The Sensory Shed
WHEN TO REFER TO AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
This section provides some information on a range of skills, and gives examples of when it may be beneficial for someone to refer to an Occupational Therapist.
Fine Motor Skills
What Are Fine Motor Skills?
Fine motor skills refer to the control and coordination of small muscles in the hands, fingers, and wrists. These skills are important for tasks such as writing with a pencil, opening closing buttons, cutting with scissors or a knife.
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Occupational Therapists often work with people to improve their fine motor skills, as these skills are essential for performing daily activities and can impact a person's ability to work and participate in activities. Occupational therapy aimed at improving fine motor skills may include activities such as hand strengthening exercises, handwriting practice, and the use of adaptive equipment.
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When Should Someone Refer To An Occupational Therapist?
It may be beneficial to refer to an Occupational Therapist if a person has difficulties with any of the following tasks:
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Writing with a pencil
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Turning pages in a book
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Brushing teeth
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Cutting with scissors/ knife
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Opening/ closing buttons
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Zipping a zip
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Typing on a key board
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Turning a door handle
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Turning a key
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Tying laces
Gross Motor Skills
What Are Gross Motor Skills?
Gross motor skills refer to the movements and control of the larger muscles in the body, such as those used for walking, running, and throwing.
Occupational Therapists often work with individuals to improve or restore gross motor skills through exercises and activities that target specific muscle groups and movement patterns. Improving gross motor skills can help a person participate more fully in their daily occupations and improve their overall quality of life.
When Should Someone Refer To An Occupational Therapist?
It may be beneficial to refer to an Occupational Therapist if a person has difficulties with any of the following tasks:
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Running
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Jumping
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Skipping
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Hopping
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Throwing/ catching a ball
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Poor balance
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Clumsy
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Poor coordination
Self Care Tasks
What Are Self Care Tasks?
Self-care tasks refer to the activities that a person does on a daily basis to maintain their physical and emotional well-being. These tasks may include activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and eating.
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Occupational Therapists often work with individuals to improve their ability to perform self-care tasks, either by teaching them new techniques or adapting the task environment to better meet their needs. Improving self-care skills can help individuals live more independently and participate more fully in their daily occupations and activities.
When Should Someone Refer To An Occupational Therapist?
It may be beneficial to refer to an Occupational Therapist if a person has difficulties with any of the following tasks:
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Dressing
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Washing tasks
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Eating meals
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Poor sleep pattern
Social Skills
What Are Social Skills?
Social skills refer to the abilities that allow a person to effectively communicate and interact with others. These skills are important for building and maintaining relationships, participating in group activities, and navigating social situations.
Occupational Therapists may work with individuals to improve their social skills through activities such as role-playing, group games, and conversation-based tasks. This may also involve building confidence and self-esteem. Improving social skills can help individuals participate more fully in their social networks and communities, and can have a positive impact on their overall quality of life.
When Should Someone Refer To An Occupational Therapist?
It may be beneficial to refer to an Occupational Therapist if a person has difficulties with any of the following tasks:
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Listening, sharing and co-operating with others
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Progressing with play with others
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Sensory Processing
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Respecting others personal space
Visual Perception
What Is Visual Perception?
Visual perception refers to the brain's ability to process and interpret visual information. It plays a critical role in daily activities such as reading, writing, and navigating the environment.
Occupational Therapists may work with individuals who have visual perception difficulties to improve their ability to process and interpret visual information. Improving visual perception can help individuals participate more fully in daily occupations that require visual processing such as reading, identify objects on crowded page or area and using a computer.
When Should Someone Refer To An Occupational Therapist?
It may be beneficial to refer to an Occupational Therapist if a person has difficulties with any of the following tasks:
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Catching a ball
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With handwriting
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With PE
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May be clumsy/ bump into objects
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Can’t identify objects on a crowded page
Sensory Processing
What Is Sensory Processing?
Sensory processing refers to the brain's ability to interpret and respond to sensory information from the environment. This includes information from the five better-known senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) as well as proprioception, vestibular input and interoception.
Occupational Therapists may work with individuals who have difficulty processing sensory information to improve their ability to interpret and respond to sensory stimuli in a functional and adaptive way. Improving sensory processing can help individuals better engage in daily occupations and activities and improve their overall quality of life.
In total, we have 8 sensory systems:
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Tactile Sensory System (Touch)
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Auditory Sensory System (Hear)
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Gustatory Sensory System (Taste)
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Visual Sensory System (Sight)
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Olfactory Sensory System (Smell)
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Vestibular Sensory System (Movement & Balance)
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Interoception Sensory System (Feeling Inside)
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Proprioception Sensory System (Spatial Awareness)
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You can find more information on Sensory Processing on our SENSES page.