IndexWhat is Occupational Therapy?Role of the Occupational TherapistOccupational Therapy Activities for ChildrenFor Toddlers and Infants:Sensory Integration ActivitiesCoordination ActivitiesVisual Perception ActivitiesActivities for Fine and Gross Motor SkillsResearch Behind the interventionFocus of the researchWho conducted the research?ConclusionWorks citedWhat is occupational therapy? Occupational therapy interventions are designed to allow your child to develop areas of strength and help them improve skills in areas of weakness. Occupational therapy interventions are child-centred and often a session with an occupational therapist seems like a fascinating and elaborate play scheme. Occupational therapy uses a holistic approach in program planning. This therapy focuses on the child's physical, social, emotional, sensory, and cognitive abilities and needs. In the case of autism, occupational therapy works to develop handwriting skills, fine motor skills, and daily living skills. However, the most important part is also to evaluate and identify the child's sensory processing disorders. It is important to remove barriers to learning and help your child become calmer and more focused. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Role of the Occupational Therapist An occupational therapist must promote, maintain and develop the skills necessary for students to be functional in the environment they are in (home/school) and also in daily activities. Active participation in life promotes: learning self-esteem, self-confidence, independence, social interaction. The Occupational Therapist (OT) helps children play, develop self-help skills and actively participate in school activities. possible. Children's occupations or “jobs” can be divided into three areas: play, self-care, and learning/school. The occupational therapist will first evaluate the child to determine his or her developmental level and to determine if or how the child's problems are hindering "learning" childhood jobs. How does occupational therapy improve quality of life? Occupational therapy provides help to children who face difficulties in their daily activities such as brushing their teeth, dressing, going to the bathroom, writing, drawing, etc. Therapy helps develop these self-help skills in them. For children with autism spectrum disorder, the occupational therapist can help acquire these skills by observing the child's behavior and developing an intervention for him. OT uses different methods and plans and there is no single ideal program as every child is different. These can include activities to help with interaction, puzzles to develop coordination and awareness, and more. Below is a list of some common areas of focus: Fine motor skills Developing small muscles needed in the fingers to pick up small objects. For example, pick up colored beads from a bowl using your fingers. Visual-motor integration Hand-eye coordination, such as picking up small pieces of food from the plate and bringing them to the mouth. Gross motor coordination Walking, standing, running, jumping Cognition and perception Thinking and problem solving. For example, trying to figure out how to pick up a book from a shelf Sensory processing Integration of information from different senses, such as adapting walking from the boardwalk to the sand and water on a summer day at the beach) Environmental adaptive changes/equipment Changingthe environment so that a child can "do" the "work", for example by sliding a special grip onto the pencil so that it can be held securely for writing. Occupational Therapy Activities for Children There are various activities that can be conducted for children depending on the condition. Therapy can be conducted in different places such as home, school, clinic, specialized center, etc. It is designed differently for children of various age groups. For toddlers and babies: Babies usually have trouble sleeping at night. Common exercises included are bath time activities, gentle massage, and sand and water therapy. Sensory Integration Activities These sensory integration activities help your child respond more actively and accurately to the environment. The activities are designed in such a way that they create deep pressure on the child. For example, soft corners are created in the room using soft furniture such as an ottoman that provides wonderful deep pressure for a calming effect. Coordination Activities These activities are designed for your child's legs and arms so they can coordinate more effectively. These are basically divided into two broad categories: bilateral and hand-eye coordination skills. For hand-eye coordination, you can ask your child to hit a ball with a bat, catch a ball, etc. Bilateral activities provide the ability to use both sides of the body accurately. Activities such as rolling out dough from play dough can be effective. Visual perception activities These activities help the child understand the information sent from the eyes to the brain. For shape consistency and to help him understand shapes, place the objects on a tray and ask your child to recognize them. You can use books to teach them different characters and the same alphabets in different sizes to improve their skills. You can also use the puzzle to facilitate the development process. Activities for Fine and Gross Motor Skills Fine motor skills activities are required for children who have difficulty using their hand, fingers, and forearm properly. Basic therapy includes simple exercises with their arms, wrist, fingers, etc., so that they can perform regular tasks like holding a pencil with ease. As for general motor skills, you can help your child with basic and shoulder skills. These activities may include swimming or hopscotch. Research Behind the Intervention The Department of Occupational Therapy at NYU Steinhardt conducted research to examine the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for individuals, groups, or societies. Occupational therapists apply their knowledge to help people with disabilities engage in activities of daily living as actively as possible and develop self-help skills. Research conducted within the Department has focused on promoting the quality of occupational therapy and the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay The focus of the research is handwriting effective interventions to improve the readability of school-age children? Are cognitive and performance-based measures used effectively for the prevention and well-being of older adults in preventing falls? How can cognitive interventions promote neuroplasticity and improve verbal memory and attention? Research on school-based interventions for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in inclusive classroomsSchool-based yoga programs on behavioradaptive in children and adolescents with disabilities are they effective? Exploring strength-based practices to improve outcomes for children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder? Reliability and validity of assessment tools used by occupational therapists. Validity of Computerized Visuo-Perceptual-Motor Measures for School-Age ChildrenOutcome Measures for Children's Occupational Repertoire DevelopmentWho conducted the research?Yu-Lun Chen is a doctoral student in the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University. She has clinical experience including home interventions for children and families with neurological and developmental disorders. Yu-Lun's research focuses on the participation of children and adolescents with disabilities in schools, home activities, and their communities. Its primary goals are to identify the determinants of participation outcomes and improve current services and interventions. Ellen Modlin is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University. He has worked in New York City Public Schools, Early Intervention, and the Nassau County School District. She currently serves on the school district's assistive technology committee to develop screening and interventions with technology to support students in the classroom. Ellen's focus of interest is the use of assistive technology to assist students with visual-perceptual deficits. Conclusion Based on the area of ​​research interest, the Department's research agenda is about discovering the links between occupational therapy education and practice and the effects of occupational therapy in the real world of practice. Ultimately, the goal of the research activities of the Department's faculty and students is to improve the quality of occupational therapy practice and research. Evaluation of the research Strengths of the research conducted: The researches involved in the research are proven (based on their work experience in the field) The research not only focuses on young children, but also focuses on adolescents and adults (without bias in based on age as it has a wide age range) Research was conducted in various settings such as classrooms, homes and communities Focuses on how occupational therapist can better serve to help people with disorders Areas for improvement: Duration of research – Should be conducted over a longer period of time Although it focuses on how to improve the occupational therapist, it would be better if they focused more on how OTs can help people with disorders function better in their daily lives Involve parents, guardians or family members of people with disorders to participate in this research Future directions for occupational therapy It is important that everyone (parents, teachers, therapists, healthcare professionals, etc.) begin to focus on the long-term health and education needs of people of all ages and how occupational therapy can help people with disabilities achieve these needs. On a larger scale, more and more people are accepting the idea that disability arises from the daily interaction between the individual and their environment, rather than coming from within the person themselves. This perspective emphasizes how the ability to carry out activities and participate in life situations is an essential component of a person's daily life. Participation is described as involvement in a person's daily life and represents the highest level in the hierarchy of functioning. Participation is the ultimate long-term goal of occupational therapy and more attention should be paid to it. They should be.