What Does Occupational Therapy Do Anyway?

If you are a parent who has a sensitive child, you've probably already noticed that he or she hates the feeling of finger paint; won't stop fingering soft or furry material; jumps on and off of furniture more than the average child; may hate sudden movements, loud noises, or strong smells.

If you have been concerned enough about these sensitivities you may have even shared these concerns with your friends. And you probably heard advice like: he'll grow out of it; quit coddling him; it's because you are nervous; it's because he is your first; or it's all your imagination.

You may have even been worried enough about how your child functions in his world to consult your pediatrician. And chances are good, you heard something similar: he'll grow out of; children develop at different rates; and quit spoiling him.

But if you were lucky, your doctor had heard about Sensory Processing Disorder, and referred you to a specialist for help and diagnosis.

There are seven categories of symptoms in sensory integration dysfunction. These are:

Visual: the ability to accurately process and respond to what one sees.

Olfactory: the ability to accurately process and respond to different smells.

Oral: the ability to correctly process and respond to input in the mouth.

Auditory: the ability to correctly perceive and respond to a wide variety of sounds.

Proprioception: the ability to sense position, and process input from joints, muscles movement and changes in position.

Vestibular: the ability to process and respond to information about gravitational changes, movement, equilibrium and where your body is in space.

Tactile: the ability to accurately process and respond to information from the skin regarding touch, movement, pressure, or pain.

A child who has a disorder in processing one or more of these areas will eventually stand out from his peers, especially when school starts. Early help and diagnosis is helpful because some of these problems can be understood and overcome before his self esteem has been damaged due to feeling and acting different.

So, if your child hates the taste or feel of new foods; stiffens in terror when lifted high or asked to climb a ladder; refuses to wear anything but soft, well-worn, loose-fitting clothes; cries at the feel of sand, paint, jello, pudding or other substances on his hand; smells odors that no one else notices; complains about the light being too bright; or holds his hand over his ears when startled by a noise, it doesn't mean that he has a sensory processing disorder.

The disorder is characterized by frequency, duration, intensity and the impact the sensitivity has on the child's life. And if normal, daily life (if you can even remember what that is now) is disrupted or impossible due to one child's extreme preferences, occupational therapy for sensory processing disorder might be something to look at.

If you have been referred to an occupation therapist, take heart. First, it is important to find an occupational therapist who specializes in childhood sensory integration disorder. This disorder is being studied more, and receiving more interest in the past few years, so that may not be difficult.

Occupational therapy is often confused with physical therapy and there is some overlap in their function. But occupational therapy is primarily concerned with helping an individual function in the skills of living. For children, this is play, self-care, and relations with others.

Therapists can assist your child in improving self care skills such as feeding, bathing and dressing; can help him increase fine motor skills like dexterity and hand movements such as writing; neuromotor development like how the child uses his muscles for walking, running, and other movements; sensory integration sometimes by desensitizing problem areas and "waking up" sluggish senses; and give him the confidence and ability to enjoy play and relationships with others.

Occupational therapy during the developmental years can greatly enhance your child's skill level, self-confidence, and self-image by helping him to be the best person he can be. You may be given assignments and suggestions to use at home. Usually, occupation therapy or OT is schedule for once or twice a week in 30-60 minute sessions.

Reevaluation is done every few weeks so both you and the therapist can see what is working, how it's helping, and redefine the goals you may have for your child. YoOu and your child should start feeling like you are getting a life back.