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R E S O U R C E S 

What is Occupational Therapy?

'Occupations' refer to the activities that people do on a regular basis. These include the things people need to do, as well as the things that they want to do. These occupy their time, bring meaning and purpose to life, and help an individual to fulfill their roles in life.

When challenges or disability disrupt an individual's participation in their key occupations, it impacts one's health and wellbeing in significant ways.

OT's can help to assess and analyze limiting factors, support development and skill acquisition, adapt or modify activities, materials, and environmental conditions to better support engagement and success. We collaborate with a child's parents, teachers, and support system to enable progress across settings.

With a rigorous and diverse background of study, we are able to address physical, cognitive, sensory, social, and emotional aspects of development to support meaningful, functional outcomes and improved quality of life.


Childhood occupations include the activities that enable them to learn and develop life skills, be creative and experience joy and fulfillment, and thrive in their roles as play partner, student, and family member. 

Some examples include:

  • play, movement and sensory exploration, developing and pursuing areas of interest;

  • developing independence in daily routines such as taking care of oneself, getting ready in the morning, and completing chores or household duties;

  • developing and mastering the skills involved with learning and being a student such as sustaining attention, visual processing and fine motor abilities for academic tasks, listening, etc;

  • developing self-regulation and emotional growth to cope with challenging moments, tolerate disappointment, and manage relationships.

Scroll within the box below to learn more about
sensory processing & our intervention philosophy!

This is Jooim Yang's capstone project in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Occupational Therapy  
© 2017Jooim Yang, OTD, OTR/L & Lisa M. Porter, MOT, OTR/L, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

Websites

Why is Play So Important? Hear what our wonderful colleague, Breanne Kearney, OTR/L, Sensory Kids alumni, has to say about it!

Books

Here are some of our favorite books on child development, sensory processing, and emotional development:

  • Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder by Lucy Jane Miller (2006)

  • Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System by Kelly Mahler, MS, OTR/L

  • The Whole-Brain Child: Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture your Child's Developing Mind by Daniel Siegel, MD and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD (2011)

  • The Child with Special Needs: Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth by Stanley Greenspan, MD and Serena Wieder, PhD (1998)

  • The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, Revised Edition. Kranowitz, Carol (2006). Perigee Trade.

  • Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues. Biel, Lindsey (2009). Penguin.

Websites

Here are some websites related to our work:

  • Profectum - information and a collection of materials on the DIR/Floortime and FCD Models

  • Social Thinking - programs and materials for helping children develop social competency   

  • Vital Links - information, research, and resources on Therapeutic Listening and other tools to improve sensory processing, regulation, and motor function

  • Think:Kids - information from the organization that teaches the Collaborative Problem Solving Approach

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