Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy strives to promote functional independence for children in activities of daily living.
Services
Overview of Service
The goal of the occupational therapy team at The Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders is to provide evidence-based, individualized occupational therapy assessment and treatment to children and adolescents who struggle with activities of daily living skills such as feeding, bathing, dressing, and grooming, as well as play skills, which serve as a critical foundation for learning. Occupational therapy addresses sensory regulation or dysregulation, which can be a root cause of behavioral concerns. We believe in a family-centered approach, working closely with parents and caregivers to identify how we can best support the development of a child’s Occupational Therapy skills. All occupational therapy services are provided by highly skilled, licensed pediatric occupational therapists.
Concerns Addressed
Our occupational therapy team has extensive experience evaluating and treating disorders in all areas of activities of daily living, particularly those associated with autism spectrum disorder and neurodevelopmental disorders. Some of the most common areas addressed within our program include:
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Grooming
- Hygiene
- Sensory processing and dysregulation
- Visual motor problems
- Fine motor difficulties
- Play skills
Programs and Services Offered
- Comprehensive occupational therapy evaluations
- Interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluations
- Individualized occupational therapy treatment
- Collaboration/Consultation with public school programs and other agencies to facilitate optimal progress for the children we serve.
- Parent training and community outreach.
Visit Expectation
Evaluation
An occupational therapy evaluation at our center involves review of medical and educational records, caregiver interview, and direct assessment of a child using both standardized testing measures and informal measures of activities of daily living, fine motor skills, visual motor skills, sensory processing skills and play. Following the evaluation, a treatment plan is developed including recommendations for therapeutic services and specific goals and objectives to be used within therapy sessions. A written report summarizing evaluation results and the treatment plan is provided to the family and their medical team, as appropriate.
Treatment
We provide individual 1:1 therapy sessions. A therapy session includes direct face-to-face time with the child and caregivers, as well as documentation time. We strongly encourage parents and caregivers to be active participants in therapy sessions, so that they can learn how to carry over critical practice at home in order to maximize therapeutic gains across all environments. Our treatment team also works closely with medical providers, psychologists, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, behavior therapists, and school staff to ensure that children are using their occupational therapy skills across all caregivers and environments.
For More information about occupational therapy contact:
American Occupational Therapy Association at https://www.aota.org
California Occupational Therapy Association at https://www.otaconline.org