When becoming a parent, we all expect to have challenges. But what if your child is having greater challenges than others? Occupational therapy with a sensory processing approach could help.
Without interference, children will develop.
If a child is struggling to participate in activities alongside same-aged peers, there is something getting in the way. In order to help a child participate with other kids their age, we have to understand why the natural experiences of childhood are not enough for them to learn.
Role of pediatric occupational Therapy
Pediatric occupational therapy serves children by focusing on a child’s ability to participate in life activities. As adults, we don’t always recognize the importance of a child’s daily experiences. After all, they’re just crawling around on the floor… or playing with play-doh… or eating countless snacks. When taking a sensory integrative view of development, we remove the “just” from that sentence. Children learn through every interaction with their world; everything they are doing day-to-day has developmental value.
the occupations of a child
A child’s job is to grow up–and what a job it is. Children learn in their natural environments. Playing, whatever that looks like for their age, is full of important works. Cleaning up a spill as a toddler, making a friend in preschool, or cutting out shapes in kindergarten are all examples of skill building moments. Once we reach adulthood, we forget the challenge these tasks once presented. These “small” things of childhood play an important role in developing skills for the more “impressive” things we do as adults.
the sensory system and early childhood
In development, “trying to do” eventually becomes “can do” as long as all body and brain systems are working together. Children learn naturally. Environments do not need to be special and perfect for children to gain skills. Children arrive curious and that is often enough.
Learning from 0-6 years of age happens primarily through our sensory systems (movement, touch, sound, vision, taste, smell, pressure). Small children actively seek sensory experiences from the moment their feet hit the floor. Through this play and exploration, they build maps of their body and their relationship to the world around them.
These maps create the foundation to refine motor skills to use complex tools, build an idea of space to navigate the world, and establish the feeling of contentment and safety within oneself. From these skills come higher order thinking, such as problem solving, creation, and academic skills.
The sensory system is the window of experience, however it also has the job of organizing incoming senses into useful information. An experienced and well functioning sensory system is able to pay attention to the things that matter, and ignore the things that don’t.
sensory processing problems
Square One OT looks at all childhood occupations through the lens of an optimally functioning sensory system.
Interruptions in sensory function result in the following:
- Avoiding sensory learning experiences.
- Sensory information is unreliable.
- Think about walking while your foot is asleep, or trying to catch a ball in the dark–the information you need to complete the task successfully is not clear enough to do so.
- Deciding where to focus requires energy.
By understanding which interruption, or combination of interruptions your child is experiencing, we can build skills that are missing, while also building the foundation for later skills as well. When we improve a child’s experience of the world, we improve their ability to act within it.
what to do
If you notice your child struggling, you are not in this alone. Square One OT, can support you in understanding the root of your child’s differences and how to encourage them and support their growth. Let’s work together to make a plan to help your child gain comfort and competence within their body that will grow into skills to act on the world. If you have concerns about your child’s growth, ask your doctor about an occupational therapy evaluation.