Occupational Therapy
At Step Forward Therapy, our Pediatric Occupational Therapy program is designed to empower children to actively engage in daily activities, fostering their development at home, school, and within the community. Our expert therapists specialize in a spectrum of areas crucial for a child’s growth, including sensory integration, feeding, coordination, fine motor skills, handwriting, attention, social-emotional regulation, and executive functioning skills.
Areas of Specialization
Emotional Regulation Difficulties
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- Supporting emotional well-being and regulation.
Feeding Therapy
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- Addressing feeding challenges through specialized approaches like the SOS method for picky eaters.
Social Skills Challenges
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- Fostering social interaction and understanding.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
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- Enhancing independence in daily tasks.
- toileting, grooming (brushing teeth, hair), dressing, bathing
- Enhancing independence in daily tasks.
Balance and Coordination Difficulties
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- Supporting physical coordination challenges and foundational physical skills.
- Core Strengthening, Upper Body Strengthening Vestibular Training (balance), and Postural Control: Developing foundational physical skills.
- Bilateral Coordination: Coordinated use of arms and hands.
- Supporting physical coordination challenges and foundational physical skills.
Body and Spatial Awareness
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- Fostering awareness of one’s body and surroundings.
Organizational Difficulties
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- Providing support for improved organizational skills.
Sensory Regulation
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- Offering interventions for overall sensory well-being.
Fine Motor Skill Development
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- Enhancing precision in small hand movements.
- Improved handwriting skills including spacing, sizing, grasp: Targeted interventions for precise writing skills
- Enhancing precision in small hand movements.
Visual Motor Development
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- Enhancing visual-motor coordination.
Difficulties Related to Change Acceptance
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- Supporting children in adapting to changes.
Behavioral Challenges
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- Addressing and managing behavioral difficulties.
Sleep Regulation
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- Providing support for sleep-related challenges.
Common Diagnoses and Conditions Addressed
Our therapy program provides comprehensive support for a diverse range of conditions, including, but not limited to the following.
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
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- Targeting attention and focus challenges.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
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- Supporting individuals with sensory and social communication difficulties.
Down Syndrome
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- Addressing developmental and motor skill challenges.
Sensory Processing Disorder / Sensory Integration Dysfunction
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- Providing intervention for sensory-related difficulties and enhancing the ability to process sensory input.
Apraxia
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- Supporting motor planning and coordination.
Auditory Processing Disorder
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- Addressing challenges related to auditory information processing.
Cerebral Palsy
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- Enhancing motor function and coordination.
Hypotonia (Low Muscle Tone)
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- Addressing challenges associated with reduced muscle tone.
Some areas our Occupational Therapy can help:
A child who has a delay in meeting fine and/or gross motor milestones
A child who is having trouble with skills in activities of daily living like feeding and dressing
A child with balance and coordination difficulties
A child who has difficulty with organization
A child who has difficulty with handwriting
A child who overreacts or under-reacts to movement, touch, or sound.
A child who is struggling with behavioral social skills
A child who is a picky eater
A child who demonstrates no hand preference after age 6
A child who struggles to regulate his/her activity level
