Blog
At Xavier our team of dedicated and professional Occupational Therapists support children and young people with disability throughout Brisbane and the greater Brisbane area to improve their everyday lives. With our multidisciplinary approach our OTs work with our wider therapy team and closely with families of children, to tailor support and treatment.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy (OT) helps children and young people who live with disability to improve their ability to complete the tasks we do in our everyday lives and increase their sense of independence. OTs call these “activities of daily living” and for children they include things like playing, self-care (like brushing teeth and showering), toileting and learning at school.
There are numerous ways occupational therapy can help children and young people with disability. Here are some of the ways that OT can help.
Activities which require the simultaneous use of hands and eyes are important for using tools and objects, and for many aspects of play. Better coordination means for fun and an easier time interacting with the world.
Xavier’s Occupational Therapists can help your child engage and strengthen the small muscles in their fingers and hands used for grasping, holding, and using tools and objects. This skill is important for a huge range of everyday activities, from holding a pencil, to washing and dressing.
Gross motor skills handle the larger muscles used for movement, including walking, running, and crawling. Getting more physically active makes getting around easier and improves physical health.
Better hand-eye coordination and motor skills makes it easier for your child to complete everyday tasks more independently, including washing, dressing, and toileting. This leads to more independence and self-reliance.
The ability to use modern tools and technologies like tablets is an important part of navigating the world today. Occupational therapy can help your child to interact with digital technology.
Increased self-sufficiency means a more confident child who has an easier time making new friends as well as strengthening their existing relationships with family and carers. Stronger social skills also means more opportunities to engage with other people.
Occupational therapy comes with techniques to help your child regulate emotions and behaviour. Our OTs can help your child learn how to calm themselves when times are tough and cope better with the challenging parts of life.
Finally, Occupational Therapy can help your child improve their ability to stand and move without falling, reducing related injuries.
Xavier’s Clinics
Xavier can help provide your child’s OT from one of our clinic locations:
We can also provide support in your home with availability in suburbs throughout Brisbane including Ipswich, Logan and North Lakes.
Contact Xavier Today
For more information on the benefits of occupational therapy for children and young people with disability, using your child’s NDIS funding or any of our therapy services, please give us a call today on 1800 XAVIER or email us at intake@xavier.org.au