THINK about all the things you do each day to care for yourself - work, recoup, socialise, and fulfill all your roles as a partner, parent, sibling, son or daughter, worker or friend. If you’ve had an illness, disability or injury affect any of those activities (or occupations), chances are you’ve already met an occupational therapist (OT).
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OTs are often found in hospitals, community health centres, rehabilitation units, mental health services, aged care facilities, disability services, work rehabilitation, and schools. An OTs job is to enhance your abilities for the activities of everyday life.
As a paediatric OT at the Wagga Community Health, I work specifically with children experiencing ongoing difficulties with their daily activities - perhaps with their self-care, their ability to play, or participate in school. Quite often the children I work with have a diagnosed disorder such as ADHD, Autism, or a coordination disorder. Some children with no diagnoses, still have challenges with aspects of movement, attention and thinking, social-emotional skills, or sensory processing, making it difficult for them to master daily living skills and fully participate in their own daily occupations.
Here are a few things children and families often want to work on in OT:
- Infant development to sit, crawl or walk.
- Self-care activities to independently use the toilet, wash, or eat.
- Postural capability for longer sitting for class activities, church, or dinner.
- Whole-body coordination to ride a bike, join in at hopscotch, or dress independently.
- Fine motor skills for handwriting, using cutlery, or tying shoelaces.
- ‘Thinking’ skills for attention, memory, problem solving, or self-organisation.
- Social and emotional skills to make friends, work well in groups, or manage anxious moments.
- Tolerance for different sensations, to be comfortable with clothes, cope with noisy shops, or try new foods.
Written by Anne Seebach, Occupational Therapist at Wagga Community Health Centre. If you would like to know more about services at Community Health contact 1800 654 324.
