Services
List of Services
List of Services
Occupational Therapy helps your child—through play activities—improve his or her independent function. My goal is to help your child function better physically, emotionally, academically and socially in his or her daily activities.
EVALUATIONS
EVALUATIONS
I understand that every child is different. Before I develop a program for your child, I evaluate his or her skill level and determine the best individual treatment approach.
I can help your child in the following areas:
I can help your child in the following areas:
Fine Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of our fingers, hands, and arms. The development of these muscles will help your child perform activities for daily living (ADL) like hanging clothes, using cutlery, and preparing lunch. Fine motor skills are also necessary for academic success — including pencil manipulation, handwriting, keyboarding, cutting, and pasting.
Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of our fingers, hands, and arms. The development of these muscles will help your child perform activities for daily living (ADL) like hanging clothes, using cutlery, and preparing lunch. Fine motor skills are also necessary for academic success — including pencil manipulation, handwriting, keyboarding, cutting, and pasting.
The following building blocks are necessary to develop fine motor skills:
The following building blocks are necessary to develop fine motor skills:
Bilateral Integration: Using your two hands together.
Bilateral Integration: Using your two hands together.
Crossing Mid-line: The ability to cross the imaginary line that divides the body into left and right sides.
Crossing Mid-line: The ability to cross the imaginary line that divides the body into left and right sides.
Hand and finger strength: The ability to exert force against resistance using for controlled movement.
Hand and finger strength: The ability to exert force against resistance using for controlled movement.
Eye hand coordination: The ability to process information received from the eyes to control, guide and direct the hands in the performance of the task.
Eye hand coordination: The ability to process information received from the eyes to control, guide and direct the hands in the performance of the task.
Hand Dominance: The consistent use of one hand for a task performance.
Hand Dominance: The consistent use of one hand for a task performance.
Hand Division: Using the thumb, index and middle finger for manipulation and the fourth and little finger tucked into the palm for stability.
Hand Division: Using the thumb, index and middle finger for manipulation and the fourth and little finger tucked into the palm for stability.
Object Manipulation: The ability to skillfully manipulate and control everyday tools, such as a toothbrush, hairbrush, pencils, scissors, and cutlery.
Object Manipulation: The ability to skillfully manipulate and control everyday tools, such as a toothbrush, hairbrush, pencils, scissors, and cutlery.
Body Awareness (Proprioception): Information that the brain receives from our muscles and joints to make us aware of our body position for more controlled movements.
Body Awareness (Proprioception): Information that the brain receives from our muscles and joints to make us aware of our body position for more controlled movements.
Sensory Integration
Sensory Integration
Sensory Integration
Sensory Integration
Sensory integration challenges stem from your nervous system and make it difficult to receive, organize, and use sensory information. This makes it hard for a person’s body to adapt to a given physical environment and can lead to a variety of problems. Through fun and engaging activities, I help children learn to process and organize different sensations which are necessary for development.
Sensory integration challenges stem from your nervous system and make it difficult to receive, organize, and use sensory information. This makes it hard for a person’s body to adapt to a given physical environment and can lead to a variety of problems. Through fun and engaging activities, I help children learn to process and organize different sensations which are necessary for development.
The three most common sensory systems affected with sensory processing disorder are:
The three most common sensory systems affected with sensory processing disorder are:
Vestibular: The sensory system that responds to changes in head and body movement through space, and that coordinates movements of the eyes, head, and body.
Vestibular: The sensory system that responds to changes in head and body movement through space, and that coordinates movements of the eyes, head, and body.
Proprioceptive: This sense underlies one’s ability to place body parts in a position in space and to grade movements (i.e. the ability to judge direction of force and pressure.
Proprioceptive: This sense underlies one’s ability to place body parts in a position in space and to grade movements (i.e. the ability to judge direction of force and pressure.
Tactile: Information taken into the body through the sense of touch (skin).
Tactile: Information taken into the body through the sense of touch (skin).
Visual Perception
Visual Perception
Visual Perception
Visual Perception
Visual perception is the process of organizing information, and giving meaning to what we see. It is required to perform everyday tasks and is essential for learning in school.
Visual perception is the process of organizing information, and giving meaning to what we see. It is required to perform everyday tasks and is essential for learning in school.
Components of visual perception include:
Components of visual perception include:
Eye-hand coordination: Drawing precise straight or curved lines within a visual boundary.
Eye-hand coordination: Drawing precise straight or curved lines within a visual boundary.
Figure ground: The ability to see an object or form when presented in a complex background with a lot of visual information at one time.
Figure ground: The ability to see an object or form when presented in a complex background with a lot of visual information at one time.
Visual discrimination: The foundation for where an object or shape is classified according to color, form, pattern, size or position.
Visual discrimination: The foundation for where an object or shape is classified according to color, form, pattern, size or position.
Position in space: This relates to understanding directional language concepts, such as in/out, up/down, in front of/behind/between, left/right, when relating to objects or shapes such as letters.
Position in space: This relates to understanding directional language concepts, such as in/out, up/down, in front of/behind/between, left/right, when relating to objects or shapes such as letters.
Visual memory: The ability to remember and recall objects, shapes, symbols, movements or a sequence of movements.
Visual memory: The ability to remember and recall objects, shapes, symbols, movements or a sequence of movements.
Visual motor integration: The ability to make sense of visual information and then use it appropriately when performing a motor task, such as writing.
Visual motor integration: The ability to make sense of visual information and then use it appropriately when performing a motor task, such as writing.
Visual closure: The ability to visualize the whole of an object or picture when part of it is hidden or missing.
Visual closure: The ability to visualize the whole of an object or picture when part of it is hidden or missing.
Form constancy: The ability to recognize forms and objects as the same in various situations.
Form constancy: The ability to recognize forms and objects as the same in various situations.
Executive Function
Executive Function
Executive Function
Executive Function
Executive function skills help people get things done. Improving these skills will help your child to plan, focus their attention, remember instructions, and multi-task successfully.
Executive function skills help people get things done. Improving these skills will help your child to plan, focus their attention, remember instructions, and multi-task successfully.
These skills are an essential part of developing:
These skills are an essential part of developing:
Working memory: The ability to retain and manipulate distinct pieces of information over short periods of time.
Working memory: The ability to retain and manipulate distinct pieces of information over short periods of time.
Mental flexibility: The ability to sustain or shift attention in response to different demands.
Mental flexibility: The ability to sustain or shift attention in response to different demands.
Self-control: The ability to set priorities and resist impulsive actions
Self-control: The ability to set priorities and resist impulsive actions
Executive function incorporates:
Executive function incorporates:
Problem solving
Problem solving
Time management
Time management
Organization
Organization
Planning and prioritizing
Planning and prioritizing
Task initiation
Task initiation
Functional Life Skills
Functional Life Skills
Functional Life Skills
Functional Life Skills
I feel that functional life skills support your child in school, at home, and during daily activities. Areas I will address include:
I feel that functional life skills support your child in school, at home, and during daily activities. Areas I will address include:
Phone skills
Phone skills
Money skills
Money skills
Grocery shopping
Grocery shopping
Leisure time
Leisure time
Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills
Safety awareness
Safety awareness
Cooking
Cooking
Setting a table
Setting a table
Folding and hanging clothes
Folding and hanging clothes
Handwriting / Keyboarding
Handwriting / Keyboarding
Handwriting / Keyboarding
Handwriting / Keyboarding
Handwriting and keyboarding are both complex skills that require practice to become fluent and automatic. Formal instruction in these areas can help your child build the foundational skills needed to express him or herself appropriately.
Handwriting and keyboarding are both complex skills that require practice to become fluent and automatic. Formal instruction in these areas can help your child build the foundational skills needed to express him or herself appropriately.
I utilize the following programs:
I utilize the following programs:
Handwriting Without Tears – print and cursive
Handwriting Without Tears – print and cursive
Keyboarding Without Tears
Keyboarding Without Tears
TV Teacher