OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Occupational therapists focus on identifying and eliminating environmental barriers to independence and participation in daily activities. Occupational therapy interventions focus on adapting the environment, modifying the task, teaching the skill, and educating the children in order to increase participation in and performance of daily activities.

Occupational therapists work to promote, maintain, and develop the skills needed by students to be functional in a Home, school setting and beyond. Active participation in life promotes:
• learning
• self-esteem
• self-confidence
• independence
• Social interaction

Occupational therapists use a holistic approach in planning programmes. They take into account the physical, social, emotional, sensory and cognitive abilities and needs of students.An occupational therapist works to develop skills for handwriting, fine motor skills and daily living skills. However, the most essential role is also to assess and target the child’s sensory processing disorders.

Occupational therapists work as part of a team that includes parents, teachers, and other professionals. They help set specific goals for the person with autism and other Neuro- developmental disorder. These goals often involve social interaction, behavior, and classroom performance.

At Sparsh Special School Occupational therapist might note any of the following:
• Attention span
• Transition to new activities
• Play skills
• Need for personal space
• Responses to stimuli
• Motor skills such as posture, balance, or manipulation of small objects
• Aggression or other types of behaviors
• Interactions between the child and caregivers

These are some of the skills our occupational therapy may foster:
• Daily living skills, such as toilet training, dressing, brushing teeth, and other grooming skills.
• Fine motor skills required for holding objects while handwriting or cutting with scissors.
• Gross motor skills used for walking, climbing stairs, or riding a bike.
• Sitting, posture, or perceptual skills, such as telling the differences between colors, shapes, and sizes.
• Awareness of his or her body and its relation to others.
• Visual skills for reading and writing.
• Play, coping, self-help, problem solving, communication, and social skills.