Hi read,
I've had a lot of conversations lately with friends about their children. The question always seems to come up:
"How do I know if my child needs occupational therapy services?"(First, if you don't know what OT is exactly, you can read the blog post I wrote
here.)
Here are 3 things you can do to decide if your child needs OT:1. Observe other children. No one likes to play the "comparison game" in life, but you can learn a lot about typical child development by watching other kids. Next time you are on the playground or in a social setting, observe other kids and see how they act. You'll see kids at any age have a wide range of development of motor skills, social skills, and thinking skills. Observing other kids will help you understand your own child's skills and behaviors within the context of overall child development.
2. Talk to your friends. Don't be afraid to express any concerns you have about your child's development to your good friends. A close friend will hopefully share their honest opinion with you if you ask them for their advice. Listen to their experiences raising kids and to their answers when you ask them about your own child's development. It truly takes a village to raise great kids, and we need to be more honest with our friends about our concerns and struggles and our children's needs...so we can all support one another in this journey of parenting!
3. Do online research about typical development for your child's age-range. There is WAY too much information on the internet, so here are some good sources I've curated for you:
If you do all of the above but still aren't sure about your child's development, an occupational therapist can help. Hit reply to this email and we'll see how we can help.
Wishing you all the support you need to help your child grow up into a happy and healthy adult in the future!
Best,
Laura Park Figueroa
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