Occupational therapy is a form of therapy that focuses on helping children develop, maintain, or regain the skills and abilities necessary to participate in their daily activities. Occupational therapist formulates the therapy plans by keeping in mind the concept of ‘play with purpose’mainly for toddlers and children falling in the preschoolage group. The therapist employs a variety of strategies and treatments, to cater to the sensory, auditory, visual, olfactory and tactile concerns. The therapy also focuses on the goal of body balance and environmental adjustments, to assist children in developing the skills to facilitate them in their daily chores.
Multi-sensory room
At our centre, we have a multi-sensory room which is a specially designed space that providesa range of sensory experiences to those with sensory issues. Some common features of a multi-sensory room are as follows:
- Visual stimulation: Visual effects such as bubble tubes, fibre optic strands, and moving lightshelps to create a visually stimulating environment.
- Auditory effects: Music, sounds, and nature-based voices are played to create a calming or stimulating auditory experience.
- Tactile equipment: Tactile equipment such as textured surfaces, sensory brushes vibration devices, and soft play items provides a variety of tactile sensations.
- Aromatherapy: Scented oils, diffusers, and other aromatherapy equipmentprovides different scents to stimulate the olfactory sense.
Fine motor and gross motor equipment
This includes equipment designed to help children develop their motor skills with the help of exercise balls, balance boards, magnetic darts, bead pattern activities, cloth pin activity and weight cuffs.
Activities of daily living (ADL)
In Activities of Daily Living (ADL),we primarily focus on essential activities thatchildren typically perform on a daily basis to take care of themselves and manage their lives. These activities include basic self-care tasks such as eating, toileting, bathing, dressing, and grooming, as well as more complex activities such as shopping, cooking, and managing finances. The capacity to execute ADLs independently is a key aspect in establishing an individual’s level of functioning and overall well-being.
Sports and recreational activities
Believing strongly that, the inclusion of sports activities in remedial training programs promotes physical fitness, coordination, and motor skills and improves cognitive functioning and behaviour we incorporate sports activities into remedial training programs to provide a holistic approach.Sports activities help in channelizing energy and reducing stress and anxiety which helps in promoting balanced overall growth. In addition, Recreational activities benefit children with special needs, to develop social, emotional, and physical skills.Recreational activities demanding involvement with colours, textures, shapes, and sizes improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and self-expression. The therapist designs the activities keeping in mind the child’s abilities and interests and also uses materials that are safe and easy to handle.
