You would most likely think that occupational therapy is for those who have an occupation, and that this type of therapy wouldn’t apply to children. But actually, children can have certain weak or delayed development skills where an occupational therapist can help. The purpose of pediatric occupational therapy is to help children become independent in their life; their home, school, and social life. If we consider that playing and learning is the ‘occupation’ of children, then it’s important for you to understand and notice some signs that the development of your child’s abilities and skills might not be appropriate to their age.
For children with developmental delays or a physical or mental condition associated with a high probability of delays, Occupational therapy can help improve their motor, cognition, sensory processing, communication, and even playing skills. With the right therapist, you may be surprised with what your child can overcome and improve his or herself.
To know if an occupational therapist is needed, here are five signs that you should watch out for.
Poor motor skills
There’s a difference between being clumsy and the inability to hold and control a pencil, for example, or finding it difficult to cut, color or fold. These are basic skills that children should be able to perform by a certain age, so they might need help to develop the muscles in their hands and fingers. A therapist might also work on hand-eye coordination to improve these skills.
Difficulty reaching age-appropriate development
By certain ages, a child should be able to sit, walk, talk, etc. A child who is slow in development might not be able to learn, develop, play and social skills, or communicate at an age-appropriate level.
Inability to focus
A short attention span is normal. However, we know that it can be a sign of attention deficit disorder (ADD), but not necessarily. Yet, if your child is extremely sensitive to different distractions, they might overreact or underreact to stimulants, and their impulsiveness can be quite higher than other children. They can also show erratic arousal levels and alertness, as well as slow or difficult language processing.
Weak social skills
Again, we must differentiate between a child who does something wrong or inappropriate out of ignorance, and those that seem intended on what adults would view as misbehavior. These children will have an excessive need for intense movement like jumping, rocking, swinging, and spinning. They might not take kindly to sharing toys or engaging with others, while also displaying obsessive behavior.
Dislike for change
While lots of kids are interested in trying and experiencing new things, these children are very cautious and fear of new experiences. They can become extremely upset when a simple change in routine happens.
As a parent, it’s critical to remember that not all aspects of development have to be exactly on time. It doesn’t mean that something is definitely wrong if your child isn’t holding the pencil correctly yet. It’s just very important to keep an eye on the progress of your child. You might notice some slowness or extreme behavior, but it is an occupational therapist who will determine if your child needs and can benefit from the different therapies available out there.
Thanks for this mommy.. True po momshie.. Hindi naman po lahat ng bata same ang mga pagbabago o nagagawa.. Kaya you don’t need to compare to others.. Be thankful nalang and appreciate sa lahat na nagawa niya.. Pa unti unti man.. But at least.
awwww. thanks mommy. every child is different naman talaga diba. yes! hinding hindi ko icocompare anak ko.
Thanks for this helpful post, my daughter is already 3 years old at medyo bulol pa sya unlike sa eldest ko noon na 3 years old magaling ng magsalita pero nakikita ko naman na natututo sya.
tama po hindi dapat madaliin ang bata namatuto., dapat lagi tayong nasa tabi nila to guide them para maunawaan nila ang mga bagay bagay at unti unting matutunan.
Never ko kinompare ang anak ko sa ibang bata kasi naniniwala ako sa anong kaya nila..ayaw kong tumatak sa isip ng anak ko na dapat galingan nila kasi si ano magaling..mas gusto ko kasi na kung ano lang nakayanan nila masaya na ko dun yung iba kasi mga fast learner unlike sa ibang kids pero never ako nagmadali kahit na may nagsasabi sakin na turuan ko na daw kasi hanggang ngayon ganito pa ganyan pa din hindi ko sila sinusunod😁 dahil hindi lahat ng bagay minadali
Thanks for this momshie observe ko din mga kids ko eh. Para if ever meron silang kailangan improve or i develop. So far yung social skills ng eldest ko medyo hindi sya nakikisalamuha sa ibang bata. Parang mahiyain ba
We, mother’s must be very observant when it comes to our kids. On their early years, extra care must be given to them. If we noticed some not so normal behaviour or actions of our kids, we must seek help at once para malaman kung ito ay normal lang sa mga bata.
May ibat ibang klasi ng bata kaya ako never ako nag comper sa mga bata lalo n sa mga anak ko kc alm ko may kanya kanya silang blessings galing kay god at nandto kami ng asawa ko para gabayan ang mga anak namin
True mommy peach. Yung iba kasi mema nalang may masabi o may maipagmayabang lang hindi kailangan ikumpara ang mga anak natin sa ibang bata dahil hindi sila pare pareho.
I agree with this post mommy. Every parents dapat hindi nagcocompare ng mga kids kasi every kid is unique naman
Thank you for this info Mommy Peach, meron pa lang occupational therapist. And tama po kayo iba ibaang development ng bata.
thank you for this mommy peach.
ibat iba naman ang mga bata so dapat tlaga hindi kino compare.ibat iba ang development nila