Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy is provided to children of all ages and abilities in order to develop the foundational skills necessary for them to grow into functional, independent adults.
At Frankenberger Associates, we provide a safe and fun environment that promotes function and engagement in everyday activities that are important to the child and their families.
We provide screenings, consultations, evaluations, caregiver education, and individualized and group therapeutic sessions. These services help to identify and treat psychological, physical, emotional, sensory, cognitive and social barriers that may be affecting your child’s participation in daily life.
Utilizing evidence-based intervention methods, restorative and adaptive approaches, as well as a holistic approach we address:
Executive functioning and managing life tasks
Visual perceptual and visual motor skills
Attention, impulsivity, problem solving
Social emotional skills
Self-regulation
Sensory difficulties
Handwriting and other classroom related tasks
Fine and gross motor strengthening
Motor planning and coordination
Self-care activities of daily living, including dressing, feeding, eating, toileting
At Frankenberger Associates, our occupational therapist treats a variety of pediatric diagnoses including but not limited to:
Fine and Gross Motor Coordination Disorders
Sensory Processing Disorders
ADHD
Anxiety Disorders
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Learning Disabilities
Developmental Delays
Cerebral Palsy
Muscular Dystrophy
Down’s Syndrome
How occupational therapy can help your child:
Infant/Toddler
The first three years of your child’s life are critical for brain development. Early identification and early intervention will provide the best outcome for your child’s development.
Participation in play is important to increase social skills, manage emotions, strengthen bonds, enhance motor coordination and develop problem-solving skills.
Occupational therapy will address developmental milestones through play-based treatment. We provide a safe, nurturing environment to enhance development, minimize developmental delays and support families to meet the needs of their child.
Preschool
Preschool is a time to learn skills and develop appropriate behaviors necessary for entering the school environment. Interventions will support your child’s creativity, attention, communication, problem-solving and self-regulation skills.
Additionally, occupational therapy can help your child with self-care tasks, including dressing, toileting and feeding skills. Here, your child will learn through play to develop these essential skills for success.
School-aged
Being a student comes with more responsibilities. Occupational therapy can help improve your child’s independence with daily activities and improve performance in and out of school.
Intervention can address a wide variety of activities including learning and solving problems, successfully using school tools (writing utensils, scissors, computers), establishing routines and organizational skills, and developing habits to promote success in transitioning to middle school or high school.
Occupational therapy will support social well-being, help create a sense of accomplishment and ease environmental transitions while boosting your child’s confidence and independence.
Adolescents
High school is a time for enhancing previous educational instruction and developing skills for post-high school transitioning.
Interventions can focus on emotional regulation, establishing and maintaining healthy habits and routines, as well as social skills in order to form and maintain friendships. Therapy can help your child to strengthen decision-making skills and increase self-determination in order to become a successful, independent young adult.
Occupational therapy will promote healthy lifestyles and mental wellness, the development and attainment of goals, and ease transitions into post-high school employment, independent living or continued education.
Occupational Therapy Evaluation
At Frankenberger Associates, we conduct extensive occupational therapy-based evaluations that examine your child’s strengths and challenges in performing daily activities, in order to help them develop the necessary skills for everyday life.
Using evidence-based assessments, observation, and clinical reasoning, we can identify areas where your child is experiencing difficulties and provide the best solutions to ensure success. Based on evaluation results, the therapist, your child and the family will construct a treatment plan based on the needs of you and your child.
Skills we assess include:
Executive functioning skills (attention, memory, organization)
Visual perceptual, motor, and processing skills
Attention and problem solving skills
Sensory processing abilities
Self-regulation skills
Play and leisure skills
Social participation and communication
Fine and gross motor skills
Coordination
Handwriting
Self-care skills
The Process
1. The occupational therapy evaluation process takes approximately one hour starting with a parent interview to identify priorities and main concerns. The parent will fill out a questionnaire asking questions about your child’s daily life.
2. Based on the information provided and your child’s needs, an appropriate assessment tool is chosen to identify pertinent developmental skill levels. Using clinical observations, the therapist analyzes and identifies areas of needed support.
3. The results are put into a comprehensive evaluation report that summarizes all information gathered, as well as, the therapist’s clinical impressions, and is used to set appropriate goals for your child’s therapy.
