
joint range of motion
endurance
gross motor skills (such as large-muscle movements made with the arms, feet, legs, or entire body)

Occupational therapy (OT) helps with:

fine motor skills (small-muscle movements made with the hands, fingers, and toes, such as grasping)
visual-perceptual skills
cognitive (thinking) skills
sensory-processing problems