Occupational Therapists work with anyone from birth to death with any disease,
disability, diagnosis or injury that impacts their daily life. This intervention allows
people to regain, develop, and build skills that are essential for independent functioning,
health, and well-being. The goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to perform
the activities that are important to them. Occupational therapy can prevent injury or the
worsening of existing conditions or disabilities and thereby promote independence. This
can maximize the quality of life for individuals, families, and caregivers. Occupational
therapists are employed in schools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health care,
outpatient rehabilitation clinics, psychiatric facilities, and community health programs.
In addition to dealing with an individual's physical well-being, occupational therapists
address psychological, social, and environmental factors that may impede independence
in all aspects of life.
Occupational therapists work with people with many different injuries/diseases/diagnosis
including:
 Spinal Cord injuries
 Traumatic brain injury (car accidents, falls…)
 Orthopedic (trauma, hip/knee replacements, back injuries, fractured
arms/legs)
 Amputations
 Burns
 Stroke and other neurological conditions
 Mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder…)
 Cancer
 ADD/ADHD
 Down's Syndrome
 Autism
 Cerebral Palsy
 Developmental Delays
Areas addressed by Occupational therapists include but are not limited to:
 Fine motor coordination (tying shoes, handwriting, opening containers…)
 Self-care (bathing, dressing, toileting, eating)
 Functional Mobility (getting in and out of bed/chair)
 Cognition (safety awareness, following directions, attention)
 Sensory processing (visual, auditory, tactile…)
 Splinting
 Arm strengthening exercises
 Adaptive technology (computers)
 Activity Tolerance/Increased endurance
In a public school setting, occupational therapy is considered a related service. Students
that recieve occupational therapy typically have an IEP and qualify for OT if they have a
disabling condition that adversally impacts their ability to access their education.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
ACTIVITIES for HOME
Strengthening/Fine Motor activities:
1. Squeeze, roll, pinch play-doh, silly putty, etc.
2. Pick up small items with tweezers or clothespins
3. Paint with cotton balls
4. Perform activities like stringing beads, small pegs in a board
5. Work on lacing strips
6. Build walls/towers/trains, etc. with blocks
7. Travel games like Don’t Wake Daddy, Trouble, Connect four etc (their pieces are
smaller)
8. Cutting with scissors
Upper Body Strengthening Activities:
1. Have child lay down on stomach/propped up on the elbows to read books, complete a
puzzle, etc.
2. Work on wheelbarrow walking.
3. Play catch with balloons, various sized balls.
Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Skills
1. Puzzles
2. Try simple mazes and dot to dot activities
3. Copy shapes, block patterns, peg patterns
Pre-writing/Handwriting
1. Trace lines, shapes, letters of puzzles, magnets…
2. Draw lines, shapes, letters in rice, on rug, in shaving cream, in soap, Ziploc bags filled
with hair get/shampoo…
3. Form lines shapes and letters out of play-doh and trace with pointer finger. (ex: make a
square out of four pieces not one).
4. Trace lines shapes and letters with crayons/color pencils/markers.
5. Draw and color shapes working on staying within the boundaries.
6. Form lines and shapes out of food items like pasta, pretzels
7. Form large shapes lines and letters on an easel or with chalk on the driveway. Have the
child walk the chalk letters (focus on capital letters beginning at the top and make sure
that they form them in the correct order)
Megan K. Petersen, MS OT