Occupational Therapy Assessment
The purpose of an occupational therapy assessment is to help the child or young person to achieve or maintain their maximum level of independence and to develop practical life skills so that he/she can participate to his/her full potential in the home and classroom environment. This occurs in partnership with the child’s family or teacher, within the child’s home or school community.
Occupational therapy helps children participate in their everyday lives and occupations to the best of their ability. A child’s occupations are the daily and meaningful activities that they need or want to do.
A child’s occupations include play and learning, exploration of the environment, self-care (i.e. dressing, eating, toileting etc.) and school work (i.e. handwriting, organising school work, cutting & drawing and PE).
Assessment:
Assessments can explore the following areas:
- Sensory issues e.g. child carrying out excessive spinning or avoiding touch.
- Developmental skills including motor and play development
- Self-care and functional skills such as feeding, toileting and dressing
- Fine motor skills in relation to handwriting and using a knife and fork
- Gross motor skills in relation to riding a bike, sitting posture
- Visual perceptual skills in relation to handwriting and other functional tasks
- Organisation and planning
Assessment may include the following:
- Parent/teacher/child questionnaires
- Interviews with key people e.g. parents/carers, teacher
- Direct interaction with the child
- Standardised tests
All assessments result in a detailed report with recommendations. If appropriate, bespoke, written advice will be provided to contribute to the remediation of the areas of difficulty identified.
Other Assessments
Following an assessment, other assessments may be recommended to examine other possible concerns. These assessments may include:
