What is OT / Occupational Therapy?
If parents have ever heard the term OT / OCCT or Occupational Therapy from healthcare professionals or any health center, it is one of the important types of therapy in the healthcare world. OT or Occupational Therapy is one of the early-stage rehabilitation treatments to help children with physical, sensory, or cognitive (thinking) issues. Occupational therapy is carried out to achieve, maintain, and improve the child’s level of optimal functionality and independence in daily life. Before a child steps into speech therapy, the child needs to address occupational therapy issues first because it will later affect the child’s speech aspects.
Who Conducts Occupational Therapy?
And How Are Therapy Sessions Conducted?
One-to-one occupational therapy sessions at EQ are conducted by occupational therapists, or referred to as OTs (Occupational Therapists) – individuals who hold a Diploma/Bachelor’s Degree in occupational therapy. Our therapists also undergo internal training for 1 month with experienced senior OTs before conducting classes officially.
Occupational Therapy One-to-One sessions will be conducted on weekdays, with four sessions monthly. This is to ensure flexibility for busy schedules without the burden of lengthy therapy appointment wait lists in hospitals.
Occupational Therapy & Speech Therapy
Therapy & Playgroup
Who Needs Occupational Therapy?
Our occupational therapy program caters to children with developmental issues starting from the age of 18 months and above. Characteristics of children who may need occupational therapy include:
- Lack of eye contact.
- Lack of communication skills.
- Coordination issues between eyes and hands.
- Lack of focus in activities.
- Sensory issues; discomfort with sticky substances, sand (sensory).
- Difficulty with daily activities (dressing, eating, etc.).
- Difficulty following simple instructions.
- Weak fine and gross motor skills.
Examples include: holding a pencil, buttoning clothes, tying shoelaces, jumping, riding a bike, skipping, throwing, catching and kicking a ball, and others.
What Activities Are Conducted by Occupational Therapists (OTs)?
During the 1-hour therapy session, the therapist will engage in one-to-one activities with the child, including a consultation/discussion with the parents in the last 15 minutes of the session. The therapist takes into account the child’s physical, social, emotional, sensory, and cognitive abilities and needs.
Some strategies employed by OTs to assist children include:
- Physical activities, such as jumping and climbing to improve coordination, balance, and body awareness.
- Play activities to aid in interaction and communication.
- Activities to assist in fine motor skills such as cutting and coloring.
- Sensory activities (messy play: flour, watercolor).
Why is Occupational Therapy Important?
What Will Happen If a Child
Doesn’t Attend Therapy?
The Child’s Problems May Become More Complex.
When intervention is delayed, the rate of progress/development of the child usually slows down. For example, if a child is only 2 years old, their sensory issues may only be at 30%. However, with consistent therapy and sensory stimulation, these issues can gradually decrease. However, if the child is already over 5 years old, there may be additional issues besides sensory issues that could further slow down the child’s progress.
The Child May Experience Emotional Disturbances and Develop Behavioral Issues.
Children experiencing delayed speech development will inevitably struggle to express themselves. Therefore, children with speech delays may experience emotional disturbances because they cannot engage in two-way communication to express their desires.
There is a Significant Gap Between The Developmental Age and The Actual Age.
A child who is already 5 years old but is still at a speech level of a 2-year-old indicates a significant delay gap. This discrepancy is not in line with the expected level of speech development. Only consistent therapy classes can provide support and assistance to children with such developmental delays. Parents need to promptly provide therapy for their children to prevent a significant delay gap from developing with the child’s actual age, as once the child surpasses each age stage, the opportunity for optimal development diminishes and it will take longer to catch up.
What Are the Next Steps for Parents?
Begin with an Assessment.
What We Serve?
We provide assessment sessions as the first step for parents to further understand their child’s developmental issues. If your child is showing a decline in daily functioning activities such as not responding to their name and instructions or lack of focus, the assessment session can determine if occupational therapy is the appropriate therapy for your child.
This occupational therapy assessment is crucial for therapists to understand the child’s current development and to identify the appropriate and effective treatment plan based on the child’s issues. This is because each child has different developmental issues and requires various therapeutic approaches.
However, this assessment is not a diagnosis of the child’s issues; it is simply an initial step to identify and address the child’s issues first. This assessment:
– Takes place for 1 hour, with the last 15 minutes spent discussing the child’s issues with the parents.
– A report of the assessment will be provided and can be used as a reference for hospitals or therapy centers.
– The cost of this assessment is RM 250 for one session only.
If your child has issues as described above, you can contact the nearest branch to book an assessment session at our center as the first step in identifying specific issues.
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