Who are Pediatric Occupational Therapists?

~ Pediatric Occupational Therapists (OTs) work to enable children’s access to learning through adaptations and skill development in order to improve participation and quality of life. 

~ Pediatric OTs evaluate and treat children’s development of motor skills, sensory processing and integration, attention and self-regulation, social emotional and play skills, activities of daily living, visual perceptual skills, cognition and executive functioning.

~ Pediatric OTs give children the tools they need to succeed.

~ Pediatric OTs meet a child as his/her current level of function and aim to provide the “just-right challenge” to help a child develop skills in areas of need. 

~ Pediatric OTs take a play-based, child-directed approach, with a focus on function and increasing meaning and motivation. 

~ Pediatric OTs value working with the whole family and collaborating to address goals and priorities of the family.

Pediatric OTs believe… 

• Motivation guides participation

• Supporting the child means supporting the family. 

• On the floor and messy is the best way to learn!

This blog post contributed by Caitlin McConnell, MS, OTR/L