Occupational Therapy

---

  The role of occupational therapy is to equip children with the foundations to be successful in living skills. 

Consultation, assessment and intervention is directed to enhance a child's ability to be an independent and productive individual in the areas of self care, social/play and school.

Occupational therapy (OT) treatment focuses on helping individuals with a physical, sensory, or cognitive difficulties be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. 

OT can help children and adolescents with various needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills and, enhance their independent daily living skills, social and play skills, self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.

At the British School of Outdoor Education, we provide both clinic and mobile evidence based and family centered OT services. Based on your child’s profile and needs, therapy may be delivered in individual sessions or in group sessions and can take place in the comforts of your home, school or at our well-resourced sensory motor gym.

 Firmly rooted in our therapeutic goals, is ensuring the transference of skills learned in therapy into everyday tasks.

We aim to help children and adolescents reach their fullest potential, through an integrative, holistic, play based and multisensory approach. Our therapists firmly believe that engaging in meaningful activities, especially when rooted in a child’s own routines, enhances therapeutic outcomes.

We offer services for the following areas:

• Encouraging participation and independence in activities of daily living
• Assessing and prescribing specialized equipment and, environmental modifications to enhance participation
• Evaluating and developing gross motor, fine motor, visual perceptual and cognitive skills
• Analysing and providing multisensory interventions to manage sensory processing difficulties

 With our Occupational Therapy intervention, we aim to inspire every child to overcome their learning challenges and become the best that he/she can be. 

Through a customised therapy plan, we will work together with you to help your child in crucial areas of development according to both your needs and lifestyle. 

Our Occupational therapist utilises various engaging and purposeful activities designed to achieve functional outcomes and maximise your child’s learning and potential. 

We provide Occupational Therapy screening and assessment in a sensory integration framework.

The assessment process includes an interview and questionnaire for the parents, and an observation session with the child. In the session, various standardized tests are used to measure the strengths and weaknesses of the child. The assessment is then summarized in an optional written report, which is used as a baseline for an intervention process.

In the assessment the Occupational Therapist assessing at these areas:

• Visual Motor Integration and Visual Perception Skills
• Fine and Gross Motor Skills
• Sensory Processing
• Motor Planning and Motor Coordination
• Handwriting Skills
• Finding it hard in P.E
• Having difficulty running/hopping/jumping/skipping etc
• Unable to balance effectively
• Struggling to throw or catch
• Having difficulty moving in space (proprioception)
• Having difficulty completing complex movements
• Unable to stand and complete tasks successfully
• Clumsy and un-coordinated

SIPT stands for Sensory Integration and Praxis Test. This test evaluates sensory processing deficits related to learning and behavior problems. The SIPT measures visual, tactile, and kinesthetic perception as well as motor performance. It is composed of 17 subtests.

The SIPT test is a comprehensive and standardized test and it can specifically delineate processing challenges which may be contributing to difficulties in learning or behavior. 

Furthermore, in some cases it is useful to prove to insurance companies the need to provide occupational therapy services.

We provide SIPT testing with a SIPT-certified occupational therapist.

How Occupational Therapy can help?

An occupational therapist would firstly assess how your child functions in activities and analyse their gross motor skills, before suggesting treatment options. During this analysis of gross motor skills, the occupational therapist would use their knowledge to unpick the components of gross motor skills and determine which aspects the child is struggling with most. Treatment would aim at improving these areas.