Occupational Therapy
A service that provides support for children and youth to improve their ability to participate in their daily activities.
Occupational Therapy is a service to promote self-care activities, productive play and leisure activities for children that might display:
- low muscle tone
- fine motor delays; including: colouring, drawing, cutting, printing
- poor play skills
- difficulty focusing and paying attention
- feeding difficulties
- clumsy/awkward movements
Listen to the Podcast:
Occupational Therapy Services Include:
Our One Kids Place Occupational Therapists work in a team environment.
Eligibility
Children and youth (up to 19 years of the age, or 21 if they are attending secondary school) who reside in the Districts of Muskoka, Nipissing and Parry Sound.
One Kids Place is the provider of School Based Rehabilitation Services (SRBS) in the Districts of Muskoka, Nipissing and Parry Sound.
For further information about School Based Rehabilitation Services (SBRS).
Referral
Referrals can be made by a parent, caregiver, family physician, pediatricians and/or other third party referrals with parental consent:
Resources
Fine Motor for Caregivers:
Crossing Midline
What is crossing midline? Why practice crossing midline and how it helps children.
Developing Pencil Grasp
Typical pencil grasp development and helpful tips.
Developing Scissor Skills
Activities to help develop scissor skills and related tips.
Development of Cutting
What is the development of cutting? Why is it important and how to encourage the development of cutting skills.
Finger Isolation
What is finger isolation? Why practice it and how does it help.
Hand Control Development
What is hand control development? Why is it important and how developing hand control help.
In-Hand Manipulation
What is in-hand manipulation? Why is it important and practice activities to develop in-hand manipulation skills.
Pre-Cutting Skills
What are pre-cutting skills? Why are they important and practice activities to help develop pre-cutting skills.
Fine Motor for Teachers
Teaching Pre-Printing
General information about pre-printing and activities to encourage it.
Preparing for School for Caregivers
Fine Motor & Self-Care Checklist for Caregivers
3 – 4 Years Old
4 Years Old
5 Years Old
6 Years Old
Preparing for Junior Kindergarten for Caregivers
Practice ideas to help your child prepare for Junior Kindergarten. As your child starts to show a hand preference (dominance), complete activities with that preferred hand.
Preparing for Senior Kindergarten for Caregivers
Practice ideas to help your child prepare for Senior Kindergarten. Your child should now be showing a hand preference. Encourage starting and finishing an activity with the same hand.
Preparing for Grade One for Caregivers
Practice ideas to help your child prepare for grade one. Your child should be holding a pencil within their fingertips and developing improved control and accuracy.
Preparing for Grade Two for Caregivers
Practice ideas to help your child prepare for grade two. Your child should be developing improved control and accuracy using a pencil. Encourage detailed drawings and smaller, more organized printing.
Ideas to Support Classroom Set Up
Setting Up Your Classroom for teachers
Kindergarten
Grade One
Grade Two
Self Care for Caregivers and Teachers
Button Skills for Caregivers and Teachers
What are button skills? Why are they important and practice activities.
Drinking From an Open Cup
Cup drinking can begin once your child is eating thin purees from a spoon. Steps to start can be found in this tip sheet.
Feeding 6-12 Months for Caregivers and Teachers
Babies make many changes in their feeding abilities between 6-12 months of age. Readiness signs and general tips.
Feeding Your Baby: Moving from Purees to Table Food Textures for Caregivers and Teachers
Once your baby has learned to eat thin pureed solids, it is important to slowly add new textures. To start you want to teach your baby how to eat table foods so they have the skill, but not worry about how much they are eating.
Toileting for Caregivers and Teachers
Toilet training is the process of teaching a child to use a toilet or potty. It is a complex process impacted by physical, sensory, and environmental factors.
Tying Shoelaces for Caregivers and Teachers
Tying shoelaces is a dressing skill that usually starts to develop around 6 years of age with regular practice.
Wiping After Toileting for Caregivers and Teachers
Wiping is the process of cleaning the bottom after toileting, it is important for cleanliness, health and social inclusion.
Zipper Skills for Caregivers and Parents
Zippering is a dressing skill that usually starts to develop between 4 and 5 years of age with regular practice.
Self Regulation for Caregivers
Heavy Work Suggestions for Home
What is heavy work? How does it help children and how to use heavy work activities at home.
The Proprioceptive System
What is the proprioceptive system (or proprioception)? How does it work and why is it important to understand it.
The Vestibular System
What is the vestibular system (or proprioception)? How does it work and why is it important to understand it.
Self Regulation for Teachers
Air Cushions
What is an air cushion? What are the benefits of using one, how and when can they be used?
Body Socks
What is a body sock? What are the benefits of using one, how and when can they be used?
Compression Vests
What are compression vests? What are the benefits of using one, how and when can they be used?
Core Strength
What is core strength? Why is it important, how do core-strengthening activities help, and more.
Heavy Work Suggestions in the Classroom
What is heavy work? Why is it important, how does it help students, and more.
Integrating Movement in the Classroom
What does it mean to integrate movement in the classroom? Why and how to incorporate it, and more.
Rocker Seats
What is a rocker seat? What student would benefit from using one, what are its benefits, and more.
Self Regulation in the Classroom
What is self-regulation? Why is it important, and how to promote it.
Weighted Animal and Lap Pads
What is a weighted animal or lap pad? What type of student would benefit from one, what are it’s benefits, and more.
Weighted Vests
What is a weighted vest? What students would benefit from using one, how do they work, and more.
Wobble Stools
What is a wobble stool? What students would benefit from using one, how do they work, and more.
Visual Motor for Caregivers
Alternative Pencil Grips
What is an alternative pencil grip? Why and how to use one, examples and more.
Colouring
What is colouring? Why is it important, strategies to help a child develop colouring skills.
Copy These Drawings – Activity Printout
Copy the drawings while trying to match the shape and size of each!
Developing Pre Printing
Practice the following activities to help develop your child’s pre-printing skills.
Draw These Lines – Activity Printout
Copy the shapes and lines! The dots and arrows will help you get started.
Draw These Shapes – Activity Printout
Copy the shapes! The dots and arrows will help you get started.
Heavy Pencil Pressure
What is heavy pencil pressure? Why is it important, what are some causes, strategies to improve pencil pressure, and more.
Journal Strategies for Pre-Printers
What are journal pre-printing strategies? Why change journaling for pre-printers? What are some journal strategies for children? And more.
Letter and Number Formations
What are letter and number formations and why is practicing them important? Strategies to help a child learn and master letter and number formations, and more.
Light Pencil Pressure
What is light pencil pressure and why is proper pressure important? Causes for it, strategies to improve pencil pressure, and more.
Pencil Grips
What is a pencil grip? What is a proper pencil grasp? Why use a pencil grip? And more.
Printing Lines
What are printing lines? Why are printing lines important? Strategies can help improve written work.
Printing Practice at Home
Why is it important for children to practice printing skills at home? How can printing be practiced at home?
Printing Program – Activity Printout
Model each letter one at a time and other ways to try some printing practice.
Visual Motor for Teachers
Visual Motor Development in the Classroom
What are visual motor skills? Why encourage it’s development in the classroom? How to incorporate visual motor development activities in the classroom?
Weighted Pencils
What is a weighted pencil? What type of student may benefit from using one? Why do they work? And more.
Written Work Modifications
What are written work modifications? What student would benefit from them? How can written work be modified for students? And more.
Visual Perception for Caregivers and Teachers
Visual Closure for Parents and Teachers
What is visual closure? Why is it important, how does it help children and activities to develop visual closure.
Visual Discrimination for Parents and Teachers
What is visual discrimination? Why is it important, how does it help children and activities to develop visual discrimination.
Visual Figure-Ground for Parents and Teachers
What is visual figure-ground? Why is it important, how does it help children and activities to develop visual figure-ground.
Visual Memory for Parents and Teachers
What is visual memory? Why is it important, how does it help children and activities to develop visual memory.
Visual Sequential Memory for Parents and Teachers
What is visual sequential memory? Why is it important, how does it help children and activities to develop visual sequential memory.
Visual Spatial Relations for Parents and Teachers
What is visual spatial relations? Why is it important, how does it help children and activities to develop visual spatial relations.