Mercy Kids Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Pediatric occupational therapy (OT) helps children learn (or regain) the skills needed to perform the activities of daily life. OT at Mercy Kids Therapy and Development Center enables children of all ages with physical challenges, injuries or developmental issues to engage in normal life to the fullest extent possible.

Our occupational therapists work with a team of specialists to create a customized program that addresses your child’s specific needs. This begins with an initial evaluation that assesses your child’s current level of function. Following this evaluation, the therapist develops a personal treatment plan that may include:

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are small movements made with the fingers, toes, lips and tongue. Examples of these skills in children are handwriting, using scissors, drawing, manipulating toys and puzzles.

Sensory Processing

Sensory processing is making sense of information that we receive through our senses, such as sound and smell. Children with sensory processing issues may be overly sensitive to sound or touch, unable to calm themselves when upset, or easily distracted by things they see and hear.

Visual Motor Skills

Visual motor skills help us make sense of what we see, and include how our brain interprets visual information. Children with difficulty in this area may have problems recognizing letters, copying shapes or letters, or difficulty with visual tracking.

Oral Motor/Feeding Skills

Oral motor skills involve control of muscles in the face/oral area such as the lips, jaw, tongue and soft palate. Oral motor problems can appear as excessive drooling, bottle or breast feeding for long time periods, or losing food/liquid from the mouth when eating or drinking.

Self-Help Skills

Self-help skills are the everyday tasks children perform to participate in life activities. These include feeding, dressing, hygiene and toileting. As a child increases their self-help skills, they grow in independence and confidence, and develop a personal identity.

Adaptive Equipment

Adaptive equipment are devices used by people with special needs to assist with completing the activities of daily life. Examples of these types of equipment are wheelchairs, assistive learning devices, and orthotic devices.