Occupational Therapy (OT) provides support to children who have difficulties with the practical and social skills necessary for their everyday life. An Occupational Therapist will aim to enable a child to be as physically, psychologically and socially independent as possible.

Occupational Therapists are NHS professionals who work staff as well as other professionals, such as the school nurse, school doctors, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.

An Occupation Therapist assesses children who are experiencing difficulties with everyday activities; i.e. dressing, handwriting, using cutlery, play development and hand skills.

The Role of an Occupational Therapist:

• Facilitate independence with functional tasks.
• Support development of underlying component skills e.g. gross motor, fine motor, visual perceptual skills.
• Manage the effects of disability – e.g. hand and arm muscle tone, range of movement, sensory difficulties.
• Adapt the environment/provide equipment in order to optimise functional ability.

Functional Tasks include:

• Self care (Personal care): Washing, Dressing, Toileting, Feeding, food repertoire and using cutlery and Personal Grooming.
• Productivity (Learning/ School work): Attention, Following routine, Problem solving, Handwriting, Tool use and Organising themselves.
• Leisure (Play): Cause and effect, Construction, Puzzles, Posting, Messy play, Mark making, Imaginary and Social interaction.

At The Lansdowne Turney Federation, Occupational Therapy is provided as a universal approach. The therapist provides advice and training to school staff to support the sensory, motor and functional development of all children which includes classroom observations, small group work and joint work with other professionals.

At the federation Occupational Therapy Service consists of:

• Training and advice for staff
• Providing recommendations and strategies to support child and young people in the school environment
• Provide modeling and training to staff on implementing recommendations and strategies
• Recommendation of specialist equipment to support functional skills and learning
• Direct work with children and young people in a group to model strategies for staff to implement within the school setting.

Zones of Regulation

The Zones of Regulation framework provides children that find it difficult to self-regulate with strategies to become aware and independent in controlling their emotional impulses, manage their sensory needs, and improve their overall ability to problem solve.

You can read more about this approach to managing emotions over here.