How To Know If Your Child May Need Pediatric Occupational Therapy

If you are starting to wonder whether your child may be in need of some pediatric occupational therapy, you will want to consider the following signs. This way, you will know if it is time to make the phone call to the occupational therapist in order to get an appointment set up.

You Spot Some Developmental Delays

Some of the developmental delays that you will want to watch for include problems with crawling, walking, and sitting at the appropriate times. While it is true that some children will learn faster than others and some will need a little more time than other kids, there may still be an issue if you are noticing that your child is not catching up with others his or her age. Also, if you are noticing that your child is simply not learning things as fast as he or she should for their age, that may be another cause for concern that you will want to address with a professional.

Your Child's Movement And Strength Seems Delayed

Make sure that you are taking the time to carefully observe your child and make some notes of the behavior that you are noticing. If your child seems to be overly clumsy and is not going up and down stairs within the right amount of time, there may be a delay that will need to be addressed by a professional. Some of the other things that you will want to make sure that you are keeping an eye out for is low muscle tone, poor skills when playing with a ball, problems maintaining his or her balance, and a problem with coordinating both sides of his or her body.

There Is Little Desire To Socialize

It is fine for a child to be a little on the shy side, but there is a difference between being somewhat shy and being unable to socialize with other children. If your child does not seem to be able to relate to other children, play well with them or along side of them, it might be time to call an occupational therapist. The professionals will help your child learn to master the skills needed in order to flourish in a social setting.

You will want to make sure that you are conducting a search for the most reputable occupational therapist in your area. This way, you will know that your child will get the best assistance so his or her delays can be resolved as quickly as possible.

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