Our individualized treatment plans consider the strengths of your child to build a personalized program that will help them achieve their highest level of independence in their daily occupations — play, school, and self-care.
Is it time to see a therapist?
Parents often ask when a child should be seen by an occupational therapist. Here’s a quick list of issues that might need some extra support.
Fine motor Difficulties
Fine motor difficulties generally present as issues with writing, self-feeding, dressing (buttons, zippers, snaps, tying), use of tools and utensils, and other hand skills.
Sensory processing Issues
It is important to note that not all children with learning, developmental, or behavioral problems have an underlying sensory integration disorder. There are certain indicators, however, that can signal that a disorder may be present.
Overly sensitive to touch, movement, or sounds
Under-responsive to certain sensations (high pain tolerance, doesn't notice cuts/bruises)
Activity level that is unusually high (constantly moving, jumping, crashing, bumping)
Coordination problems
Delays in speech, language, motor skills, or academic achievement
Poor organization of behavior
Poor self concept
Typically, a child with a sensory integration disorder will show more than one of the above signs. In addition, they may also be easily distracted, have social/emotional difficulties, be impulsive and lack self control, be unable to unwind or calm themselves, and/or struggle with transitioning between activities.
feeding challenges
Feeding challenges can include inadequate intake, refusing food, being selective about the type or texture of food, expelling or packing/pocketing food, oral motor weakness, gagging, biting of tongue or cheeks while eating, and difficulty using utensils.
Oral motor delays
Oral motor delays generally present as difficulty chewing, sucking, blowing, and/or making certain speech sounds. Children often have trouble keeping food in their mouths or moving food around their mouths. The child may also have low muscle tone in the face and may be prone to open-mouth breathing or excessive drooling.
Gross motor delays
Gross motor delays can include difficulties with jumping, hopping, balancing, skipping, or running. The child’s muscle tone, or muscle tension and resistance, could also be outside of the expected range.
coordination issues
A coordination disorder may be indicated by clumsiness, awkwardness of movement, and completing motor tasks by more difficult means than necessary. Children are often hesitant to attempt new tasks.
Remember, all children are different and develop these skill sets at their own pace.
However, if you think your child may be struggling with adopting some of the skill areas above, feel free to contact us.
Client Reviews
“Lindsay is amazing. Her knowledge and dedication to supporting my son has helped him thrive in ways I didn’t know would be possible. My son absolutely loves working with her. I can’t imagine navigating this stage of his life without her incredible assistance.”
“Synergy OT is truly amazing, and I’m so glad we were referred to this practice. My son has been seeing Lindsay for almost a year now and has loved every minute of it. The sessions are always fun while getting down to business. Lindsay was immediately able to pinpoint our son’s challenges—without her we probably would not have had him further tested and diagnosed. Since his ADHD and Developmental Coordination Disorder diagnosis, we have seen major improvements both at home and in school.
Lindsay is attentive, patient, easy to communicate with, and extremely knowledgeable. She has helped our family learn a lot—giving us the tools to fully support our son. I highly recommend Lindsay and Synergy Occupational Therapy. It’s made all the difference!”
