April is occupational therapy awareness month!

April is Occupational Therapy month! There are many people who do not know what occupational therapy is or what we do in the profession. This month is a great start to helping those around us understand how important occupational therapy is for many people of all ages! Occupational therapy’s goal is to help others in a holistic way, meaning looking at the whole picture of whom a person is, including their physical, psychological, emotional and social aspects. OT works to help others function in their everyday life and achieve their goals. Specifically, looking at how occupational therapy helps in a pediatric setting is very different from looking at what they do in other settings. In a pediatric setting, like this out-patient clinic or in the schools, occupational therapy can help kids in many ways. This includes working on cognitive skills such as memory (remembering how to make shapes and letters) and sequencing. OT helps with both gross and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills that OT works on could include both coordination and balance. Fine motor skills include hand strength, control of arms, wrists and hands and finger dexterity which helps with handwriting skills. OT also works with kids on self care skills including getting dressed, feeding and hygiene tasks such as washing hands or brushing teeth. Social skills are also a part of what OT works on with kids including playing with peers and listening/following directions. Sensory differences are something else that OT can incorporate into their sessions to help children function in everyday life. These are all different areas an OT can work on with children to help them succeed in their everyday lives! Go out and spread the word on how OT has helped your child!

Social Skills Groups

Boost! Learning Enrichment Programs will once again be offering social skills groups and camps throughout the summer. Boost! was found to support families and children with unique learning needs. The social skills groups summer session begins June 13 and goes through August 22nd. Social skills groups will be formed for children from preschool age through middle and high school. The groups meet one evening a week for 60 minutes over a 10 week summer session.Camps meet for four days and have a variety of kid friendly themes.
For more information, check out their website!
http://boostlearningenrichment.com/blog/