Children’s Occupational Therapy (OT)

The Children’s Occupational Therapy (OT) service helps children participate in normal everyday activities such as play, participation in school as well as managing personal care (dressing, bathing, getting on and off the toilet and getting in and out of the bath). They also support children by giving advice on adapting environments both at home and at school in order to make these safe and accessible. 

The Occupational Therapists and support staff work as part of a multi-disciplinary/multi agency team to provide an integrated family-centered approach to therapy provision.

Contacting the Occupational Therapy Team

Families and professionals can continue to access up to date advice, support and services by calling Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm via:

0300 029 50 50

School can complete a referral for children who are showing an increased delay at school in the following areas:

• Early pencil skills/handwriting
• Scissor skills
• Attention and Focus
• Organisational Skills
• Posture, balance, coordination and motor skills
• Looking after selves e.g. teeth brushing, dressing. 

If you have concerns regarding your child's development or progress, please contact your child's class teacher in the first instance. 

What can you do at home to support?

There are many ways that you can support your child with their development of fine and gross motors skills, coordination and so on. We all had to learn how to hold a pencil correctly, and before that we learnt how to use our hands through play! 

From difficulties with handwriting, to developing visual perception skills, so much of a child's development can occur in activities that you think are just games. There are some handy videos from the Cambridgeshire Occupational Therapy Team linked below, as well as a website that I discovered whilst doing my own research (disclaimer: this is US-based website and not linked to LCPS), that show how some of the 'old-fashioned' activities actually have real learning opportunities behind them. 

Mrs Harradine-Hughes

SENDCo