OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
The occupational therapist aims to develop and improve the child's gross motor skills (i.e. balance, coordination, organisation and motor planning) and fine motor skills (i.e., hand-eye coordination, dexterity, dominance, pencil control and handwriting skills).
When a child is referred to the occupational therapist, a detailed assessment is carried out to identify specific areas of difficulty and the effect on function.
The occupational therapist works closely with the child's teacher, classroom assistant, speech and language therapist and parents to ensure a holistic approach through sharing of treatment goals.
Treatment is often provided through:
- individual sessions
- class based programmes, jointly delivered with the class teacher, eg, pencil skills groups, gross motor skills groups
- groups jointly delivered with the child's speech and language therapist, eg, attention and listening groups incorporating gross motor skills.