What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy is the science of looking and treating a child as a total entity by means of appropriate and graded activities, to ensure optimal functioning in the following areas:
- Activities of daily living e.g. self care, life skills, leisure time, play.
- Gross motor performance e.g. posture, balance, bilateral integration and motor planning
- Fine motor skills e.g. writing, use of scissors, eating utencils, etc.
- Visual perceptual skills
Which services are rendered at Paarl School by Occupational Therapy?
- Occupational therapy evaluations and treatment
- Designing assistive devices and adaptations to enable child to function as independantly as possible in daily life.
- Designing hand splints
- The following treatment is rendered:
- Pediatrics – Pre-primary to Gr. 4
- Work orientations – Practical phase until 18 years old.
Who is the person receiving Occupational Therapy?
- The physical disabled learner e.g. spina bifida, head injuries, muscular dystrophies
- Cerebral palsied children e.g. hemiplegia, ataxia, athetoids, diplegia
- The specific learning disabled child with an average or above average intellectual ability
Risk factors that might indicate possible Occupational Therapy treatment in future
- Premature birth
- Traumatic pregnancy / birth
- Allergies
- History of learning disabilities in the family
- Milestone development slow / lacking
- Genetic predisposition
- Physical disabilities
What signs might be indicative that a child needs Occupational Therapy?
- Signs up to 5 years of age:
- Hypotonic child
- Poor posture in sitting, standing or walking
- Difficulty learning new tasks
- Developmental delays
- Problems related to self care
- Avoidance of certain activities e.g. writing, jungle gym, cutting
- Sensitivity to odour, texture, height, movement etc.
- Signs for the child older than 5 years:
- Poor posture in sit, stand, walking
- Fine motor problems e.g. writing. colouring in, fastening buttons, using scissors
- Poor concentration
- Poor memory
- Hyperactive behaviour
- Under achievement at school
- Poor following of instructions
- Poor task completion
- Dependant on others for self care
- Avoidance of certain activities e.g. movement, dirty hands (glue, paint), etc.
- Hand dominance has not developed
- Seeking behaviour eg. fidgets, struggles to sit still, touches people / objects.
The following treatment is rendered: