Occupational therapy is concerned with promoting independence in activities of everyday life – or ‘occupations.’ Children’s occupations include: reaching developmental milestones, play, self care (eating, sleeping, dressing, grooming, bathing), academic tasks (handwriting, fine motor skills, attention/focus), and socializing.

In the pediatric environment, there can be a lot of overlap and similarities between occupational and physical therapy and these professions often work closely together. However, while OTs and PTs work together in various settings and often overlap, they also practice distinctly different therapy practices.

A child’s primary occupation is to play, which is how he/she learns and interacts with his/her environment and make sense of the world around them. It is through play that children develop motor skills, physical coordination, and many other very important skills …

Children and families have been thrown into a new world with minimal extracurricular activities, limited social interactions, increased safety protocols, and unpredictable shifts to online learning. As a result, it has been challenging for many families to remain patient and attentive with our children.