FAQ
General
At KIDZ – Occupational Therapy Consultants, we welcome referrals from many sources, including:
- Self-referrals
- Physicians (like pediatricians)
- Clinical and Educational Psychologists
- Other Therapists (such as occupational, physical, speech and language, or craniosacral therapists)
- Schools (teachers, learning support staff, and academic resource departments)
- Educational support aides/assistants and Specialist Teachers
To help us better understand your child’s needs, we recommend bringing any relevant reports or letters you have. We’re here to support you and your child!
The frequency of therapy sessions varies based on your child’s unique needs and family situation. At the start, sessions may be more frequent, but as your child progresses, we can adjust that frequency. If family members or caregivers are able to support activities at home or school, it can really help with progress! We may also provide homework or practice activities to reinforce learning. Sometimes, we might recommend a sensory diet as a form of home therapy to support your child’s development.
The timeline for seeing changes can vary based on several factors, including the severity of your child’s challenges, their motivation, how well home therapy programs are followed, and the specific techniques and activities we use. Every child is unique, and we’ll work together to create the best plan for your child’s progress!
Therapeutic Listening
Therapeutic Listening (TL) is a wonderful approach that builds on Sensory Integration. It uses music with organized sound patterns to positively influence your child’s nervous system.
The auditory input from Therapeutic Listening CDs helps stimulate both the vestibular and auditory systems. TL focuses on combining sound strategies with movements that engage balance and body awareness, along with activities for core development and breath control. This blend helps your child feel more grounded and centered, which can lead to better self-regulation and improved behavior in different settings.
Handwriting
Handwriting is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. There are several important areas that need to be built up first to help your child succeed:
- Posture and Stability: Your child needs to engage their core muscles to maintain good posture while sitting at the table, which is crucial for writing.
- Fine Motor Skills: These skills strengthen the small muscles in the hands, giving your child better control and strength for writing.
- Visual Perception: This includes skills like copying from the board, spacing words correctly, and forming letters and numbers with consistent sizes.
- Kinesthetic Awareness: This is about how the pencil feels in your child’s hand and whether they grip it correctly.
- Ocular Motor Control: Good eye movement is essential for writing, as your child needs to track letters and words effectively, whether looking near or far.
Before diving into handwriting practice, it’s important to ensure your child has developed these foundational skills. With the right support, they can improve over time!
Your child may be experiencing some challenges with sensory modulation or self-regulation, which can make her feel a bit overwhelmed after being in a noisy and crowded shopping center. This can make it difficult for her to find the right balance to engage in activities like handwriting. The good news is that there are therapy techniques available that can help address these concerns, allowing your child to feel more comfortable and engaged in her daily activities and programs across different environments.
Sensory Integration
If your child shows signs of being overly sensitive, under-responsive, or seeks out lots of sensory experiences—like touch, sounds, smells, visuals, or tastes—it could indicate sensory integration or sensory processing challenges. You might also notice difficulties with balance or body awareness. If you’re concerned, consider bringing your child to our KidzOTC for a thorough sensory profile assessment.
After conducting standardized assessments and observing your child, we’ll also have a discussion with you to gather your insights. If it turns out that your child does have a sensory integration or sensory processing disorder, we’ll work together to create a personalized therapy plan to help your child thrive in various tasks and environments.
If your child’s behaviors are related to underlying issues such as sensory integration or sensory processing challenges, it’s possible they won’t simply resolve on their own without the right support. However, if an assessment shows that your child doesn’t have a sensory processing disorder, there are other approaches, like applied behavioral therapy, that can help address these behaviors effectively.
A sensory diet is a personalized activity plan designed to meet your child’s unique sensory needs throughout the day. If you’re unsure about which activities to include, consider bringing your child in for an assessment. Our therapists at the KidzOTC will be happy to discuss your child’s needs and suggest a variety of activities to help them thrive!
If we can rule out separation anxiety or emotional reasons, it’s possible that your child might be experiencing sensory-based challenges. These could include being sensitive to touch, sounds, smells, or visual inputs, or having difficulty with balance and body awareness. These sensitivities can make a noisy and crowded school environment feel overwhelming for him. If you think this might be the case, consider bringing your child in for a sensory profile assessment at our center. We’re here to help!
