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ABOUT ME

My name is Jessica Dash, I am a Barbadian and a registered occupational therapist in Barbados. I graduated with honours from the University of Northampton in England, United Kingdom in 2016, where I received my bachelor's degree in occupational therapy. I returned to Barbados and registered to practice with the Barbados Paramedical Professions Council. Since graduating I have worked as a privately-practicing paediatric therapist, working with children of all ages and a range of needs. I have continued my professional development and education by completing several training programs related to sensory integration, neuro-motor development and self-regulation in children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder and other diagnoses. In April 2022, I received a postgraduate certificate in Sensory Integration with the Sheffield-Hallam University in the UK and qualified as a Sensory Integration Practitioner.

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Children in Indoor Playground

What Is
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?

Occupational therapy is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement. (WFOT 2012)

Kid Playing with Wooden Toys

Would Occupational Therapy Benefit Your Child?

Why should your child see a paediatric occupational therapist? Here are some of the signs that your child might benefit from occupational therapy.

Developmental Delays

Developmental delay means that a child is behind in developing skills that are common during a particular age range. A developmental delay, however is more than being a little behind other children in a skill; it is being behind in a combination of skills or not meeting major developmental milestones. These are examples of developmental delays:

  • Not reaching developmental milestones of sitting, crawling, and walking

  • Not learning at an age appropriate level

  • Not developing age appropriate play and social skills

Fine Motor

Fine motor skills are small movements made with the wrists, hands and fingers, like holding a small object or picking up a spoon. If your child is struggling with fine motor skills, they may have difficulty with one of these actions:

  • Manipulating toys and puzzles

  • Holding a pencil

  • Using silverware or straws at an age-appropriate time

  • Using scissors

  • Using zippers, buttons, shoelaces

  • Coloring, drawing, tracing, prewriting shapes

  • Poor handwriting, letter/number formation

  • Not developing a hand dominance at an age-appropriate time

  • Avoiding tasks and games that require fine motor skills

Visual Perception

Visual perception is the process we use to make sense of what we see. It is a process in our brain that interprets visual information. If your child has difficulty with one of these things, they may have difficult with visual perception:

  • Difficulty with the spacing and sizes of letters

  • Difficulty with recognizing letters

  • Difficulty with copying shapes or letters

  • Difficulty with visual tracking and crossing midline

  • Difficulty finding objects among other objects

  • Difficulty with copying from the board or another paper

  • Difficulty with the concept of right and left

  • Lose his or her place when reading or copying from the board

  • Poor eye contact

Play/Social Skills

Play skills can help a child make sense of the world around them. A child can gain self-confidence, learn problem solving, and develop social skills through play. Social interaction skills help us have relationships and understand those around us. They help us bond with other people in our life. Your child may have delayed play or social skills if they show some of the following signs:

  • Difficulty interacting socially and engaging with family and peers

  • Difficulty adapting to new environments

  • Delayed language skills

  • Overly focused on one subject (e.g., space, universe, dinosaurs, trains)

  • Can't cope in the school environment

  • Needs adult guidance to initiate play

  • Difficulty with imitative play

  • Wanders aimlessly without purposeful play

  • Moves quickly from one activity to the next

  • Does not explore toys appropriately

  • Participates in repetitive play for hours (e.g., lining up toys)

  • Does not join in with peers/siblings when playing

  • Does not understand concepts of sharing and turn taking

Activities of Daily Living

Activities of daily living are considered to be the meaningful tasks we do everyday. These skills are dressing, eating, self-feeding, toileting, hygiene, bathing, grooming, sleep, rest, and functional mobility. Initially children need assistance with all of these activities but will progressively become more independent as they age. Difficulties in activities of daily living must be carefully considered relative to what is appropriate for the child's age and development but common challenges are:

  • Difficulty using cutlery

  • Picky eating (strong texture/ flavour selectivity)

  • Difficulty learning how to dress themselves

  • Difficulty with buttons

  • Can't tie laces 

  • Continence challenges/ difficulties with toileting

  • Difficulty with grooming activities such as tooth brushing, hair and nail cutting, or bathing

Gross Motor

Gross motor skills help us move and coordinate our arms, legs, and other body parts. They involve larger muscles that help us control our body. A child who is behind in movement, strength, and/or balance may appear clumsy or uncoordinated. They may also have difficulty with these things:

  • Going up and down stairs at an age appropriate time

  • Coordinating both sides of the body

  • Understanding the concept of right and left

  • Poor ball skills

  • Poor balance

  • Irregular muscle tone

  • Be fearful of their feet leaving the ground

  • Not cross the midline of their body

  • Avoid games and activities that involve gross motor skills

Sensory Processing

Sensory processing is making sense of information that we receive through our senses, like sound and smell. Your child may have differences in how they process things around them and show the following signs:

  • Overly sensitive or heightened reactivity to sound, touch, or movement

  • Under-responsive to certain sensations (e.g., high pain tolerance, doesn't notice cuts/bruises)

  • Constantly moving, jumping, crashing, bumping

  • Easily distracted by visual or auditory stimuli

  • Emotionally reactive

  • Difficulty coping with change

  • Inability to calm self when upset

Learning Challenges

Learning challenges can be related to cognitive or executive function difficulties and can be another type of developmental delay. If your child is challenged by one of the following, you may want to consult an occupational therapist:

  • Unable to concentrate and focus at school

  • Easily distracted

  • Difficulty following instructions and completing work

  • Tires easily with school work

  • Poor impulse control

  • Hyperactivity or low energy

  • Not keeping up with workload at school

  • Difficulty learning new material

  • Makes letter or number reversals after age seven

  • Disorganised or poor planning skills

  • Poor time management or inefficient ways of using time

Remember that all children are different and develop these skill sets at their own pace. However, if you think your child may be struggling with adopting some of the skill areas above, you can contact an occupational therapist.

For more information on developmental milestones and markers click here or download the CDC Developmental Checklist for children ages 2 months - 5 years.

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