Watching your children grow up is one of the most beautiful experiences life has to offer, but lets not pretend it doesn’t come with its own set of struggles and worries.
If your kid is struggling and you’re not sure why, it can be hard to watch.
Maybe they are struggling to do things like hold a pencil or they get very upset over the texture of their school uniform. These things are small in the grand scheme of things, but can sometimes mean something bigger.
At Kid Speak, while they specialise in paediatric speech pathology, they work closely with occupational therapists and see firsthand how much difference the right support can make for children and their families.
What occupational therapy actually is (and isn’t)
Occupational therapy isn’t just about jobs and careers. For kids, occupational therapy is about helping them be a child. Things like playing, learning, socialising and developing the skills they need for daily life.
An occupational therapist (OT) looks at how kids interact with their environment and helps them develop the physical, cognitive and sensory skills they need to participate fully in activities at home, school and in the community.
If your child can learn these skills they act as the building blocks of their learning. Once they know these skills they can progress and learn more complex tasks.
It doesn’t just mean motor skills too, although that is a big part of OT. Occupational therapy involves sensory processing, attention spans, their social skills, their organisation and pretty much anything that helps kids function.
The signs your child might benefit from OT
So how to really know whether your child would benefit from some occupational therapy support?
There are signs that can indicate your child may need some extra attention but they aren’t always obvious and sometimes parents assume little quirks to be part of their personality rather than signs of deeper meanings.
Sometimes it’s the kid who can’t sit still for more than two minutes. Other times its the child who seems overly cautious about trying new things or gets overwhelmed in busy environments.
A few things that stand out to OT are difficulties with fine motor skills like writing, cutting with scissors, or doing up buttons. Also trouble with gross motor skills which includes things like running, jumping or riding a bike.
Sensory issues can also be indicators. Whether they avoid them by not touching certain fabrics, covering their ears or not wearing certain things. Also seeking sensory input like jumping and crashing and loud noises.
You might also notice organisational challenges like losing things constantly, trouble following multi step instructions or seeming scattered and unfocused.
If they have trouble regulating emotions in public it can be another sign. Struggling to read social cues and acting in a social setting can be signs too.
The thing is a lot of these behaviours are normal to some degree. Every kid goes through phases of being messy or having trouble with buttons.
But when these challenges are significantly impacting their daily life, their learning or their ability to participate in activities.
The sensory processing piece
One area that’s really gained attention in recent years is sensory processing. This means being over sensitive and responsive to inputs, like if your child doesn’t like tags in clothing or cant sit in the canteen because its too loud.
Under responsiveness to inputs is also a sign like seeking more intense sensory input to feel regulated.
This can look like a lot of different things. Some kids are constantly moving, need to touch everything, or seek out activities that provide deep pressure. Others might be cautious about playground equipment, refuse to walk barefoot on grass, or get overwhelmed in crowded spaces
Motor skills development
The other big area OTs work on is motor skills development. Fine motor skills are all about those small, precise movements like writing, cutting, manipulating small objects.
Gross motor skills involve larger movements like running, jumping, balance, coordination.
What’s frustrating for parents is that these difficulties aren’t always obvious. Your child might be able to run and climb just fine, but struggle with the fine motor control needed for writing or using scissors effectively.
Or they might seem coordinated in some activities but appear clumsy in others.
Motor skills can be improved with OT. Ots design special activities for kids to help them learn while still being fun and engaging.
A child might not realise they’re working on hand strength while they’re playing with therapy putty or building with blocks.
When to seek an assessment
Timing can be tricky. You don’t want to rush into therapy for every little thing, but you also don’t want to wait too long if your child really could benefit from support.
Normally if someone brings something up like a teacher, its best to investigate. Teachers normally don’t recommend therapy to parents about their child unless it is serious or genuinely impacting their daily life and ability to participate.
School teachers are often good at picking up on these issues because they see how your child compares to their peers on a daily basis. If teachers are raising concerns about handwriting, attention, or social participation, take that seriously. They’re not trying to label your child they want them to succeed.
Early intervention is definitely better than waiting. The earlier you catch things the easier it is to treat.
Making the decision
Knowing whether your child needs occupational therapy can be tricky and isn’t a decision to make lightly. Start by having discussions with professionals that know your child and spend time with them.
People like their teachers, GP and other parents that spend time with your child. Alos trust your instincts, if something doesn’t seem right then you’re probably the first to notice it. You know your child better than anyone.
If you really cant make up your mind then maybe the bets course of action would be a one off consultation assessment.
That way you can meet with a professional OT and discuss your thoights, they can interview or observe your child an dthey can tell you if you need to investigate tfurther or just to give it time.
Many OTs offer detailed written reports with practical recommendations that you can implement at home or share with your child’s school.
You need to remember that simply asking for professional advice is in no way failing a s apparent or putting a label on your child. Its allowing them to have the best possible chance to develop to their full potential.
The earlier you address challenges, the easier they usually are to overcome.