Occupational Therapy

Visual Motor Skills

Sometimes referred to as hand eye coordination, this is the ability to control hand movements guided by vision. Examples of these types of skills are coloring, drawing, writing, catching or batting a ball, making a puzzle, tying shoes, building with blocks, using scissors, solving dot to dots or completing a maze. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with a person’s vision or with their motor control, but instead with the communication between the two systems.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the hand that allow us to do things such as holding a pencil or crayon and writing, picking up small objects (coins, bits of food, small toys), using feeding utensils, fastening closures (zippers, snaps, buttons) imitating finger positions during finger play (itsy bitsy spider, little Tommy Thumbkin, A-ok) and manipulating small items in the hands. They involve strength, fine motor control and dexterity.

Upper Extremity Strengthening and Range of Motion

Occupational therapy works with all of the joints in the Upper Extremity, or arm. This includes the larger joints such as the shoulder and elbow as well as the small joints of the wrist and hand. Strengthening is performed to improve muscle tone and ability to work. Range of Motion (ROM) describes how much a joint is able to move. Activities and stretching can be performed to increase joint ROM and make it easier to reach and move. ROM activities can also be performed to decrease swelling or pain. Occupational Therapy works with joints that are painful, weak, injured or following various types of surgery.

Behavior Modification

Behavior Modification is the use of techniques to increase or decrease behaviors by either changing how a person reacts to certain stimuli or in different situations. These approaches might include positive or negative reinforcement or by replacing the behaviors with more appropriate responses. We look for what might be causing the behaviors and offer alternative techniques for responding to situations.

Assistive Technology

This is a wide area of skills and or equipment that make tasks easier to perform. Assistive technology includes such items as a walker, wheelchair, magnifying glass, or specialized keyboards. Splints and braces are also examples of assistive technology. Assistive Technology categories include Communication Aides, Computer Access Aides, Daily Living Aides, Education and Learning Aides, Environmental Aides, Ergonomic Equipment, Hearing and Listening Aides, Mobility and Transportation Aides, Orthotics and Prosthetics, Recreation and Leisure Aides, Seating and Positioning Aides, and Services. Sometimes this means suggesting certain items to buy or putting a person in touch with someone to loan the equipment from.

Sensory Integration

Sensory Integration, or SI, is a process that takes information from our senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch and more), interprets it and then has our body respond in some way. Whether we are eating, playing, working or even sleeping we are interacting with our environment. Most people think that we have 5 senses, however there are actually more. Other senses that play a role in SI are the vestibular and proprioceptive senses.

Adaptive Equipment Training

This type of training starts out with finding out what areas are problematic for an individual, determining what types of equipment would best fit that individual’s needs and then teaching how to use the equipment. This also includes making sure that the item is the right size, fit or height for the individual.

Ergonomics

The best work or job related injury that you can hope for is the one that never happened! Ergonomics is the science of fitting a job and a work, home or play environment to an employee. There a couple of different ways that we can assist with ergonomics. One would be by giving information and education regarding ergonomics and the other would be to do an ergonomic evaluation. True Care has been working with some local companies providing their employees with an Ergonomic Evaluation.

Early Intervention

Early Intervention provides services to children, school age or younger, that are at risk of having delays in development or difficulties in school. These services can either be corrective or preventative.

Activities of Daily Living Training

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) is a term used to describe daily self-care activities. Such activities include dressing, grooming, feeding, going to the bathroom, transferring from one place to another (such as getting in and out of bed or on and off of the toilet), and ambulation (either walking with or without assistive devices such as a cane; or using a wheelchair). Occupational Therapy can train individual’s in techniques or the use of adaptive equipment to improve the ability to perform ADLs.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Training

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) is a term used to describe activities that are needed to live in a home or function within a community. IADLs include housework, medication management, money management, shopping for clothes or groceries, using a telephone or other means of communication, transportation, care of others (such as pets, family or children), health management, meal preparation and cleanup, and safety procedures and emergency responses.

Family Support and Education

Family support and education can be given in a number of ways. This can include providing information regarding types of services available to families in schools or communities. It can mean assisting with finding a local support group or advocate. Or it can also be in the form of providing information regarding certain diagnosis or conditions as well types of treatment or availability of equipment that may be needed.